Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea
S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - Printable Version

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S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - traceyklotz27 - 12-10-2017

About me: 
50 year old female
over weight
resides in : North East Pennsylvania Scranton Area

I am in desperate need of a free or low cost sleep study. I do not have insurance and live paycheck to paycheck. I have suspected that I have sleep apnea for a while now. My boyfriend complained so much about my snoring that I have to sleep in a separate room. I actually wake myself up with my own snoring sometimes. My adult son and daughter in law will no longer let me stay at their apartment when I come to visit because I have to sleep in the living room and my snoring keeps the everyone up including my four year old grand daughter who now refers to me as "Gammy the snorasauris". The past six months I have really been going down hill. I was always tired during the day but now I am utterly exhausted. I have tried going to bed earlier and sleeping 9 or 9 1/2 hours instead of my regular 8 hours. I sometimes wake up gasping for air so a few nights ago I asked my boyfriend to stay up and watch me sleep. He counted 37 times that I stopped breathing and twice I woke up (sort of, I vaguely remember it ) gasping for air. I wake up every morning with a sore throat and dry mouth. I drive a delivery van for a living ( I have been a professional driver all my life) and I am having trouble staying awake. I catch myself drifting off and snap awake again, I roll the windows down, turn the radio up loud, hit myself in the face, pull over an take a 10 minute power nap, (I will be fired if caught) all of this just to get through the day. I am really scared that I am not going to catch myself dosing off and hurt myself or worse some one else. I am a proud strong woman but I am begging for your help. Someone please point me in the right direction where I can get a free or low cost sleep study done and where I can get a free or low cost CPAP machine once I get my prescription. Thank You,


RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - Walla Walla - 12-10-2017

You might want to save some money up and try and buy a used cpap on craigslist. Unless you can get a free sleep study through a free clinic I think the best you can do is order one on line for a couple of hundred dollars.


RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - DariaVader - 12-10-2017

If you went that route, you need to get one that is data capable at the very least. Most of the time you can get a new one off amazon for nearly as inexpensively and some sellers don't ask for your Rx - might not be the best route. Perhaps better to google "affordable sleep study" I just saw an online outfit that does one for $169. Some of our suppliers also offer inexpensive sleep studies --- they hope to sell you equipment after-all Smile Avoid sleep centers that want to sell you a mouth piece - those are totally inappropriate for someone who has more than mild apnea and my guess is that you do. There is a sticky thread at the top of this forum on how to select a cpap that you should read.

If the apnea is making you persona-non-grata with family members, perhaps they will pitch-in to get gramma treated?


RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - HalfAsleep - 12-10-2017

It will cost waaay less to attend to your sleep issues than to get in an accident. You could even get your license taken away, I'll bet..... So, good for you for wanting to do something about it! And with the holidays coming along, sharing special moments could take on a whole new meaning if night time is more fun for everyone.....

Get health insurance, a PCP, and referral for a sleep study under insurance? Often sleep issues go along with other health concerns. You might get all kinds of bases covered (and maybe most cost effectively) via insurance and a PCP. Your dear ones may like the "whole new you" concept, too!


RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - Sheepish - 12-10-2017

I've heard of a place called Second Wind that sells "gently used" machines, but I have no direct experience with them.

If you're on a budget but willing to take on the challenge of a learning curve, just search for "DreamStation 500 Auto" on Amazon. Muuuch cheaper than a DME.

While if at all possible, getting a proper sleep study is certainly best, if the only choice is not getting one done and continuing not only making yourself and those around you unhappy, but being a danger to yourself and others, then perhaps self titration could be an option, with the guidance of some experienced members here.

https://myapnea.org/forum/self-titration-of-cpap-pressures-pro-and-con-post-your-thoughts

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Self-Titration-Scientific-Study-Confirms-Apnea-Board-Approach


RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - HalfAsleep - 12-11-2017

You will also need to budget for a mask, replacement mask parts, and other supplies...Finding the right mask could take several tries. I encourage you to be realistic and look at how much insurance costs versus xPAP costs.

I believe time is running out on signing up for insurance for the year. Just sayin’.


RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - Sheepish - 12-11-2017

Sometimes a little humor can help lift your spirits. Your title reminded me of this ad for Berlitz language schools.  Smile






RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - Sleepster - 12-11-2017

(12-10-2017, 08:24 PM)traceyklotz27 Wrote: The past six months I have really been going down hill. I was always tired during the day but now I am utterly exhausted. I have tried going to bed earlier and sleeping 9 or 9 1/2 hours instead of my regular 8 hours.

Having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) means the extra time we spend sleeping doesn't really help because we never get into the deeper levels of sleep that we need to be healthy and well rested. Unfortunately as we get older we lose muscle tone and the OSA gets worse. We eat to gain the energy we need because we are sleep deprived, and that causes weight gain and makes the OSA worse. Age 50-something is the typical age when it all gets so bad we can't stand it anymore.

Check craigslist every day. There are lots of ads for CPAP machines but you need one that auto-adjusts the pressure. This is a good primer for selecting a machine.

The good machines go fast so you have to be prepared to respond quickly when you see one for sale.


RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - Spy Car - 12-11-2017

@traceyklotz27

Were I in your circumstances, I'd forgo trying to get a sleep study—you already know you have sleep apnea—and put your limited funds towards getting a machine and mask.

For a machine, I'd go with a RedMed AutoSence 10 Auto. Or, if it was really inexpensive, the earlier ResMed S9. Just be sure you learn how to check the usage hours on the blowers.

CPAP machines are designed to go 5 years (sometimes they go longer, and sometimes they fail) One year of use (@ 8 hours a day) is just under 3000 hrs. Know how many hours the machine's blower has on it.

Do make sure whichever machine you get is fully data capable (meaning it has all the effacasy data, and not just "compliance" [usage] data, so it can be used with Sleepyhead software.

With Sleepyhead you'd be able to post your results and get help and input from members here to maximize your therapy.

There are 4 ways I can think of to get a machine:

1) Does someone in your circle have one they are not using? Many people quit or move to different type machines.
2) Craigslist. Be sure to check hours and port model # here prior to purchasing.
3) Gently used, through places like Supplier #2 (not sure if they require prescriptions)
4) New from Amazon.

For masks, the tricky part, I understand Supplier #1 has a very good return policy. It can take some experimentation. Are you a mouth breather?

I'm sorry you are in a tough spot. Getting your own machine and posting data here is the least expensive way to deal with your problem under the circumstances.

Some chance remains that you may require a different type of machine (such as a Bi-level), but for most people, an APAP like the recommended ResMeds above will do the trick.

Best wishes,

Bill


RE: S.O.S. HELP. I'M SINKING - HalfAsleep - 12-11-2017

While you're figuring out finances.....there are some positions you sleep in that can create more events than others.

You may have the worst experience while sleeping on your back. Try side sleeping.

You are likely also to have more events if your chin is tucked. Read in this forum for ways to make sure your chin is untucked while you sleep.

You may have worse or better experience depending on whether the head of your bed is raised. Try different angles. Be aware that the more upright you are, the more likely your chin will tuck.

Look in the forum menu for "sleep hygiene" practices. These complement treatment and will help you sleep better and have fewer events. Try one or two right away.