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Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
#1
Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
Hello Everybody,

This is my first post here even though I have been lurking around here for a couple weeks. I was having trouble sleeping and last October my PCP set me up with a sleep study. The first outfit rented a room at my local hospital and I was to arrive at 8:30 PM. I was on time and the nice lady said she had one other person to monitor that night as well. She said she was going to set him up first and get back to me. It was almost midnight when she started to put all the sensors on...and 1AM I was laying there a little upset that she told me we had to be out of the room by 5:30 AM because the hospital needed it back. After about 2 hours of not being able to sleep she said we might as well end the test since she needed at least 3 hours of actual sleep to make the study. After she took all the probes off she mentioned the new computer she was using was not able to record data and the test was a bust anyway...Huh

I made her sign a piece of paper that I wrote everything that happend on which she gladly signed. I watched my insurance and sure enough they billed for almost $4300 for the study. I called my insurance and faxed the note. Ended up just paying for the hospital room which was $700.

After that experience I gave up on it till a couple weeks ago when my PCP set me up with a different Sleep Medician Clinic. This place and staff was great. They had rooms with Queen beds and thermostats in each room...I sleep at 60 degree room temp...about froze the tech to death she said.Rolleyes It was a split study and they came in to fit a CPAP after the first 3 hours. The first 15 minutes were a little un-nerving...but I was able to sleep VERY well the next 5 hours...I could not believe 5 hours had passed and I felt great!

They asked if I wanted my machine as soon as possible(before my doctor follow up date) and I jumped at it. I called the next day to inquire what kind of equipment they use...ResMed S9 Elite I was told. Then that is when I found this forum and started reading everything I could here and watching hours of YouTube videos on the subject.

Well this morning I went in for the fitting and the first thing she did was start trying masks on me and explaining what the pluses and minuses were of each...then the machine came out. I hit her up about what it would take to get the S9 AutoSet...I then started to tell her all the things I had read and why I wanted the option. While I was talking she had pluged in the S9 Elite and put it in front of me. I was looking at the doctor notes in front of her and seen my pressure setting. i turned the machine towards me and pulled up the Clinician menu and programed it...went thru a couple other setting while explaining what I had learned...She shut off the machine and excused herself and left the room...10 minutes later she was back with my Doc and he asked if he gave me the S9 AutoSet if I would run it in CPAP mode for at least the first 5 weeks and report any problems...heck yea! He left and she popped a new S9 AutoSet out of the cabinet. She watched as I set that one up too.Thanks

Well tonight will be the first night using the new machine...keeping my fingers crossed that me and it will get along!

Now I just have to start researching a battery set up since I do a lot of Camping while touring on my motorcycle. Will be digging into all you good advice next on that subject.

Thanks for the help!

Tiny
Darin aka Tiny...Still Serving and Riding with the ALR...

Support Our Troops, If you can't stand behind them...Please stand in Front of them !!!
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#2
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
Hi TinyL,
Welcome to the forum Welcome

You're a wise person to get the technician to sign a paper stating that she couldn't do the test because the computer wouldn't register the data.

For my first sleep study I also had one technician with 2 patients and it took a long time before I as able to crawl into bed. Fortunately I didn't have to wait until midnight to get hooked up with all the wires.

I'm glad you stuck to your guns and got the machine you wanted. Congrats
Enjoy your S9 AutoSet and keep us posted on your progress.
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#3
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
TinyL, good luck with it, I use the same machine and mask, the mask can take some getting used too but I'm sure you will get there, let us know how you go after a couple of days of usage.
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#4
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
Hi TinyL,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
CONGRATULATIONS! on your new S9Autoset.
Great to hear that you stuck to your guns and got what you really wanted.
Hang in there for more responses to your post.
trish6hundred
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#5
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
Welcome to the forum!!! We are glad you joined us!!! Welcome

Once you get settled in your machine (if not sooner), you might want to consider downloading SleepyHead or ResScan software to trend your data over time to see how well your CPAP therapy is progressing.
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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#6
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
TinyL, two things I suggest to all new CPAP users and especially to FFM users is, have the hose coming from above your head either over a bed head if you have one or you can buy a hose lift or make one and use mask liners, you can buy a 6 pack of Remzzzs and if your insurance covers them you can keep getting them or I can tell you how to make your own.
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#7
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
Thanks for the great welcomes and even more tipsBanana

Well just finished the first night...after playing with the mask for about the first hour I was able to get a leak free fit when I was on my side. Next thing I knew it was 3 hours later and the hose was wrapped around my arm and woke me up when I popped the mask off. My headboard is too tall and has no holes so I can't go over the top or thru it. I put on the shoes and went to the garage to get some duct tape. I made a big loop of it and ran it over the top of the headboard hanging the hose about two feet over my head. After a few redneck comments from the wife and a "you better find something better" this week comments it was back to sleep. The next thing I know is its 6 hours later and WOW I actually slept! AHI was 4.6

Downloaded both those programs. Will play with them after I get a few days of data recorded...thanks cbramsey

Just ordered some of those liners to try. Had quite a bit of moisture in the mask when I woke up...hose idea...going to be a lot of work but FUN! Thanks Tez62

Going to start designing a new headboard with the wife today. Will try to recycle some of the Maple in my current headboard. I have a fully equipped shop to build wood cabinets aka Man Cave. Built the current headboard when I was married 25 years ago. Surprised the wife was open to it when I suggested I build another one...when I said it would contain the "eyesore" in it she was all for it.Think I'm going to do something like was in the room at the sleep center. The headboard contained the CPAP and the hose came out a slot in the headboard that was wide enough so you had total freedom of movement. Keeps the machine hidden (wife happy) and keeps he hose elevated (me happy).

So this raises another question. If the humidifier is above the level of the mattress, but the hose runs upwards 16 - 24 inches before leaving the headboard...will this work OK? I know the directions said it should be below the mattress top.

Hopefully I can get my AHI even lower with a little more time...I-love-CPAP

Thanks again,

TinyL

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#8
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
TinyL, the machine should be either level with your head or a bit below head high but off the ground, there are no exact rules. If you look up CPAP hose lift o the net, you maybe able to make something similar. I'm no handy man beut my CPAP is in a bookshelf and I got what we call an alligator clip (basically a clip) attached it to the bookshelf high up then put a ring through the clips and the hose through that, similar to your duct tape. The AHI will go up and down there are so many factors that change make it higher or lower, the major one is mask leaks. It is not exact either like a sleep study, movement, coughing etc can sometimes be picked up as apnea's but it is the best guide we have.
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#9
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
You may get rain out regardless of the height of the CPAP machine and the way you route the hose. If you need the humidity so high that you are getting rain out then you need either a heated hose or a "blanket" that wraps around the hose and insulates it. Especially because you like the room so cold.
Sleepster

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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#10
RE: Thanks for the Help! Another CPAP Rookie
Congrats on getting a good night's sleep. It's like the old Toyota commercials. "Oh, what a feeling!" Big Grin
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