1st "Check Up" with the Sleep Tech
Saw the Sleep Tech at the Sleep Center yesterday for a 3 week check up. He was the same nice guy who finally got me a copy of my prescription so that I could get my sleep machine. And the one who told me that I didn't need an APAP because my pressure setting was so low.
He was impressed that I got an APAP machine. It's a really good machine, you know....
Then he told me how he wished everyone could use this machine. My comment to that was that everyone should be using it. We then discussed whether it was insurance companies or DME's that didn't want to be issuing them. I'm afraid I intimidated him a little. I didn't mean to. 
He then put my data card into his computer & pulled up my usage and efficiency data. I think he was surprised to see 100% compliance, but I've been waiting a long time to get this started. I decided on 100% compliance long before I actually got a machine. Even if I'm sitting up and reading, the machine will be on during the hours I'm supposed to be sleeping. He liked all AHI numbers... average of .61. Then got that surprised look again as I pulled up SleepyHead on my computer to look at the data with him. We then had a discussion about what I was looking at and where I got it. He actually sounded both intrigued by the program as well as surprised that I was looking at my data. His final comment about it was that he needed to get it for himself.
Since my numbers were so good, and I didn't seem to be having any problems with using the CPAP, he wanted to know if there was anything he could do for me. Just the opening I had been waiting for, since I'm not happy that my snoring still seems to be occurring nightly, some nights a lot. I'd come with 2 ideas about what I would do, if I had free reign with setting my machine. My young tech friend impressed me by offering to set the pressure of my machine up to 7 (my first thought). When I asked why that & not setting up a pressure range with the APAP, he stated that APAP does not help with snoring, it doesn't detect it. But, if I really wanted to try it, he would ask the Doctor about it. Apparently he is allowed to change pressures, but not the CPAP/APAP setting. The doctor had a full afternoon of clients on her schedule at another center so that didn't happen, although he told me I could talk to her about it at my next visit after I reached 1 month of compliancy. Since he was actually doing what I wanted to try first, I didn't push for anything different.
Then he went to change the pressure in his ResScan software... but couldn't. He was clearly perplexed by the software not accepting his changes to it. I asked if he had unlocked the card before putting it in. Clearly, he couldn't think of any reason why it should be locked, so I told him that every time I removed it from the AutoSet I locked it so I didn't do anything to the card while I was putting the data into SleepyHead. Once he unlocked it, everything worked like he thought it should. Apparently, most clients don't lock the cards when they bring them to the center.
Once that was set up, he asked again if I had any questions for him. "No, my questions have been answered on the forums I read," I answered. Again, I got a startled look from him and he wanted to know where I was going for my information. Apnea Board and (that other seller sponsored board) I replied. His face cleared as I named the second board. Apparently one of the other techs spends time on it and thinks highly of it. "Yes," I reply, "both have a lot of really good information about sleep apnea and XPAP's. I've learned a lot."
I like the increased pressure last night. My AHI was down to 0.28 but I still had a lot of snoring... not as much as the last few nights still about 3 hours worth of it. But only 2 hyponea events. I'm interested in seeing what happens over the next 2 weeks at the new pressure.
Wish me luck, in 2 weeks I have to go back the DME
He was impressed that I got an APAP machine. It's a really good machine, you know....
Then he told me how he wished everyone could use this machine. My comment to that was that everyone should be using it. We then discussed whether it was insurance companies or DME's that didn't want to be issuing them. I'm afraid I intimidated him a little. I didn't mean to. He then put my data card into his computer & pulled up my usage and efficiency data. I think he was surprised to see 100% compliance, but I've been waiting a long time to get this started. I decided on 100% compliance long before I actually got a machine. Even if I'm sitting up and reading, the machine will be on during the hours I'm supposed to be sleeping. He liked all AHI numbers... average of .61. Then got that surprised look again as I pulled up SleepyHead on my computer to look at the data with him. We then had a discussion about what I was looking at and where I got it. He actually sounded both intrigued by the program as well as surprised that I was looking at my data. His final comment about it was that he needed to get it for himself.
Since my numbers were so good, and I didn't seem to be having any problems with using the CPAP, he wanted to know if there was anything he could do for me. Just the opening I had been waiting for, since I'm not happy that my snoring still seems to be occurring nightly, some nights a lot. I'd come with 2 ideas about what I would do, if I had free reign with setting my machine. My young tech friend impressed me by offering to set the pressure of my machine up to 7 (my first thought). When I asked why that & not setting up a pressure range with the APAP, he stated that APAP does not help with snoring, it doesn't detect it. But, if I really wanted to try it, he would ask the Doctor about it. Apparently he is allowed to change pressures, but not the CPAP/APAP setting. The doctor had a full afternoon of clients on her schedule at another center so that didn't happen, although he told me I could talk to her about it at my next visit after I reached 1 month of compliancy. Since he was actually doing what I wanted to try first, I didn't push for anything different.
Then he went to change the pressure in his ResScan software... but couldn't. He was clearly perplexed by the software not accepting his changes to it. I asked if he had unlocked the card before putting it in. Clearly, he couldn't think of any reason why it should be locked, so I told him that every time I removed it from the AutoSet I locked it so I didn't do anything to the card while I was putting the data into SleepyHead. Once he unlocked it, everything worked like he thought it should. Apparently, most clients don't lock the cards when they bring them to the center.
Once that was set up, he asked again if I had any questions for him. "No, my questions have been answered on the forums I read," I answered. Again, I got a startled look from him and he wanted to know where I was going for my information. Apnea Board and (that other seller sponsored board) I replied. His face cleared as I named the second board. Apparently one of the other techs spends time on it and thinks highly of it. "Yes," I reply, "both have a lot of really good information about sleep apnea and XPAP's. I've learned a lot."
I like the increased pressure last night. My AHI was down to 0.28 but I still had a lot of snoring... not as much as the last few nights still about 3 hours worth of it. But only 2 hyponea events. I'm interested in seeing what happens over the next 2 weeks at the new pressure.
Wish me luck, in 2 weeks I have to go back the DME
I thought it was supposed to take snores into account, but then I started wondering if I had just dreamed that or read it about it in reference to a machine other than mine.
