New to treatment, no guidance from PCP, OK to go it alone?

[Mosquitobait]

So I guess what I'm getting at (other than I am looking for a replacement PCP) is am I going to be OK doing this therapy on my own? Do I need follow-ups with my PCP or anyone else? I did not get any initial info such as my sleep test AHI or any goals I need to meet. I did download Sleepyhead and as you can see I am more of a "highly engaged" patient type, so I don't have a problem learning about my condition and setting the machine on my own, I just don't want to march forward using google as my doctor if it's not recommended.

Eventually I will probably get a new PCP and get them engaged in my treatment, but getting that ball rolling and getting settled will probably take months, especially since I will probably have to go out of town to get a new doctor.

Dee, first you need to get a copy of your sleep study. So contact the provider who did your sleep test and ask for a copy of the raw data study as well as the final report. THEN, get a copy of your prescription from your doc. Whether you need to see your PCP again depends on your insurance company. Most require a follow-up to pay for your machine. You'll need to contact your insurance company about it.

Welcome to the board!

[Deej]

I just got my study results faxed over from the lab. Here are the numbers it gave, I'm not sure which is the "true" AHI.

AHI/RDI > 3%
42.8
65.3
37.6

AHI/RDI > 4%
36.2
57.5
34.6

AI (apnea index)
17.5
26.9
9.8





I THINK the AHI/RDI is what they are calling the AHI, but I'm not sure if I should use the 3% O2 numbers or 4% O2.


Either way, it looks like my therapy is helping greatly since my AHI was below 2.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Deej,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Much success to you as you start your CPAP journey and going it alone; as you are finding out, there is lots of information and helpful people here on this board.
Keep up the good work and hang in there.