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[kaysixteen]

The thing is indeed a miracle machine.  Only stubbornness and penury-cum-parsimony prevented me from doing this years ago.  Ah well... better late than never.

[infopri]

The thing is indeed a miracle machine.  Only stubbornness and penury-cum-parsimony prevented me from doing this years ago.  Ah well... better late than never.

Glad to hear that it's doing you good, kaysixteen.  I'm not at all surprised--but I'm glad.

[tee_bee]

FWIW, I only had one sleep study, and it was a doozy. No problem falling asleep (people with sleep apnea are pretty drowsy already!) after being hooked up to the machine. I slept for about 1.5 to 2 hours and they woke me right up. I said, "did you find anything," and the tech sort of laughed and said, "yeah, you woke up about 72 times an hour, so it wasn't hard to spot." Yikes! So they set a pressure, hooked up the mask and hose, and I went right back to sleep. They must have gotten it right immediately, because whatever they set it at was the setting for the CPAP machine, the folks involved told me.

But the thing that took me aback was that, after getting the mask and hose and all on my face, I went back to sleep, and had the best four or five hours' worth of sleep in the prior 10 years. It was absolutely amazing. I wanted to go back to sleep, and I wanted to take their great big machine with me! But when I got my CPAP, and used it the first time, it really was, as kaysixteen says, a miracle machine.

I dont use the ramp now, but it is easier to get used to .

In the second test, they will adjust the machine through the night.  In my case, they kept it at a low level (4 I think) initially, just so I could get used to the feel and sound of it. They offered to let me try different masks and head arrangements.  As I said, I watched TV for a while with it on before I tried to get to sleep.  It was not hard to get used to.

After you are asleep, they adjust the pressure to determine what you need to keep your airway from collapsing.  The neurologist will then determine what level to set the machine to.  (they set it for you.  You dont have to make adjustments once you get it delivered).  It is not a One Size Fits All device.  My settings may be lower or higher than the next persons.  And there are a lot of different machines too... some allow for different pressure when you breath in than out (BIPAP machines). 

As I slept, they monitored the readings and adjusted the pressure.  I know that in the second test my blood oxygen was allowed to fall to 90% but they raised the pressure enough so that it did not go lower.  He wont know that it is changing.  If he wakes up, they will dial it back down until he is asleep again before they do their "experimenting". 

[velvetelvis]

Great topic.  I've had a CPAP for maybe 6 years at this point.  Definitely life changing in terms of restfulness, and I've taken it all over the world.  I always carry it on (check 1 bag, bring a backpack with electronics, papers, etc) and never had a hassle on a plane.  In fact, on my last flight where every single person brought all their luggage on the plane I explained to the attendant that I needed a place to stow it since there wasn't an inch left overhead (I must remember to book seats in the back of planes from now on) and they put it up in first class for me.  As for TSA, I find it's kind of random but they see enough of them that they all have a standard procedure.  I hate the TSA but I hate the airlines more.

Currently I'm still getting used to the nasal pillow.  Much better than the full over the nose thing but I'm getting tons of rainout when on the road because I have to turn up the humidity and can't elevate the hose as well, and the last couple nights have woken me with that awful balloon sound (and yesterday I gave it a very thorough cleaning just to be sure there wasn't something blocking the exhaust).  Ugh!

[dept_geek]

After much backing and forthing, I got a new CPAP machine.  Had to post after reading velvetelvis's post.. this thing has a heated tubing system so you don't get rained on when the humidity finally makes it all the way up to your face.  I am actually sleeping better with this new beastie. 

Kinda nice :-)

[barred_owl]

Well, I can finally report back in:  Mr. Owl does NOT need a CPAP machine! If he has any apnea at all, it's so far toward the low end of the scale (I think the pulmonologist said "0.7 events/hr" in comparison to event rates that are much, much greater than that in people with severe apnea), that it's not anything to be concerned about.  He did have a brief bout of reduced oxygen levels (86) during the sleep study, but not necessarily related to apnea.  Plus, Mr. Owl had a waking O2 level today in the high 90s (good), and his BP was down to 123/88 (great for someone his age!) from his all-time high a few months back of about 156/90.  The only thing that's changed since the study is the formulation for his inhaler (for COPD) and a couple of tweaks to his other meds.

So, we were both happy with the outcome of this long-awaited visit.  So happy, in fact, that we splurged a bit on dinner to celebrate.  It'll be back to rice and beans tomorrow, but the splurge was worth it!

[infopri]

Great news, barred_owl.  Yes, 0.7 events/hour is nothing, compared to the dozens of events people with apnea have every hour.  Do they know what caused the dip to 86 in his blood oxygen? 

For those who need them, the machines are a godsend--but it's far, far better to not need one.  Yay for Mr. Owl--and for you!

