IANAD, but I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 6 years ago. I used the machine for about 1 year before I finally got fed up with it. I started using a 'bit' that would hold my lower jaw forward (I have a slight overbite). Anyway, that cleared up my apnea just as well as the CPAP did. My CPAP has now been stored on the top shelf of my closet for 5 years.
The original bit that I got came from a dentistry outfit in Canada that sold it as a specialty bit for apnea. When it got here, I realized it wasn't much different than a teeth grinding bit you get at the local drug store for $20. Actually, nowadays, I don't even need to use it. I guess my lower jaw has been trained to a more forward position now. On May 11, 2010, at 8:01 PM, Dana wrote: > > 133, wow. Mine was described as very severe at 55. Amazed you didn't > drive into anything. > > On Tue, May 11, 2010 at 12:29 PM, William Bowen <[email protected]> > wrote: >> >> I'm sorry for your brother's condition, but let me offer a >> (admittedly-anecdotal but personal) counter-point. >> >> First, I have insurance, it is very good insurance, it is very >> expensive insurance. Everything I will speak about below is completely >> covered by my insurance. >> >> So, my wife tells me that she's been concerned for some time that I'm >> not breathing right when I sleep. Between the loud snoring and the >> stopping thereof, gasping for breath, etc. it's literally keeping her >> up at night--not to mention worrying her. >> >> I called my local clinic for an appointment, wait a couple weeks for >> the schedule to clear, go see my doctor, tell her about my symptoms, >> she recommends that I see a sleep specialist. I go with my referral to >> the appointments desk and find that they can schedule me for a consult >> with a sleep specialist in a month. 1st available appointment. My >> insurance doesn't play a part in making doctors more available. >> >> So I go to the appointment, describe my symptoms and my doctor says, >> "we will schedule a sleep study as soon as possible." >> >> So I go to schedule a sleep study. It's a month out, first available >> time slot. Again, having insurance doesn't get me to the front of the >> line... I go to my sleep study and they hook me to the machines, lots >> of wires and whatnot. >> >> My sleep study goes pretty well but I have to wait another three weeks >> to get my results/follow-up consult. Again, insurance is no help >> getting my results quicker. >> >> At my follow-up, my doctor my doctor informs me that 5 apneas an hour >> is considered "dangerous". My count was 133 observed apneas per hour >> over the course of the 7.5 hour sleep study. My oxygen levels went as >> low as 50%. I am (according to my doctor) at high risk for >> heart-attack, stroke and possible plain-old suffocation. >> >> So. I get fitted for a mask and take it home to start using it. The >> settings are generally set, so I am getting airflow, but not optimal; >> for that I need another sleep study and a follow-up. >> >> The 2nd sleep study was performed three weeks ago. My follow-up >> appointment at which my mask will finally be set to optimal "dosage" >> so that treatment can actually begin is June 11. Once again, great >> insurance doesn't help me go the the head of the line. >> >> So six months later I will finally be able to begin treatment for >> something that has been slowly killing me. This is the best on-demand >> healthcare can do? How is the availability of and my possession of >> insurance helping me get the treatment I need when I need it? >> >> >> >> >> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 6:22 PM, Sam <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> My bro-inlaw in the UK was told he needed to be tested for kidney and >>> prostate cancer six months ago. Three months later he got the tests, >>> Last week he got the results. He needs surgery for both and is now >>> going on the waiting list. He's only 50 and we're very afraid he won't >>> make it. >>> >>> >>> On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 11:44 AM, Eric Roberts >>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> From talking to actual Canadians who use the system every day and talking >>>> to >>>> actual Brits, and talking people who live in a few other countries where >>>> they have socialized medicine...while it may not be perfect (what system >>>> is?)...it is far better than what we have now in the US. When you have no >>>> more barriers to getting preventive care, you detect issues earlier, which >>>> also means, in most cases, it's also a lot cheaper to treat and it also >>>> reduces the amounts of people going to ER's for issues that should be >>>> getting retaken care of in the doctors offices. Plus, with a single system >>>> of payment, it removes the layers and layers of complexity that doc's >>>> offices have to deal with for payment. There are a lot of cost reductions >>>> in socialized medicine that do offset a lot of the increases in costs that >>>> the government picks up by sponsoring health care. >>>> >>>> I think the biggest deception in this whole issue is that opponents of >>>> healthcare have convinced the teabaggers that there is a difference between >>>> paying a premium to them and paying your premiums via taxes. The only >>>> difference there is who is getting paid. So if you taxes go up and you no >>>> longer have to pay an insurance premium (in the case of single payer), >>>> there >>>> really is no logical difference in what is happening with your money. With >>>> single payer, there is a good possibility that because this would be spread >>>> out amongst a much larger pool of people, that what you are paying may be >>>> considerably less. So meanwhile the dumbass teabaggers, who have been >>>> duped >>>> into bitching about resultant tax hikes form this, keep screaming about >>>> taxes, the insurance company is laughing at their rubes all the way to the >>>> bank. >>>> >>>> Personally...I would rather pay the government and know that I can get >>>> treatment without going bankrupt than deal with the insurance companies and >>>> hospitals, knowing tat I will have to declare bankruptcy to deal with all >>>> my >>>> medical bills since I don't have access to insurance(which is something I >>>> am >>>> facing right no >>> >>> >> >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology-Michael-Dinowitz/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:318065 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
