Okay I have been jumping hurdles and dodging bullets for the last 10 months. I finally get approved, I finally get a date and now shot fired!! Okay as some of you know, I had the sleep study and they decided that I have borderline sleep apnea (really just above the mark). Well they put me on that demon possessed sleep apnea machine. Well it is the kind with the compliancy card, so they know when you are compliant. I sent it in after the first 2 weeks and they said it averaged 4hrs per night. Well they told me I needed at least 5hrs per night for 5 consecutive nights before the Dr. would release me. So I suffered through 5 miserable nights of no sleep and 6 horrible days of some kind of skin reaction to the mask. I sent in my little card before I left for my vacation (I was on a cruise and was not taking that thing with me). Well I get home and got my card back in the mail with a new one. I turned over the little envelope and there was a sticky note explaining to me that the card was blank and that it might be defective so I will have to do it all over again. WTH! So I called Mid-South to see if I could bring the machine in so they could look at it manually. They said no problem. So I am thinking "Whew!" Well I get there and get to the back with my spawn of satan machine and they say, "you know we can only get an average for the last 7 days, right?" I am freaking out and tell her that I was not even in the country for the last 7 days and this was for the reading that was supposed to be for the card I sent in before I left. She didn't care. It said that it had 108 hrs usage for the last 30 days, well HELLO take away the last 7 days and that comes to an average use of 5 hours per night! They wouldn't go for it, like I was lying! I was supposed to have my pre-op appt today, but neaomi said that they will not see me until I have this release from Dr. Kim Schmitt. So now I have to call them to see what to do. I am so frustrated! I had to bend over backwards to get the time off for the surgery (next week) and my mom had to swap her off day so she could be off to take me (she works for the USPS and its even harder for her to get off). My husband just started a new job and cannot take off. If they move the date, I am so screwed! Sorry I just needed to Vent. The only good thing is the home health place did agree that this was a little much and Dr. Kim Schmitt was one of their worst Dr.'s to deal with (that made me feel a little better).

Thanks for listening (reading),

:cursing:Shawna:cursing:

Shawna, girl you are having a rough time! And I thought I had it bad dealing with Neaomi (who everybody else says is great!). I was beginning to think it was a sign. Really. I was so stressed out and angry and I cried and cried. And then, all of a sudden everything was right with the world again. I can certainly understand your frustration. I will do my best to send some positive energy your way :biggrin2::biggrin2::biggrin2:!!!!!!! You know, it might not be a bad idea, to fax exactly what you just wrote to Dr. Kim Schmitt (except the last part!). And just for the record, I found Mid-South to be the most disorganized, disinteresed bunch in the whole deal, so I would take what they have say with a grain of salt.

Shawna, here's hoping tomorrow brings better things! It won't be long from now and we won't even remember half the hurdles we had to cross to get here.

I tell you, just getting approved was a relief for me.

I wonder if a Tylenol PM or something like that would help you get through the night better... just a thought. I don't envy you with the CPAP, though. I hated mine, too. It just wasn't practical. I actually use a mouth appliance for my apnea and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.

Alright, sorry for the ramble... You're gonna make it! Hang in there! :blushing: