And people wonder why the healthcare system is so screwed up.....

[G-Rex]

So, as some of you who are on my Facebook are aware, I recently did a sleep study thanks to this pesky little issue of stopping breathing at night intermittently. Obviously it freaked Carolina out, so I got it checked out.

Two sleep studies later, they determined that I have Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea, due to stopping breathing on an average of 36 times an hour.

Without boring everyone with details of this, the end result was that I am supposed to sleep with a CPAP machine (basically it blows air and pressurizes my airway via a mask I'll wear over my nose.)

According to the sleep center, this is a permanent condition. They say an ENT might be able to help, but doubtful. To them, the CPAP machine is the permanent answer to this.

So, I ask this. It dawned on me tonight while picking up the machine, and the tech there wasn't the person to yell at about it, so I'll chew into their corporate office on Monday. Why, if this is a permanent machine and according to them, I will need to use this machine the rest of my life, why, oh why, would they choose to *rent* the machine, collecting monthly from the insurance company, rather than sell it and collect a one time payment.

Of course, I know the answer to the question, but I'm still going to call and bitch about it, because it's just stupid.

If anybody can give me a valid reason why they might have done this, I'm all ears.

[the chi]

So wait, what? You have to sleep with a big thing on your face for the rest of your life?

It makes sense to the folks that get 100x what the machine actually costs in rental fees...

Can you get your insurance company to buy you one outright?

[G-Rex]

Yeah, according to them, wearing a mask over my nose to pressurize my airway is the permanent solution. So why would they rent a machine instead of buying it!? It's dumb.

I know it makes sense to the sleep center that rents the machine. I don't think I'm going to let them just screw my insurance company without at least saying something! It's the principle of the thing to me now!

[Rangerscott]

My dad works with a guy that stops breathing while sleeping. He takes a pill before going to sleep. I'll call my dad up and see if he can find out what he takes.

I have a problem now that I get in a stage of where I know I'm falling asleep, but I wake up and I feel like I wasn't breathing. Scares me some.


Does it just circulate air or is it oxygen? If it's oxygen then be prepared to have a real dry mouth and sore throat when you wake up.

[Amber Lamps]

Maintenance? I would imagine that such an important machine requires constant supervision and maintenance. Also, perhaps they need to be replaced periodically? If you feel so strongly about it, do a search and find one for sale.

[Trip]

let me know how it works for you besides the stupid renting thing, I need to get the sleep study done myself.

[G-Rex]

Does it just circulate air or is it oxygen? If it's oxygen then be prepared to have a real dry mouth and sore throat when you wake up.

It just circulates air. It does have an adjustable humidifier built in to help with the sore throat / dry mouth thing.

Maintenance? I would imagine that such an important machine requires constant supervision and maintenance. Also, perhaps they need to be replaced periodically? If you feel so strongly about it, do a search and find one for sale.

No supervision or maintenance. It has a memory card that basically stores information on how often I use it. It is "smart" in that it can tell if I'm actually using it, or just turning it on. They told me this was so that if I wasn't actually using it, they could recommend to the insurance company to stop paying for it. I've already found one for sale. For the complete setup they gave me, it's over $1500. That's not the point. It's the principle of the matter.

let me know how it works for you besides the stupid renting thing, I need to get the sleep study done myself.

Will do. I did one night of the sleep study with the CPAP machine, but with all the sensors hooked up, it was hard for me to get comfortable, so I didn't feel like I slept very well, but they said I did. Now that all I have to worry about is the mask, I'll be curious to see how I sleep. I'll be sure to post an update in a couple of weeks.

[tommymac]

Because they can make more money off you thatway than doing surgery to possibly correct the problem.

[Homeslice]

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. One thing that COULD help is what they call pillar implants, which are like little sticks of cellulouse that get inserted into the roof of your mouth to stiffen it and prevent it from vibrating/snoring. This cures snoring but makes only a mild improvement to apena. They are also working on magnetic implants that would repel each other and keep the airway open. Laser/knife might be another option too, but what doctors always do is recommend the least invasive cure first, which is why they gave you CPAP.

[Tsunami]

Is surgery an option?

[OTB]

I've been on Cpap for 5 yrs. Where we live, (semi-rural, brownouts and sporadic outages are common; ergo, blown machines are common )the circuitry is a small computer, and no, an apc doesnt supply enough power.
Part of the deal is monthly replacement of filters and same-day replacement of blown units. Quarterly replacement of masks and hoses.
I've gone through 3 units; mine are the expensive Bi-pap units @$3k a pop ($5200msrp). Do the math.

