Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rooster on April 10, 2011 at 2:43pm

Zack,

All you have said is fine, but .....

You say nothing about empowering patients to take control of the process and IMO that is the most important issue and the point of greatest failing for the sleep profession.

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Permalink Reply by Ernestine Webster on April 10, 2011 at 4:29pm

Rooster YOU ARE SO ON THE MONEY, I WENT FOR OVER A YEAR WAITING FOR MY MEDICAL DOCTOR TO HEAR ME , WHEN I SAW SHE WAS JUST NOT HEARING ME I TOOK IT ON MYSELF TO TAKE CHARGE OF MY HEALTHCARE, DON'T THINK MOST MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS KNOW ENOUGH TO DO ANYTHING OR WANT TO ADMIT THEY KNOW NOTHING OF THIS ILLNESS. UNLESS SOMEONE SUFFERS FROM THIS THEY HAVE NO CLUE HOW FRUSTRATING NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP OR HAVE POUR SLEEP QUALITY CAN BE AND HOW MUCH DAMAGE IT CAN DO OVER TIME TO A PERSON'S BODY. I AM SO GLAD I GOT ON THIS WEBSITE AND YOU ENCOURGAED ME TO GO FURTHER WITH FINDING OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME.

FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE WITH YOUR HEALTH IS THE PATIENT !   

Rooster said:

Zack,

All you have said is fine, but .....

You say nothing about empowering patients to take control of the process and IMO that is the most important issue and the point of greatest failing for the sleep profession.

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Permalink Reply by Ernestine Webster on April 11, 2011 at 9:02am

good morning Zack, no i am not the kind that needs to control everything and am sorry you think of me that way but let me just say you do not know me and do not know my situation, i was brought up to respect doctors and people in authority but with my doctor i went a year with her not listening to me and that was my fault i should never have let it go on that long with not doing something about it. she had me wondering if it all may have been in my head so DO NOT PASS JUDGEMENT ON ANYONE WITHOUT KNOWING THE WHOLE STORY BUT THINK WHAT YOU WANT TO ABOUT ME, I REALLY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR OPINION !

THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT DAY  

Zack said:

If you mean listening, and making desiciions WITH the person and based On the person...yes of course, I am suprised it et even needs to be said.

 

If this is one one those things where you just need to control everything and we say you should do one thing and by default we are wrong and you have created your own science in your head and how dare we not do as you say despite what we know...as it seems to be on the internet so often...then we will try to work with you the best we can and make you happy, and you shall feel as empowered as you can, by know means affected by what we do to try and help :)

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Permalink Reply by Charles McDermott on April 11, 2011 at 10:17am

Zach,

I think you have brought to this forum, on the topic of patient advocacy, some good points.  Listening and making decisions with the person and based on the person..."  is great.  

 

BUT, what happens when the dialog between the patient and doctor breaks down?   Following all those "what to do if's" may not be either affordable or (in the case of sleep apnea) no other doctor or reputable DME in the area.  Where do you start to get help?

 

Also, many times a doctor perceives persistence as " need to control" and immediately reverts to what you said "then we will try to work with you the best we can and make you happy, and you shall feel as empowered as you can, by know means affected by what we do to try and help"

 

How does one factor in the time constraints the doctors seem to have?  It seems there is some cast in concrete maximum 15minutes per patient and if you try and push over that time the doctor gets a little uneasy.

 

Getting to Mike's topic Paient Advocacy, maybe more time needs to be spent training those in the medical field how to communicate, which by the way, you have done well.

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on April 12, 2011 at 9:50pm

Yesterday must have been attack the sleeptech day! You do know that we are on your side? Right? None of us would be here if we did not want to know what was really going on.

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on April 14, 2011 at 2:24am

Clowns to the left, Jokers to the right.............

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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on April 14, 2011 at 8:08am

Rock, do you know how much access I have to my Sleep Tech?  Zip.  He only works nights and you can't get through on the phones and the daytime techs are very closed mouthed.  They  will only discuss minor problems with you.  If it's a question about your sleep study or you want to send in a data card to have them check it.  They won't (can't?) tell you anything about it.  Any information has to come through the doctor and if you don't want to accept "No changes at this time" you have to make an appointment.  I get tired of paying the guy.  I get far more help from the techs on this forum than from my sleep centers techs. But maybe those are the rules.

Speaking of which, can any of you guys explain why a sleep tech would run me at 8/4 for 437 minutes, find no apnesas and then raise the pressure to 10/6 for 16 minutes, 12/8 for 21 minutes
, 14/8 for 15 minutes, the 16/8 for 18 minutes with all of the results marked N/A.  They were watching for centrals.  No one at the sleep center will comment.  I got home expecting to finally have decent numbers (remember all night no apneas) and they were as bad as ever AHI high teens to +20, AI high single digits.

  I don't know why this went bold and  italisized I didn't touch the buttons and I can't undo it.  There was no special emphasis on this part of the post.

 

Mary Z.

Rock said:

Clowns to the left, Jokers to the right.............

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Permalink Reply by Tom Cannon on April 14, 2011 at 12:07pm

Hi Mary Z

 

My experience with Sleep Techs has been very similar to yours; I don't believe that they are keeping up with the new technologies and software.

 

But I must say that there seems to be some new Sleep Techs in our forum that are extremely knowledgeable; my guess from their spelling is that they are from the UK or maybe Canada. So that could solve your frustrations, move to a country that provides better sleep care.  lol

 

Best, Tom 

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Permalink Reply by Rooster on April 14, 2011 at 2:12pm

99% of sleep professionals, including most of the ones who post here, are against patient empowerment .

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Permalink Reply by Donna Medin on April 14, 2011 at 2:27pm

The sleep professionals always want to be in control of us!!!  My sleep professional said I had sleep apnea and insomnia and wanted to send me to an insomnia doctor.  I've decided to try to fix the problem myself.  I'm reading everything I can about sleep hygiene.  Also, I have issues that interrupt my sleep  1) a Senior Dog that needs a lot of care and 2) a significant other who works a different shift than I do.  Things are never perfect.  You just learn how to deal with them.  I'm thinking about trying acupuncture instead of going to an insomnia doctor.  I've heard they do wonders.  My sister knows someone who was cured of his sleep apnea from acupuncture.  He was in for shoulder pain and his sleep apnea is gone!!! 

 

Rooster said:

99% of sleep professionals, including most of the ones who post here, are against patient empowerment .

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Permalink Reply by Tom Cannon on April 14, 2011 at 3:41pm

I can understand that as I do mortgages and I'm against cash buyers.

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Permalink Reply by Charles McDermott on April 14, 2011 at 6:33pm

Ideal Patient Advocacy /Lobbying Group

That is the topic.

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