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Advice needed please: Queensland rules
#41
RE: Advice needed please: Queensland rules
[quote='Dafod' pid='156660' dateline='1459916368']
Sandii, am I right in thinking you did/do not have a very good relationship with your doctor? .
I'm not really sure what a very good relationship with my doctor would mean I go to her when I am feeling in ill and I can't fix it myself, when I need a repeat prescription or when called in for a 12 month health review check. That's about it. Just a straight out sort of deal really. It was during my last 12 month health review check that this test was ordered.


Is there any other complicating factor regarding your ability to drive during the day that the dr might be worried about? Ie. Does the thyroid problem you mention result in significant fatigue?
No, nothing has been mentioned in regards to my thyroid problem having anything to do with this.

Also, given it appears your existing relationship with this doctor has collapsed I am not sure why you don't go to the new doctor - if you have the results of the sleep study Plus accept the use of a CPAP, shouldn't this doctor be able to work with you? Assuming the new doctor acknowledges you have some level of Sleep apnea (based on the take home test) and you agree to use a CPAP (and demonstrate compliance) then I don't see how he/she wouldn't contact the Dept of Transport to have your license unsuspended and at least give you a conditional one.
I can only act on what I have been told when asking questions: If and when I find a new dr who bulk bills and who is taking on new patients and who speaks English well enough that I can understand what he/her is saying (this is not a racist comment its fact), then I have to have tests rerun due to the fact different drs use different specialists to read the results and make recommendations etc. Have also been told that some drs here won't recognise the take home tests and refer patients to sleep in clinics in the first instance. Two options there - find $400 per test as the only sleep in testing clinic here is through the 2 private hospitals & are non medicare or find the funds to travel approx. 1,000km round trip by public transport to attend the next closest clinic.
I have no problem using a CPAP machine but have not been issued with a prescription by dr to enable me to hire or purchase one. Have been told by the place here that handles all the CPAP equipment that without one he cannot help me short of me purchasing outright a brand new 'automatic' machine and mask at a cost of almost $1,000. I do not have that sort of cash available to me nor any one I can borrow it from. It also has to be a 4 week trial overseen by dr first before they will recontact transport dept & my 'levels' have to drop 'significantly' before this will happen. Dr is on leave until 20 April.

I am informed that it was not the gp who contacted Transport dept but he specialist in Brisbane to whom the test results were first read by and he in turn contacted them.

So I am not resisting any of this as such. Just trying to find out what the process is and how I go about trying to rectify it.




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#42
RE: Advice needed please: Queensland rules
Finally got hold of an automatic machine to use for this trial period. Was told by the 'sleep technician' I got it from that it will take 'a bit of getting used to' but he was overboard in his reassuring that in the morning I would wake up so refreshed and happy etc. Sorry everyone but I'm still not getting this version of 'refreshed and happy.' During the night every muscle in my body started aching, my head pounding and when attempting to stand up to go to toilet was very very lightheaded and was in great pain throughout my body to walk and had to shuffle along.
Put the mask back on and turned machine back on. Pain throughout body (muscles, neck, shoulders, and sore throat for rest of night. This morning my brain is that 'fuzzy' I am making several spelling mistakes and having trouble even remembering what I was writing. Just about every muscle in my body is aching, shoulders and neck very stiff and sore, pounding headache, sore throat (mask goes over nose and mouth) and I am more tired this morning then I have been previously. This does not seem to me to be 'refreshed and happy.' Can anyone explain to me if this is 'normal' or for how long I will now have to cope with this happening as well please?
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#43
RE: Advice needed please: Queensland rules
Normal, no. Does it happen sometimes, yes. Look over you CPAP machine and tell us what machine you have. What the settings are
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#44
RE: Advice needed please: Queensland rules
The only writing on the machine says Philips Respironics on top and DreamStation on the front. I don't know what the settings are. When I turn it on it comes up on a little computer screen saying Pressure 4.0 cmH20. But sleep technician man said that he had set it at that as a minimum level & that it will adjust itself as required. He also said there is a 'card' in one side of it that he will be able to access all information off and that he had installed a 'modem' in the other side of it which will let him know remotely when I have turned it off and on and what it is working at etc. I do not understand about this remote modem part though, only in relation to computers.


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#45
RE: Advice needed please: Queensland rules
It's a modem that works over the cell phone network, here the insurance company requires it to make sure the machine is being used. Compliance.

So there are two things. Firs are the therapy setting and I would not recommend changing those at this point.
Second there are several comfort settings and most people change those all over the place.
Humidity
Temperature

I don't have that machine so I wont be much help accessing all the comfort settings, but others here will. If you are having problems breathing, using the machine for enough hours, tend to take the mask off during the night, feel like you are not getting enough air-come and chat with us and someone here will help adjust things.

So good to hear that you got a machine!
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#46
RE: Advice needed please: Queensland rules
(04-07-2016, 07:04 PM)Sandii Wrote: He also said there is a 'card' in one side of it that he will be able to access all information off and that he had installed a 'modem' in the other side of it which will let him know remotely when I have turned it off and on and what it is working at etc. I do not understand about this remote modem part though, only in relation to computers.
Great to hear you have a machine! Sounds like your tech is on the ball. When you see him, take the machine ( or just the card if you are confident in taking it out and replacing it) and he will be able to get detailed information on everything that is happening to you, even to a breath by breath level, and help you fine tune things. The modem is entirely different - it is a 2G mobile phone type connection that automatically transmits data from your cpap that the tech can access - the information is not as detailed as the card, but allows the tech to remotely access an overview of how things are going.

If you have a home computer, you may wish to access the data from the card yourself using sleepyhead software and post it here for some help. Otherwise, plug on for the weekend and give the tech a call Monday for advise if you are still feeling awful. Perserverance is the key - there may be many individual things to get just right before you are comfortable. The first goal is to get your sleep apnoea under control ( a score consistently <5 and using the machine consistently) for your license. You may or may not necessarily feel better at that point. If you do, great. For many, the "feeling better" takes more adjustments to pressures, masks, leaks, sleep hygiene, other causes for microarousals and sleep disturbance, and time.
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#47
RE: Advice needed please: Queensland rules
Fellow QLD'er here.

My license was taken as a precaution due to other health reasons.. But I know it sucks being housebound. Relying on my Mrs to get around is not always fun.

In case no one mentioned it already: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet%27s_Law

Getting the Apnea's under control gives them no reason for them to hold it against you any longer.

Good luck getting your freedom back! Smile
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#48
RE: Advice needed please: Queensland rules
Hello Sandii

Great to see that you have made progress. I'd like to reiterate JediMarks post that as soon as you can prove that you are treating your OSA then your licence should be restored very quickly. Your DME can help here if they are monitoring your machine usuage wirelessly. Go for it, don't let them boss you around.
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