[OTB]

Is surgery an option?

For some; success ratio about %40 according to my doc, painful, and if you gain weight, you're right back to where you were....

I'm fortunate in that once I found the right mask, it works great and I don't ever notice it. Asleep for 7-8 hrs and wake up refreshed.

Had to go through about 10 different masks till I found one that was right for me.

[cbrchick]

Wow Trace, that kinda sucks (get it?...k, lame joke)...

Unless you gained a shit load of weight (don't think so) or smoke (nope), you must have developed like central/obstructive apnea since I saw you last. Granted, I might not have heard any snoring b/c I had ear plugs in I think. ( we shared a room once :) ...all innocent you pervs).

It's insane with the monthly rate and all, just make sure if you get a used machine all is working well. The thing with those devices, if they aren't working, your not breathing in your sleep with a mask on your face.

Besides all the insurance stuff, this is a positive step in that once you start using the Cpap, you'll find yourself much more rested and refreshed during the day. You won't be tired with all that CO2 circulating in your blood when you wake up.

Plus, now Carolina can indulge in those gas mask fetishes that all us girls (esp. military) have but never act on :)

[Amber Lamps]

I've been on Cpap for 5 yrs. Where we live, (semi-rural, brownouts and sporadic outages are common; ergo, blown machines are common )the circuitry is a small computer, and no, an apc doesnt supply enough power.
Part of the deal is monthly replacement of filters and same-day replacement of blown units. Quarterly replacement of masks and hoses.
I've gone through 3 units; mine are the expensive Bi-pap units @$3k a pop ($5200msrp). Do the math.


Ha! Score one for the Tigger! J/K.. Seriously, I figured it was something like that. These insurance companies can be stupid at times but I found it hard to believe that they would be such easy marks.

[Tmall]

My boss has had the surgery, he regrets it.

He can't eat certain foods now because it directly effects his nasal pasages. Spicy food burns the inside of his nose and he said it was extremely painful while it was healing.

[OTB]

The first few times I used it; I felt like I was being smothered (mask over face) and that my lungs were going to explode (13psi pressure). I had some chafing and soreness till I found the right mask. I went from being a side/belly sleeper to sleeping on my back.

I used to wake up a million times a night; I would fall asleep in the middle of dinner or in the middle of a conversation. I fell alseep many times while driving the car and once ON THE BIKE.....in the middle of the afternoon.

My blood pressure was 210/120.....

My wife said I snored like I was going to shake the house apart and I would stop breathing for 30-40 seconds at a time. She would shake me to get me to start breathing.

Every joint hurt; I couldn't wake up in the morning; I felt like I was running a marathon all the time and I had constant headaches.

Now I sleep like a normy....

BP as of yesterday was 119/70.

I can go all day with nodding off.

My wife sleeps through the nite.......

I wake up in the morning and feel GREAT!



I pack the CPAP where ever I go; I have a large tank bag where it goes on overnight rides.

I put it on , push the button, and within 30 seconds I fall asleep.


Give it a chance and you'll never notice it, but it will change your life for the better.

I am just grateful I have something that can be treated so easily.

[6doublefive321]

OTB is spot on. I started using a CPAP machine in November.

The main reason the insurance companies rent the machine at the beginning is the purchase cost and the fact that not everyone who gets a machine will use it. While the memory card in the machine is great for diagnostics if you need a "tune up", it is also tells the insurance company if you are using the machine every night. If, like lots of other people, you can't live with the machine and stop using it, the memory card will tell the tale and the insurance company can recover some of the money they spent. If you use it regularly, they will eventually purchase it. Its actually a pretty smart approach by the insurance companies.

I've been using my CPAP for two months, and I can tell a significant improvement in my overall health. I am still having some issues with mask comfort. As I am finding out, mask choice is a trial and error process.

[RACER X]

my dad has one, has had it for a long time.

Z says i need 1 too, and she's prolly right. i snore, i just don't wake up.

[defector]

One of my employees has one. Same deal, ins pays monthly. His work has actually improved alot.

Best part of the entire deal? He got a new nickname ("Maverick"). And now he has a sign on his office that says Highway to the Danger Zone....

[derf]

A friend of mine had the surgery and he says it was the best thing hes ever done. He went from never being able to wake up and always being tired to waking up without an alarm clock at the correct time every day and he gets a full night sleep. He says that he can't eat spicy food because it burns his sinuses but not being tired more than makes up for that drawback.

