Re: Please help

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Re: Please help

Posted by Shelbyscout on April 11, 2001 at 22:29:23:
In Reply to: Please help posted by DaveR on April 11, 2001 at 14:28:14:
I hear you! I hated THE MASK. I got a sinus infection once from it and my fiance still refers to "That time THE MASK tried to kill you."
As far as the problems you're having, I would definitely consult your DME--the folks who gave you the CPAP. If your mask is constantly leaking it may nothave been fitted properly. You should have been shown how to adjust it and they should have tested it before you left for leaks.
Know too that even though CPAP is a pain in the a**, most insurance companies will not pay for surgery until you've tried it.
From here, you need to become educated enough to be your own advocate. The brush off from the doctor is very disconcerting. You'll have to do this work on your own.
The first place to start would be to get ahold of your sleep study (or studies). You have a right to all of your medical records so don't let them give you any bs. After you get your study, learn how to read it (I posted a website explaining how to read it below) so that you know what you're dealing with.
The next step is understanding the different treatment options for your type of apnea. There is CPAP and its friends, there is somno, there is surgery, and tracheostomy. Oh, and you can lose weight if you happen to be overweight. The different surgeries and somno sites treat different areas of blockage. You'll need to determine exactly where your airway is collapsing and what the treatment options are for that area.
In the meantime, do the best you can with CPAP. You might want to try wearing for a bit while you're awake--watching TV or whatever, to practice and get used to the feeling. There's also a full face mask that cures the open mouth problem (I had that exact same problem and never really got over it).
If you really can't tolerate CPAP (or just plain don't want to), you're going to have to have a detailed explanation why for your dr. and insurance. For example, if the mask causes you to be claustrophobic, some insurance companies would rather pay for you to go to therapy to get over your claustrophobia than surgery to cure the apnea.
Did I also mention it's time to get really well acquainted with your insurance policy? :)
A surgical decision is not one to be made lightly. However, the available research shows that if the airway is properly evaluated and the correct surgical procedures are done, the success rates are quite promising.
Shelby :)

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Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.