With an average of about four hours of sleep a night, I gotta go back to trying one of these again.
Like two summers ago, it's a brand-new devise, super quiet and with fittings that are soft and designed to be as comfortable as can be. Still set to auto titration 'cause, as I'm told, my insurance wants me to try this out first based on the in-home study I did a couple years ago. Then, if I'm a good boy and am compliant with it (oh yes they'll be monitoring it remotely to be sure) I may get a real sleep study to refine the adjustments.
I still feel really suspicious about this whole racket though. I'm an old school huckster who even had some slick sales tactics I employed when I worked for a DME supplier and pharmacy, remember iCare? The product of choice for us to push back then were nebulizers primarily for COPD patients. How much did we bill their insurance and Medicare? The owner had no trouble keeping up with the Winter Park Joneses with his new Mercedes and multi-million dollar home. Of course, as he surely had planned all along, once the leads were depleted (and Medicare started their investigation?), the company folded up like a cheap paper napkin, but not before he made off (ie. "Madoff") with these oldsters' benefits.
So I've already had to deal with the CSRs on the phone who are likely in the same position I was back in the Koyo days, doin' what has to be done.
And in the end I wonder how much benefit this machine will provide me. Some on YouTube and elsewhere all over the web tout these things as life savers. Others, frustrating pain in the ass things that do more harm than good. Who do I believe? My experience during the month or so I tried this in 2018 was very frustrating. I tried to be compliant but I just couldn't get used to it. I toss and turn when I sleep so the mask is always getting moved outta position and air leaks make it worthless. Then there's the look and feel of the thing. It just reminds me of how poor my health is and I can't get past the look of it...like it's something old and dying people need.
Money has not been a topic of conversation yet with any CSR along the journey I initiated by asking my provider Ms. Hill to put me back on a CPAP as I had been and I'll try again. But that shoe is bound to drop sometime soon. I mean, there it is, sitting on my nightstand. Obamacare gonna cover that $1000 thing all by themselves? Hmm.
Just tried using it last night as it came in the mail yesterday. First impressions so far: The full mask does seem better than the nasal pillows I had before. This machine is a lot quieter and seemingly gentler than the ResMed device I had before (this ones a Phillips Respironics Dream Station). But I'm once again really freaked by it and found it hard to keep on for more than an hour or so. I'll give it another go tonight.
Last time I tried a CPAP, I was still trying to protect my credit and searching for a job so I was super worried about being charged for non-compliance. I packed the ResMed device up, brought it back to the supplier and they gave me this BS about I might be charged for it since I had used it. I went off on the lady inspecting my returned items who shoved the hoses and shit that she said couldn't be returned since they were used back to me. It was a scene.
The paperwork with this stuff says pretty much the same thing. I don't think they really did charge me anything last time (so I guess it was one of their scare tactics to get people to retract their return) so if I do go that route again, I'll know it's all just talk. 'Course now if they do charge me, then go for it, I say. Join all the others. But, maybe I won't have to go through that. Maybe this will end up doing me some good. Maybe it'll allow me to feel more alert and able to do active things each day, and lose weight, and stop drinking, and get a job and be a happy, productive citizen?
Yeah, right. I'll keep the box ready, just in case.
EDIT: I packed it all up and mailed it back on August 21. Again, just couldn't take the restriction, the smell, and the feeling of being "watched" to ensure compliance with their minimum usage requirements.