[Tsunami]

Tracy you are pretty jolly for someone that never gets sleep! I get cranky if I get less than 8 uninterrupted hours...

What happens if you lose your health insurance and your pump is on rent?

[G-Rex]

Ok, since there are several of you that use a CPAP, I'll ask here.

I've used it a whole 2 days now at home, and the main thing that I hate about it is that it's causing a dry mouth that just sucks.

The machine has a humidifier built in, and I've cranked that up, but the problem persists. The mask I have covers my nose only. I'm thinking I might swap it out for one that covers my mouth and nose and see if that helps.

What are y'all doing? If anybody says that's just the way it is, I might go postal!

[Amber Lamps]

Ok, since there are several of you that use a CPAP, I'll ask here.

I've used it a whole 2 days now at home, and the main thing that I hate about it is that it's causing a dry mouth that just sucks.

The machine has a humidifier built in, and I've cranked that up, but the problem persists. The mask I have covers my nose only. I'm thinking I might swap it out for one that covers my mouth and nose and see if that helps.

What are y'all doing? If anybody says that's just the way it is, I might go postal!

Hey,this is OTB posting through Tigger's account... Yep, that's the just the way it is....

[OTB]

Hey,this is OTB posting through Tigger's account... Yep, that's the just the way it is....

....liar, liar, pants are on fire.....

After a while I stopped using the humidifier. The reason you have drymouth is because you haven't yet trained your jaw to stay shut...so after you fall asleep you are exhaling through your mouth...and all that excess pressure is drying out you tissues. Give it couple of weeks before you go to the full mask. I have one but only use it when I have sinus or cold issues.

Like my wife tells everybody...it took a while for me to learn to keep my mouth shut..........:skep:

[Tsunami]

....liar, liar, pants are on fire.....

After a while I stopped using the humidifier. The reason you have drymouth is because you haven't yet trained your jaw to stay shut...so after you fall asleep you are exhaling through your mouth...and all that excess pressure is drying out you tissues. Give it couple of weeks before you go to the full mask. I have one but only use it when I have sinus or cold issues.

Like my wife tells everybody...it took a while for me to learn to keep my mouth shut..........:skep:

Tracy try duct taping your mouth shut tonight!

[Amber Lamps]

....liar, liar, pants are on fire.....

After a while I stopped using the humidifier. The reason you have drymouth is because you haven't yet trained your jaw to stay shut...so after you fall asleep you are exhaling through your mouth...and all that excess pressure is drying out you tissues. Give it couple of weeks before you go to the full mask. I have one but only use it when I have sinus or cold issues.

Like my wife tells everybody...it took a while for me to learn to keep my mouth shut..........:skep:

Busted!!!

[AquaPython]

could be worse - could be sleeping in an iron lung!

[unknownroad]

What happens if you lose your health insurance and your pump is on rent?

Same thing that happens when you're dependent on prescription drugs and you lose your health insurance.

I've seen people selling them for as little as $100 on Craigslist, but I haven't gotten around to pulling the trigger on one yet. I've had to move into the guest bedroom because of my snoring :(

[Ninjakel]

I'm curious as to my sleeping habits. I snore really bad, and sometimes i wake up gasping. I also can barely wake up in the morning, etc.

I wish I had insurance to actually check it out.

[OTB]

I'm curious as to my sleeping habits. I snore really bad, and sometimes i wake up gasping. I also can barely wake up in the morning, etc.

I wish I had insurance to actually check it out.

Yep, that's apnea...

[OTB]

Just checking up on the apnea folks...how's everybody doin'?????

[Homeslice]

Yep, that's apnea...

maybe maybe not.........could be just crappy sleep habits & not going to sleep at the same time. I had her symptoms, got a full sleep lab, doctor said I didn't have it.

[6doublefive321]

....liar, liar, pants are on fire.....

After a while I stopped using the humidifier. The reason you have drymouth is because you haven't yet trained your jaw to stay shut...so after you fall asleep you are exhaling through your mouth...and all that excess pressure is drying out you tissues. Give it couple of weeks before you go to the full mask. I have one but only use it when I have sinus or cold issues.

Like my wife tells everybody...it took a while for me to learn to keep my mouth shut..........:skep:

Right on again. I will wake up sometimes with the air blowing out of my mouth like a cartoon character. They make a strap that holds the jaw shut, and I may look into it. I still can't get my mask to be completely comfortable, but it beats the hell out of being sleepy all day.