New to all this. Apria vs. Online?

[Mosquitobait]

Unless your doctor is going to pay for your machine, get the best deal for yourself. Not only will online retailers set your machine according to your doctor's orders, but you can set your own.

[jgoole]

Thank you, everyone! Today I purchased a PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto with Bluetooth from Supplier #1 for a fraction of the cost of Apria's offer. All of your advice has made me more comfortable with not using Apria.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Thank you, everyone! Today I purchased a PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto with Bluetooth from Supplier #1 for a fraction of the cost of Apria's offer. All of your advice has made me more comfortable with not using Apria.

You done good on that decision.

I know it has some kind of phone app to help yo monitor progress, but I suspect it is a little superficial. Download Encore Basic or Sleepyhead for monitoring your progress and dialing in the right therapy.
(both freeware-but I think you can make a donation to the maker of Sleepyhead who, IIRC, is a participant on this forum)
OMMOHY

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Thank you, everyone! Today I purchased a PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto with Bluetooth from Supplier #1 for a fraction of the cost of Apria's offer. All of your advice has made me more comfortable with not using Apria.

OK - It's been about a week since you ordered the PRS1 Auto from Supp #1 (BTW - Dang! They have those on smokin' deal right now!)

Have you gotten it? Have you been able to use it? Got the clinician's manual so you can set it up?

Curious as to your thoughts on the process.

OMMOHY

[KSMatthew]

As usual, I'm late to the party. My recommendations to first-timers have been, buy CPAP online for the best price. A local DME might be more convenient if you want to get your machine calibration tested where an online DME will need you to send it in. No need to use the DME for reports, you can do that yourself. I would recommend using a local DME for masks...the FIRST time. They will spend time with you getting it fitted, and they usually have a very good return/exchange policy. I tried 3 in the first month until I found one that worked for me. After that, buy replacements online.

[ScottGA]

My reply is similar to the others. Abandon Apria and buy your equipment online at competitive prices and do your own analysis. I have been on CPAP for 12 years. The local DME provider initially fitted me with a mask that was too large, resulting in terrible leaks, but I didn't know better. I had a lousy machine, only to have the next DME provider give me an even worse one.
I didn't know any different until I did my research online. I got fed up paying my portion of 'rent' and realized I could buy a state of the art machine online for less than my rent. Including the new one I bought last week, I have purchased four machines, one for daily use and a travel machine I keep packed. My previous one, I have used daily for 10 years! So, if you buy one that meets your needs and it costs $600, that works out to less that $60/yr. I have never had any service issues with it. I buy masks, filters, etc. online, no hassle. My most recent machine is an auto CPAP (as were the others and I only paid $490 for it, and it has all the latest features.
Think you need that provider for anything else? I doubt it; they seem to specialize in ripping off people who don't trust buying online or are not aware that you can do so. Don't assume they care about your treatment or needs. I have always downloaded my data when I get the urge to do so and most recently did so using Sleepyhead. I'm not suggesting this replaces the analysis of a doctor, but using at autocpap and as long as my data looks good, I'm going to do it myself. I have free of the ripoff DME providers forced upon me by Blue Cross and if i need anything, I can order today and it shows up FEDEX/UPS tomorrow if I need it quickly. That is faster than I can get an appointment with the DME provider and drive there here in the city.
Bottom line, take charge of your own equipment needs, treatment and go to the doctor of data trends worse. Glad you got you a machine and you can now manage it!

[Mosquitobait]

Apria wants $1605 for a Resmed AirSense 10, whereas I could buy a similar machine online for around $500, or the same machine for $880. If I buy my own, Apria won't provide any services and there aren't any respiratory therapists around apart from Apria. Do I need someone to read data and make adjustments? Is it worth going through Apria?

Thanks!

Go online and buy everything. There are no services that Apria provides that will benefit you that you need to pay more. You need an RT if you have other respiratory problems, and with the turnover at Apria, that isn't the place I would go. Once you buy your machine, request and download the clinician's manual for your machine to learn how to do your settings yourself. If you buy from an online store, they will do the settings for you before shipping out, so you don't need to panic that you don't know what you are doing. Then, spend your time online here for a couple of months to learn how to provide for your own therapy.

[jgoole]

aHSo I got my machine the day before I left for a vacation to Disneyworld, so I tried it out there, without looking at my data. It has been hard going. It took a while getting used to sleeping with the mask on (I got a GoLife nasal pillow). I only slept for about an hour with it on at first. It has gradually increased to about 5 hours, then I take it off to get back to sleep. Once I got back home I downloaded Sleepyhead and found out I am not getting an AHI below about 12 and was getting large leaks. I have abandoned the GoLife for a Philips Respironics Dreamwear Nasal Sleep Fit Pack Mask. This just arrived and am starting that mask now.

Thanks, again, for everyone's help!

[nzbnate]

I tend to agree about Apria, they are just plain awful, do yourself a favor and buy online and save some significant money and just use sleepyhead to monitor your treatment. Good luck!