Semi OT - What this Forum Has Done

[jnk]

I hope you realize how helpful your willingness to share here has been and continues to be.

And you have been an inspiration to me personally.

Thank you.

[LSAT]

I really do not have a "sleep doctor"...however, I'm fortunate that my primary care doctor's mother uses a CPAP and he is familiar with the system and the problems his mother had when she was starting out. Also, my cardiologist uses a CPAP and can relate to any thing I may bring up to him. Seriously, I know more about the CPAP that he does. If, for any reason I would need a new prescription, either one would write it for me.

[SleepyCPAP]

Dear Madalot,

I thank you so much for sharing your story.

--SleepyCPAP

[Madalot]

I hope you realize how helpful your willingness to share here has been and continues to be.

And you have been an inspiration to me personally.

Thank you.

Dear Madalot,

I thank you so much for sharing your story.

--SleepyCPAP

My post was to thank all of you! You're not supposed to be thanking me!!!!

[djhall]

My post was to thank all of you! You're not supposed to be thanking me!!!!

Well in that case, thank you for being gracious enough to thank us!

[HoseCrusher]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thanks for the thanks...

[chunkyfrog]

I just love this!

[HerbM]

Great story, Madalot.

Did you give the PA (and the Doc) the forum url?

If more docs would visit a place like this the quality of care would improve.

I am pretty sure that the docs DO NOT learn how to REALLY THINK about these machines in detail. The learn the signs and symptoms, the diagnostic tests, enough to figure out what kind of machine and to get a "good idea" of what is needed and that's about it.

Unless they are also CPAP users and take advantage of a resource like this.

(My sleep doc seems really good, but he either didn't notice that my machine had *MY* chosen settings or he just didn't care. I was happy to have no argument but it was a bit odd in my opinion.)

[andy5805]

Yes, great story


I got my education on here, plain and simple. 2 years before I tried CPAP and failed. Those two years were the most exhausting of my life as I struggled against an illness that was firmly in the drivers seat over me. Unfortunately, I was also in the literal drivers seat as I work out in the middle of nowhere. It is by the grace of God I never crashed my car, not even a mark- but I came close

Then I came on here started getting advice from people who really really knew the deal. You could tell the way they talked was on one thing and one thing only - years of doing it themselves. You don't get that from a doctor who doesn't have the problem, if he did have the problem you wouldn't get it in the 10 minute window you waited months if not years to secure with him.

In this day and age people need to know what they want and what they need and be pro active in their diagnosis. This is not a criticism, it is a fact that the world is overpopulated and if resources are struggling right now there will be even fewer in years to come. We are therefore with some irony transported back to a bygone age where we must help ourselves -but thankfully there is one important difference - the internet connects us to millions like us, so last time, before the population went crazy, you'd maybe have a distant third cousin who thought they had sleep apnea, now you can sit here in the UK and like me and connect to people in the US like you, who have, and this is a complete miracle.

I am fully compliant, have been for several months and it has got better and better and better. My boss, a director, he came to me last week and said he'd noticed I was so much better. That to me is game set and match because I want to do well, I want to be normal, I want my employer to be happy with me.

so many times I could have fallen off early on - so many times I came on here got that killer tip that helped me keep it together, be it lanolin one week, pressure settings another week even a pair of tights one other week, these things actually work

and now I know what works for me I'm productive, rested, happy - another success story of this unique and truly excellent forum

cheers
Andy

[jnk]

. . . not supposed to be thanking me!!!!

We can thank you if we want, and you can't stop us, nyeh!

[Sir NoddinOff]

It's a giant hug-fest. I love it. It's good to know good folks.

[Madalot]

It's a giant hug-fest. I love it. It's good to know good folks.

Definitely. Not only have I gotten a TON of help here, I've made a lot of friends. Can't argue with that.

[Kiralynx]

Madalot...

Congratulations on creating a true team!

[SleepyToo2]

Thank you for posting a good story, well told. It is important that we see those from time to time.

In my case, I realized that raising my pressure just a little from what was prescribed (but the doc insisted that it was doing its job), I have started losing weight, and am feeling more refreshed in the morning. However, the biggest benefit from getting my treatment working effectively has been my mental status - thinking much more clearly, recognizing just how much damage the apnea did to how I was thinking/making decisions. I now see that I made some very silly decisions while I was in the worst phase of my apnea, yet I was able to go to work and put in a good day's effort every day. It is important that our health-care providers see that there is more to sleep apnea treatment than just getting the numbers right, and I think your approach, Madalot, is definitely a step in the right direction. So, to you, and countless others on this forum, thank you for posting your story.