Homeless W/Severe Sleep Apnea

After 27 years in law enforcement, my spidey senses are tingling like crazy with this one.

Surely if he is homeless he has been arrested for trespass and other charges incurred by transients. His vocabulary shows that he is well educated. With computer knowledge, and money for a post office box, it shows he has the ability to get his life together, should he desire.

Any of our members in the general area that could maybe swing buy and verify his need and actual condition?

Maybe if we can get his name I could run it in the national database for priors, wants and warrants.

I am with most of those that have posted in this thread. So it might be a scam, but what if it's not??? If we clean out our closets for used masks and old hoses/filters, and chip in for a used machine, how bad could it be? It's a cpap machine, not a meth lab. I'd be wiiling to bet there are more than a few homeless folks who would benefit from access to a cpap.

Bobshouse - are you serious?
Have you ever heard of invasion of privacy (never mind your insulting assumptions)?
Would you want someone to do that to you?
Get over yourself!

If you don't want to contribute, don't, no one's forcing anything!

And I completely agree with mgsnorer's note!

I have been scammed numerous times. I am not a good judge of character at all. I hate moochers because they are stealing from the truly needy. I better leave it to someone else to figure this one out.

Knowing how this economy is I tend to believe this is legit. Michigan has been hit exceptionally hard.

Also, I have a 2nd cousin who lives in the woods in Michigan. His problem is drugs and alchol. So this is not
so far fetched.

If you buy something for him remember he would like to have a S9, don't go lower please no S8 or else.

I seriously doubt you could use CPAP every night in "your nest". Are you going to take it with you everywhere you go? If you leave it unattended, somebody will steal it.

I think your problems of homelessness and unemployment are much more serious than your sleep apnea. Do you sleep at a Salvation Army Shelter during blizzards? Where do you get food to eat?

Are you a US Veteran? You could get help through the Veterans Administration. Do you have family that you could live with until you get back on your feet?

How long have you been unemployed? Homeless?

I can't believe any county would pay for an expensive sleep study for diagnosis and then not provide money for treatment of the disease. That's just plain stupid.

I guess your sleep study was the first time you slept in a bed for quite a while.

" I'd be wiiling to bet there are more than a few homeless folks who would benefit from access to a cpap."

Yes, they could benefit but it is totally not feasible. No power. Packing it all with the only belongings in a backpack.

Anybody ever try using CPAP outdoors below freezing. Would the humid air in hose instantly freeze? Will the H5i humidifier water freeze over in below zero temps in upper Michigan?

BTW. According to Mapquest, Traverse City is just over 100 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. If he's west of Traverse City, he lives in the middle of Lake Michigan.

Here is a link to a free machine http://anchorage.craigslist.org/zip/4103754539.html
Maybe they still have it.

I'm with the few of you I don't think so ???? Read between the lines !!!

VikingGnome wrote:I seriously doubt you could use CPAP every night in "your nest". Are you going to take it with you everywhere you go? If you leave it unattended, somebody will steal it.

I think your problems of homelessness and unemployment are much more serious than your sleep apnea. Do you sleep at a Salvation Army Shelter during blizzards? Where do you get food to eat?

Are you a US Veteran? You could get help through the Veterans Administration. Do you have family that you could live with until you get back on your feet?

How long have you been unemployed? Homeless?

I can't believe any county would pay for an expensive sleep study for diagnosis and then not provide money for treatment of the disease. That's just plain stupid.

I guess your sleep study was the first time you slept in a bed for quite a while.

" I'd be wiiling to bet there are more than a few homeless folks who would benefit from access to a cpap."

Yes, they could benefit but it is totally not feasible. No power. Packing it all with the only belongings in a backpack.

Anybody ever try using CPAP outdoors below freezing. Would the humid air in hose instantly freeze? Will the H5i humidifier water freeze over in below zero temps in upper Michigan?

BTW. According to Mapquest, Traverse City is just over 100 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. If he's west of Traverse City, he lives in the middle of Lake Michigan.

VikingGnome,

Under different circumstances, I would be homeless like this person is also. I can tell you from personal experience that working for me is very hard due to my difficulties with pap treatment even though I am doing it right now. So if this person can't function without a machine, it sounds like he would have a hard time with employment which then is causing his homelessness. I am sure there are other circumstances and I don't mean to simplify things but I just wanted to point out why I feel the lack of a cpap machine may be a great barrier to this person.

Your concerns about cpap being used outside are understandable and ones I share. I am wondering if the OP has tried to get residency at a homeless shelter in which they provide programs to get him working and eventually his own place. He sounds like he would be a great candidate with this skills. That way, if you had a machine, it could be locked up during the day when you were away.

As far as a county paying for a diagnostic study but not treatment, I can believe it.

49er

I really think he could use a pair of shoes and socks first....

Let me sleep wrote:I really think he could use a pair of shoes and socks first....

Of course!

But it sounds like without pap therapy, this person is going to have a hard time being a suitable candidate for employment which would increase his chances of getting out of homelessness permanently. How he can reasonably achieve it is another issue but to deny this isn't a factor seems extremely short sighted in my opinion.

49er

Julie wrote:Bobshouse - are you serious?
Have you ever heard of invasion of privacy (never mind your insulting assumptions)?
Would you want someone to do that to you?
Get over yourself!

If you don't want to contribute, don't, no one's forcing anything!

And I completely agree with mgsnorer's note!

Totally agree Julie.

Bobshouse comments are disgusting. I just hope they aren't reflective of how law enforcement feels in general about this population group. If it is, then that is really upsetting.

Of course, it never occurs to him or people who have similar feelings that under different circumstances, they would be in the same position. They just think it will never happen to them but they are so wrong.

49er

If people wish to donate a machine and parts, then go for it. The people who don't want to donate (for whatever reason) then thats okay too.

It's a bit like politics, no matter what is said its hard to change ones mind

mgaggie wrote:If people wish to donate a machine and parts, then go for it. The people who don't want to donate (for whatever reason) then thats okay too.

It's a bit like politics, no matter what is said its hard to change ones mind

I wanted to clarify my position and stress that if people don't want to donate a machine, I don't see that as being against folks who are homeless. But making disparaging remarks is a different issue and in my opinion, is not acceptable.

49er