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Permalink Reply by Cameron on March 7, 2009 at 12:11pm

Thanks Carol. Well she actually didn't show me she just said with that professional sure voice that it has a smart card and therefore it does record all of your information on it. Do you think she was lying or that she just plain doesn't know herself? I don't like the new hybrid mask and have actually returned to the first one I got, the full face mask. I am drinking water and then spraying my mouth right before I put it on and this seems to help. Two days ago was actually my first full night of sleep with the mask and I woke up feeling SUPER! OMG! Then the next night I got about half a nights sleep and man I felt great that day too. So great I helped out my wife by doing 5 loads of laundry. I still have to get used to it. Last night was weirdly hot for march in Michigan and so my humidifier settings were too warm for my taste and I ended up taking the mask off 2 hours after sleeping with it on. I still feel pretty good today though. I guess I will be using the full face mask.

sleepycarol said:

Cameron said:

Yes it is the M Plus series and it has a smart card too. She showed me all of it. I have to try to figure out how to correctly wear the hybrid mask during the day before I actually need to use it so I'm not fumbling around with it while tired.

Cam

Unfortunately, she had to just show you compliance data if it is the M Plus series. They DO have a data card that shows compliance details ONLY. This means just the hours and days used. It is probably broken down into a chart possibly -- don't really know for sure. If you check online at respironics.com and locate the M Plus series machine manual you will see that it does NOT record the USEFUL data that many of us have access to.

The USEFUL data includes the rate of leaks, large leaks, snores, apneas per hour, flow limitations, etc.

Hope you like the mask and find it comfortable.

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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on March 7, 2009 at 9:35pm

Okay, in my opinion, either she is incredibly stupid (which sounds like my first DME) and doesn't know her machines or she is lying to you. I would ask for a printout with ALL the "supposed" information that she is claiming your machine has. There is NO way she can provide that. Although they have a "smart card" the Plus machines only record compliance data and the reason for the card is so that in some cases they just have you mail them the card instead of coming in. This is easier to deal with than the entire machine. Same way, you can just take your card into the office and not have to worry about lugging your machine.

If you have the courage -- take your card back in and tell them that you would like a print out of ALL the data from the card. You have the right to that information and tell her you want it for your own file. OR you could have someone that has the software download it and give it to you. Do NOT buy the software and card reader as they are useless for your machine.

When I received my machine after the initial titration study, I went to a local mom and pop DME. The RT seemed very knowledgeable and was really nice. She took my script and went to the back room and returned with the M series PLUS machine. She gushed and went on about what a wonderful machine it was. She had set the pressure at 10 and was told this was common practice (my script had a pressure range of 8 to 12). I was gullible and didn't know anything about sleep apnea, DME's, equipment, etc. I took her word for it that she knew her job. I trusted her completely. That very night that I received my equipment I went on line to find information out about sleep apnea and treatment. I found the sleep apnea forum www.cpaptalk.com. That particular site is very useful -- as is this one, but this one wasn't up and going at that time -- and I soon realized that something was not right about the equipment I received as it wasn't what was scripted. Essentially, the DME had taken my original script and had changed it to increase their profits OR the RT was extremely ignorant on the various machines. My script was for a "smart cpap with c-flex with heated humidifier a pressure of 8 - 12, and a Fisher Paykel HC 431 mask". A smart cpap is actually an apap and my pressure was a range of pressures starting at 8 and ending at 12. Even when I went to take the machine back the same RT actually argued with me about it and kept saying they knew what they were doing and I had been given the right machine, etc. blah blah blah blah. I fired them -- after talking with my doctor and insurance company -- and went to another DME and received an M series APAP with c-flex. My script specifically called for c-flex and so I am unsure if the DME had the M series with A-flex at that time or not. They set my pressure at 8 to 12.

SO I KNOW THAT SOME DME's ARE EITHER DOWNRIGHT STUPID OR UNETHICAL OR BOTH.

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