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sleep specialist's lack of knowledge
#21
RE: sleep specialist's lack of knowledge
Yes.  Some people/places are really good.  I go to the sleep clinic at a teaching hospital.   They have a reputation as the gold standard for sleep medicine.  I think they've earned it.   I got probably 20-30 minutes worth of advice about how to adapt to my machine from the resident I was assigned to.  His intake was thorough.  Then the supervising physician came in and they discussed his impressions with each other and with me.  Then we toured the lab, he explained the procedures and showed me all the equipment.  All of the doctors have been very kind and patient and helpful.  I now have a different guy I've seen twice, who prints out my graphs and shows them to me and discusses what he sees and why he wanted to increase my pressure.  Last time he gave me a mask that would let me breathe through my mouth when I have cold because I had few nights when my nose completely clogged.  It wasn't a long appointment, but he gave me the courtesy of his complete attention while I was there. 

But ( . . .  and you know there has to be a but, doncha?) the down side is the waits are really long.  They're booked six months or more out.  It took me more than a year to get my machine because of the waits.  But when I called around to the other sleep facilities, none of them were more than a couple weeks faster for appointments.

Some of the stuff that happens to folks here is really hard to read, because I know it can be better.
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#22
RE: sleep specialist's lack of knowledge
I have found a RT who is gold and a definite keeper...I know another of his patients and he's really on the ball. If/when you find one, hang on to them for dear life....they can be a sanity break when the Medical Mafia / folks who don't have a clue seem to be running the show.

My GP, though not as well versed in UARS or OSA, is willing to look into things and knows that I have a strong technical and analytical background. She's basically given me her blessing to do whatever I need to in order to get the best therapy for me. We've had several good discussions with my Sleepyhead results and she backs me 100% (because I can back up what I'm telling her thanks to what I've learned here and the tools I have access to thanks to the forum). If I were to think a BiPAP would work better for me, I'm sure she'd sign off on a script in a heartbeat....yes, that's the level we're at. She might not have the same level of knowledge on it as I've gained, but she understands enough to follow what I'm passing on and recognizes that I've "done my homework" to get the best therapy I can for myself. 

There are folks in the medical field who can help and they are wonderful when you come across them. Unfortunately, there are far too many who think they know what's best for you based on how much profit you represent (how you impact their bottom line), your compliance data (how much your insurance will pay) and an AHI <5 (that they can justify your treatment as "effective").

My advise to anyone on this forum is to be active in your therapy, learn about your treatment and not be afraid to call "male cow muffins" if you remotely suspect the "expert" in feeding you a line or jerking you around. You are the patient and it's your health, so don't settle for a "whatever" attitude toward your health from those who are supposed to be helping you.
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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#23
RE: sleep specialist's lack of knowledge
My GP is on sleep therapy also. I trust that man with my life. He is the one who told me to bump up my AirSense auto 10, when I couldn't get an answer from the sleep Dr. or any help from the DME. I think when I did bump the numbers and went back for the 2nd study they saw it. (H3ll I told them). So they tried to put the fear of non compliance in my head. It's all about the Benjamin's $$$$. I have one of the best insurance's and they know it. Only after reading and learning and SleepRider just telling me straight up it's Bull, that I did change my AirCurve 10 vauto's numbers and it has worked beautifully. This forum has helped me understand so much.
"I say, you work eight hours, and you sleep eight hours - be sure they're not the same eight hours."








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