New Sleep Apnoea test ordered.

[Ockrocket]

Since Covid lockdowns forced me to close down my hire car passenger service and I decided to retire, seeing as I was wanting to cut back to only working two or three days a week at most.. I've dropped all my commercial/ professional driver endorsements.

In theory according to regulations I no longer need to have my GP or a specialist sign off on my fitness to drive, so about 18 months ago I stopped using my CPAP machine (actually just before the Dreamstation sh_t hit the fan, whenever that was).
However the local motor vehicle licencing and registration authority over here in Australia has continued to demand an annual medical check to confirm my sleep apnoea is managed.
Last year I bluffed my way through it as my GP didn't need data, he had recently seen my numbers before the fitness to drive check was due. This year I have told him I've stopped using my CPAP as I no longer need to stay compliant.

Now before you all start to go off at me about that last sentence here are some facts.

My original diagnosis was debatable because they based the decision to say I had "mild sleep apnoea" on the fact that I snored occasionally on the night of the test in hospital more so than the actual apnoea numbers. Given that I had no choice but to sleep on my back during the test the snoring was a given - 99% of people are likely to snore when on their back.
I'm a side sleeper, the only time my wife has heard me snore is if I have rolled on to my back in bed, which I almost never do because it causes severe back pain, she has also never heard me stop breathing at any time.
CPAP has always caused me disruptive sleep as I would wake fully to move the hose above my head every time I rolled over - which is often, as I have bursitis in my shoulders and can't stay on one side for the whole night.. normally when I roll over without CPAP I barely even register that I've turned over.

With CPAP my sleep periods would rarely be longer than two hours between waking events, now I sleep six to eight hours straight through without disturbance.
My GP thinks I should have another sleep apnoea test and get the compliance requirement dropped once and for all.
He says it is clear that my sleep quality is much better without CPAP.
The great thing about retirement is that if I do have a rough night of shoulder pain and bad sleep I just tell the wife I'm sleeping in for an extra two or three hours.   She still has to get up for work.   

Anyway sometime in the next few weeks I will be given an appointment for another SA test.. wish me luck for not needing to continue using a CPAP.


But if I do I will need to get a replacement for the Dreamstation - I never put in a claim for a replacement one.
I'm not sure what to do if that situation arises, I guess I will be out of pocket for a new machine.
As much as I liked my DS I'm probably going to be looking for a different brand of CPAP if it turns out I need one.

Cheers,
Ock.

[Sleepy Quixote]

@Ockrocket

"They are not spelling/grammar errors.. I live in Australia, we do it differently Down Under" - No worries, I had a mate form Australia I conversed with regularly on another board, I just read it in an Australian accent. Though he very directly pointed out it was I that had the accent not heem.

Good luck getting off the compliance list!

[Dormeo]

Could you have a home test instead of a test in the sleep lab?

[Ockrocket]

@Ockrocket

"They are not spelling/grammar errors.. I live in Australia, we do it differently Down Under" - No worries, I had a mate form Australia I conversed with regularly on another board, I just read it in an Australian accent. Though he very directly pointed out it was I that had the accent not heem.

Good luck getting off the compliance list!

Thank you Sleepy Q.

Could you have a home test instead of a test in the sleep lab?

That's the plan for the sleep test this time.. and I will be ensuring I sleep in my normal sleeping position - if wires get disconnected then tough sh_t, it will just mean I will try again until we get correct results with everything connected and me side sleeping as I normally do.
In the hospital I slept on my back because I was paranoid I would roll in my sleep and pull wires off, causing my test to have to be re-done again at a later date.
At the time I was trying to get my licence reinstated so I didn't lose the job I had way back then.
In the end it took me 6 months to get my licence back and I lost the job anyway (community care bus driver transporting seniors and other disadvantaged people to day groups, medical appointments and social outings).

I struggle enough as it is with chronic long term depression and the desire to end it all - last time I took that path 20 years ago someone realised and called police and an ambulance to go check on me.
If I can't drive then I'm "out of here" for good.. the only things holding me together is the ability to go motorcycling and caravanning.

[Dormeo]

Excellent plan -- home test, sleep as normal, rinse and repeat as necessary. I'll be curious to get an update once you've done it.

[dwd1249]

I retired from bus driving in Jan. 2015. I sent my Drivers Authority back at that time and heard nothing more. I just renewed my Heavy Ridged for 5 years. Only had to do the eye test at the RTA or what ever they call themselves now.
I'm also in NSW.

[Deborah K.]

I struggle enough as it is with chronic long term depression and the desire to end it all - last time I took that path 20 years ago someone realised and called police and an ambulance to go check on me.

Are you being treated for your depression?  I used to have that deep desire to die, but am on a drug that causes me no side effects and that keeps me out of the bad depression.  Have you looked into that?  Even your regular doctor can prescribe drugs that help a lot.  Don't give up on yourself.  I'm praying that God helps you find relief from your depression.

[Ockrocket]

I retired from bus driving in Jan. 2015. I sent my Drivers Authority back at that time and heard nothing more. I just renewed my Heavy Ridged for 5 years. Only had to do the eye test at the RTA or what ever they call themselves now.
I'm also in NSW.

If you have been diagnosed with SA and it is a condition on your driver's licence you have to have an annual fitness to drive test and be compliant to CPAP treatment if you hold any endorsement above LR or if you hold a Driver Authority (public transport/ paying passenger transport).

I had HC and DA endorsements and ran my own hire car service until Covid shut down airports, pubs & clubs along with most medical and specialist appointments - there went my whole customer base.. airport transfers, Friday and Saturday night customers going out for dinner and drinks, my other clients that had regular specialist appointments and medical treatments such as chemo and so forth, all gone in one day.

You mustn't have sleep apnoea as a condition on your licence, otherwise the RMS would be wanting an annual fitness to drive clearance from your respiratory specialist like I did before retiring.
Unfortunately for me they still want the annual compliance report from my GP even though I am under the age requirement for it now I've cancelled all my professional endorsements.

[Sleeprider]

Good luck with the test. What are the criteria in AU for an affirmative diagnosis of sleep aponea?
If you do end up requiring treatment, let me be the first to welcome you to the Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset.

[Ockrocket]

Are you being treated for your depression?  I used to have that deep desire to die, but am on a drug that causes me no side effects and that keeps me out of the bad depression.  Have you looked into that?  Even your regular doctor can prescribe drugs that help a lot.  Don't give up on yourself.  I'm praying that God helps you find relief from your depression.

Seeing a psychologist on and off, haven't gone down the drug treatment road for my depression though.. have tried St John's Wort with no significant noticeable improvement. 

Good luck with the test. What are the criteria in AU for an affirmative diagnosis of sleep aponea?
If you do end up requiring treatment, let me be the first to welcome you to the Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset.

My Dreamstation is gathering dust since the recall and my decision to try no CPAP when sleeping.
I will be surprised if they find I have SA as my original diagnosis was based mostly on the fact I snored when forced to sleep on my back during an overnight in hospital sleep test.

I had a whole raft of other physical tests following falling asleep and crashing the vehicle I was driving at the time, I passed all tests easily - strobe lighting, forced staying awake tests, tilt table test and more.

The one thing they refused to take into account was that for personal and work reasons my sleep pattern had been three to four hours a night at most for the preceding 10 years or so.. sheer fatigue caused my accident.

If I do have to go back on CPAP the Resmed was going to be what I looked at if necessary.. though I was very happy with the Dreamstation, particularly as I could run it directly off 12 volts when motorcycle camping and caravanning.