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The Replacement Machine Saga
#1
The Replacement Machine Saga
I will start off by saying that this board has been a big help to me. Thank You All.

I was a member about 10 years back and probably still still am, but I forgot all my sign on info. So I registered again last week.

I am a long time user of CPAP/APAP having started on CPAP in about 1999.
 
Prior to going on a CPAP machine, I underwent one big surgery that removed my tonsils, uvula, a portion of the back of my tongue, and the turbinates in my nose. This was done to relive or fix my obstructive sleep apnea. It did not work. 
 
The Replacement Machine Saga started about 2 to 3 months ago when I went to my local DME supplier to pickup supplies for my 10 year old 
ResMed S9 Autoset with Heated tubing and Humidifier.
I was told at that time that the supplies I was picking up were the last they had and they could no longer support my machine.
I was told to have my GP send them a prescription. I already had an appointment to see the GP, so I waited until then to ask for the prescription.

The GP suggested that since it had been 10 years since my last sleep study that I have one.

The night of the sleep study I was informed that it would be a "Split" study to prove to the insurance that I needed a machine even though I have been using one for over 20 years.

The study technician said the study would run from 9PM to 5PM includeing the prep time. She also stated that I would have to have a minimum of 2 hours sleep without a mask and 3 hours with a mask.

I told her that it would be a long time before I would go to sleep without the mask. It was 10PM by the time I was put to bed. At 2:30AM she came in and said I had just barely gotten the 2 hour minimum and put a mask on me.

At that time I thought there is not enough time left for the 3 hour minimum sleep. She came in at about 7AM and woke me up. She said she let me sleep past the "official" stop time so I could complete the study and not have to come back for another.

Fast forward to last Thursday 5/2/19 the appointment with the DME to get my new machine.

I "Assume"d I would be getting a new version of my old ResMed S9.

Wrong, I was sent home with a DreamStation DSX400H.

I am very noise sensitive and sleep with foam earplugs in place.

Right out of the box, this was the noisiest machine I have ever heard. With the earplugs in place it sounded like Darth Vader breathing directly into my ears.

The next day Friday 5/3/19 I called the DME twice leaving messages for the therapist with no returned calls. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights i put the machine under the bed. That helped the noise some but not much.

Yesterday 5/6/19 I went to the DME to talk to the therapist. She asked what the problem was. 
I told her two things: 
1- the machine was extremely noisy. To she replied, "we will send it in for repair". I told her "NO. that is not going to happen.
2- This machine is no where near a like type replacement for my old S9 Autoset and I wanted a ResMed S10 Autoset.
She told me to call the sleep study center and have them send a new prescription for a S10. She then scheduled an appointment for today at 1PM.
  
I called the sleep study center this morning to verify that they had requeted an S10. I was told that would be up to the DME if they gave me the Autoset S10.

I went in for my appointment and lo and behold the DME tried to force a ResMed S10 CPAP on me . 
I refused it and after almost an hour of discussion with two therapist and me going out to the car and bringing in my old S9 for them to check the old settings and seeing that I had been on autoset, I walked out with a new S10 Autoset set on my old settings.

A person should not have to go through this to get a like type replacement.

The old autoset was set for a low of 6 and a high of 12. She set the new S10 to a low of 6 and high of 13.

The DreamStation that they first gave me was set for a low of 4 and a high of 7. 

With these settings the AHI numbers went sky high the four nights I used it. 21,12,18,12.

My numbers on the old s9 were from  .3 TO 4 most of the time.

Just thought I would share my sorry story.

Herb
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#2
RE: The Replacement Machine Saga
Wow......just wow! 

I went thru a split sleep study and it went as smoothly as possible from what I know, which at the time, was 0%. 

My sleep doc prescribed an AutoSet 10 for me. I had no idea what was a good machine or not. About a week or so later, my local DME supplier called me and asked that I come in to pick-up my machine and get a tutorial on how it worked. 

I had used an AirFit F20 mask in the sleep lab, and I felt that it would work well for me. That's what was ordered for me, as well as a climateline hose and humidifer. 

Sounds as if you fought tooth & nail to get what you wanted. Glad that you did and ended up fine. 

Some of the stories I hear on here, amazes me, that they (SA industry) make things so difficult for the patients. 

It's situations like yours that enlighten / educate those of us that are new to the SA experience. Thanks for sharing!
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#3
RE: The Replacement Machine Saga
In my post above, I refer to my new machine as a ResMed S10. I am sorry.

Everywhere it says ResMed S10 it should be ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset.

By the time I realized my mistake, I could no longer do a edit to correct it.

Again, I am sorry.

Herb
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#4
RE: The Replacement Machine Saga
Dart67,
Welcome to apnea Board!

Unfortunately, your “saga” is very similar to what many of us have gone through.  It boils down to a couple things....incompetence of the folk working for DME’s and foremost “profit”.

DME’s will try to pawn off to unsuspecting patients the Cpap that will net them the most profit.

It’s up to the patient to do research before having to deal with suppliers.  Be one step ahead of the game, as you were...or at least know how to fight for what you want.

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...re_success

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...with_a_DME
OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

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#5
RE: The Replacement Machine Saga
(05-08-2019, 09:19 AM)OpalRose Wrote: Dart67,
Welcome to apnea Board!

Unfortunately, your “saga” is very similar to what many of us have gone through.  It boils down to a couple things....incompetence of the folk working for DME’s and foremost “profit”.

DME’s will try to pawn off to unsuspecting patients the Cpap that will net them the most profit.

It’s up to the patient to do research before having to deal with suppliers.  Be one step ahead of the game, as you were...or at least know how to fight for what you want.




It is very unfortunate that folks have to got through this.

IF I had not had my old S9 with me where they could see that it was set as Autoset and had been that way forever, I think I would still be there fighting with them.

I believe they were NOT happy that I was not a "normal" complacent OLD Man who would blindly accept what they wanted to give me.


Herb
 


  
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#6
RE: The Replacement Machine Saga
Glad you got what you wanted and deserve!
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#7
RE: The Replacement Machine Saga
It's unfortunate that people don't visit the forum BEFORE they go through all this circus. Even with the knowledge, it was tough to get my machine in a timely manner.

I recently helped my neighbor. He went to the sleep doctor in order to get a new machine (his was over 5 years old and was increasing in noise). He brought along his recent Sleepyhead data and his SD card. The doc was saying how he needed a new sleep study. He asked the doctor to tell him just what information that would give him that the chart and SD card from his S9 autoset didn't provide? He got his machine without the test.

Neither of us are against tests, but we want to know why it is necessary and how it will change treatment. We both know that Medicare doesn't REQUIRE a sleep test more than once a decade.
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