[barred_owl]

Great news, barred_owl.  Yes, 0.7 events/hour is nothing, compared to the dozens of events people with apnea have every hour.  Do they know what caused the dip to 86 in his blood oxygen? 

For those who need them, the machines are a godsend--but it's far, far better to not need one.  Yay for Mr. Owl--and for you!

The dip in the blood oxygen was probably related to his COPD, which is considered Stage II (moderate). The pulmo doc ordered a home oximetry device (that we'll get in a couple of weeks) to see if the drop is recurrent and we'll go from there.

Thanks for the cheers, Infopri. :)

[clean]

Good for you both.  Im glad that the results were what you wanted. 

[cgfunmathguy]

Yea! for Mr. Owl. 0.7 events/hr is less than I had in the last sleep study WITH the machine. Very good news, indeed.

[clean]

Ive been CPAPing since November.  I got my first resupply (after many, many communication issues... I may well fire these people depending on what I learn here now).

I dont know what the insurance company will pay, but the prices are:

Fisher paykel opus pillow system $235.28
Headgear                                     59.75
tubing                                         133.62
filters                                            10.26


How do these prices compare?  Are there online places that I should explore for supplies?  Where do you get your stuff?  How frequently do you change/resuply

[kaysixteen]

Are those the prices the insurance company pays, and you will/ might be asked to pay a copay, or are these the total prices, all paid for by insurance, or the copays you know that you will definitely be asked to assume?  I have had mine for almost three months now and have not been billed for any copays yet even though I was initially led to believe that there would be some.

As to resupply, I was told when I collected the thing that insurance will pay for a new mask and tube every six months.  Which now seems about right, since my mask is beginning to be noticeably looser on my face.

[infopri]

I dont know what the insurance company will pay, but the prices are:

Fisher paykel opus pillow system $235.28
Headgear                                     59.75
tubing                                         133.62
filters                                            10.26


How do these prices compare?  Are there online places that I should explore for supplies?  Where do you get your stuff?  How frequently do you change/resuply

My Better Half's supplier is Lincare, and he would pay about $30 or $40 for that whole shebang after insurance.  He resupplies every three to six months (depending on which piece of equipment it is).  Your provider should tell you how often you need to replace the various components.

Look into Lincare if you're not happy with your supplier.  They're a national company, as far as I know, so they should be able to supply you.

Good luck!

[clean]

Are those the prices the insurance company pays, and you will/ might be asked to pay a copay, or are these the total prices

Those are the prices on the invoice that was in the box.  You are correct, though, BCBS still has to review the bill and make the BCBS- BS adjustment. 

Still, I ve not had a good feeling from this company since they delivered my unit and forgot to leave all of the documentation.  I called on 2/1 and asked about resupply.  They said that I could not get anything before 2/16, but that they would process it on that date and mail it out.  By 3/1 nothing had arrived.  I called first thing in the morning and was told that nothing had been processed.  I left a message for "andrew" and by 3/5 he had not called me back.  I was promised everything on 3/6, but it arrived on 3/7.

I dont want to be too demanding a customer, but promised action on 2/15, no calls returned, delayed delivery...

If there are other online places to check, please let me know ones that others are happy with!

[cgfunmathguy]

Are those the prices the insurance company pays, and you will/ might be asked to pay a copay, or are these the total prices

Those are the prices on the invoice that was in the box.  You are correct, though, BCBS still has to review the bill and make the BCBS- BS adjustment. 

Still, I ve not had a good feeling from this company since they delivered my unit and forgot to leave all of the documentation.  I called on 2/1 and asked about resupply.  They said that I could not get anything before 2/16, but that they would process it on that date and mail it out.  By 3/1 nothing had arrived.  I called first thing in the morning and was told that nothing had been processed.  I left a message for "andrew" and by 3/5 he had not called me back.  I was promised everything on 3/6, but it arrived on 3/7.

I dont want to be too demanding a customer, but promised action on 2/15, no calls returned, delayed delivery...

If there are other online places to check, please let me know ones that others are happy with!

The companies tend to be hit-and-miss. I've had good ones, but the current company is not one of those. When I got the new machine last year, I had already burnt through my out-of-pocket for the year, and I told the supplier that. They didn't bill the insurance company first, and then they billed the insurance company with incorrect information about me, causing the insurance company to deny the claim. They then came after me with numerous phone calls. I threatened to return their machine because I still had the old one set to the same pressure if they didn't fix it on their end. Finally, one customer service rep checked the invoice because she could hear the frustration in my voice, and she discovered that whoever had billed it last had used a dummy SSN to submit the bill (think, 999-99-9999). Once that was fixed, I haven't heard from them since. It's amazing what a little attention to detail can do.