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Introduction - New Member
#1
Introduction - New Member
Hello, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 20 - 25 years ago.  The whole experience was horrendous.  I had no idea what a sleep study was or what the "cure" would be.  I knew something was wrong because I could barely drive without major concentration and effort to not fall asleep.  I thought the cure might be amphetamines or oxygen at night and this would fix my problem.  Well was I ever wrong.

The sleep study was in a room that was way too hot, lit up to a twilight level and I slept on something like an examination table.  It was miserable but apparently i slept enough for them to prescribe me a CPAP set up.  I believe the CPAP was sent to the house and I gave it a very short try and said never again I'd rather die!  I remember the pressure being very high, or to me it seemed high, and it was very claustrophobic.  I'm not sure of the time frame or how i figured it out but i learned to sleep on my stomach or side and the symptoms went away. 

Over the years I traveled a lot and found a hard bed helped things out.  Eventually, I started sleeping in a recliner.  I believe I get pretty good sleep in a recliner but a high back recliner is not always available in hotels or when visiting family.  So for this reason I decided to go back to get a sleep study.

I had my sleep study Dec 18, 2019.  I was super stressed and anxious given my past experiences. I had not tried to sleep all night in a bed for years and knew I only got a good nights sleep in a recliner.  I was happy to see the room looked like a hotel room, i could adjust the temperature, bed firmness and lighting level.  There was a recliner available if i wanted to use it.  I started the night off in bed and moved to my side and even my stomach for a while.  It took me forever to get on my stomach with all the wired but i finally fell asleep.  I woke up a while later and asked to use the recliner.  I slept some more in the recliner and was then woke up by the tech and told i met the requirements for CPAP.  I stayed in the recliner and was given a nasal pillow mask and to my surprise it did not seem so bad.  At first it seemed i did not get enough air and had to pull the pillows away from my nose and take a deep breadth.  I did this three times or so but eventually fell asleep.  Sometime later I woke up and could not go back to sleep.  As it turned out it was an hour or so after my normal wake up time.  I was very tired the rest of the day and probably should have went home and napped in the recliner as I caught the cold from hell that has me still suffering post nasal drip and a cough.  I picked up something in that darn hospital.

Despite this cold that happened the day after my study I'm still determined to make CPAP work.  I have not gone to the DME yet and may not.  I have a High Deductible medical plan and it seems the DME charges more with insurance than without.  A brief phone conversion revealed it would cost me $530 down and then $80 for 15 months with insurance and about $1000 total if I didn't use insurance.  I know the Resmed Airsense 10 autoset was the CPAP they had in mind, but I have no other data on what was included.  This seems ridiculously high to me so now I'm looking at online vendors.  I have the sleep study results and my prescription being mailed to me. 

Right now based on what i have read on this board I plan to buy the Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset, Heated Resmed Climateline air hose and most likely a Resmed p30i nasal pillow mask along with filters and a smart card.  My hopes is to startoff in the recliner and then work towards getting used to sleeping on my back in a bed.  Sorry for the long post.
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#2
RE: Introduction - New Member
Welcome to the forum.

In my area, some people are selling NEW zero hours ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet machines for $350.

I could have bought one the other day NEW zero hours for $250 including three climateline hoses sealed in packets.
The seller works in a sleep lab and obviously had access to machines at cost (or who knows what??).

You may not be able to match $250 where you are but, by shopping around, you should find a NEW zero hours machine for $450.
The prices on many websites are pure fiction.

Good luck on your journey.
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#3
RE: Introduction - New Member
Hi solocus,
Welcome to Apnea Board!

In your particular situation, it will definitely be cheaper if you buy out of pocket.  You can search places like ebay, craigs list, marketplace, etc., but need to be careful if you don't know what your looking for.  Some folk misrepresent what they are selling.  

You can also check out Supplier #2 as you can find new open box units for a decent price and also low hour used machines.  Supplier #33 also has good prices.  You may end of spending aprox. $600.00, but way cheaper than insurance, and you would be buying from reputable companies and also have a warranty.  

Good luck in your search, but do some research first.

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

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INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#4
RE: Introduction - New Member
Hi solaces,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck with your CPAP therapy and getting your machine.
trish6hundred
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#5
RE: Introduction - New Member
Welcome! Sounds like you’re on track for finally getting much-needed treatment for your apnea. Your shopping list sounds great. When everything arrives, try setting it up during the day and using it where you can read or watch TV. This helps you body and mind to get used to the new experience.

I hope you’ll keep us posted!
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#6
RE: Introduction - New Member
Thank you all for the warm welcome and support.  I'll be sure to keep you all posted.
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