Question About Medical Cpap Machine For Sleep Apnea

I can indeed retest, either at the same clinic or another. Now or later, but i didnt have the time or money with the holidays. a doctor in NJ was charging $1200 after my insurance so doctor shopping will occur lol. but if im going to fork that money out, i want to lose weight to be sure of the results ;)

at prime the test was $500, the machine was $600 and the machine that cleans the machine (which is totally optional but good for a lazy person like me who wont keep up with daily cleaning rituals) was $300. They are taking $80 per week from my pay for the apap/test.

something i think was against me on the test: the beds are rock hard (i love and have a very plush mattress on my truck), and im a stomach sleeper which isnt allowed on the test. i also didnt bring my own pillow, again a very expensive sleep number pillow that is so comfortable i love it. i think because of this, it took me longer to fall asleep than usual. in addition to occureneces, they gauge the time it takes you to fall asleep.

next test, im either finding a different doctor, or im paying PSD students to carry my mattress to the clinic for the test lol

I should also point out that i LOVE prime and am treated really well with bonuses, jackets, leather duffle bags, a diamond chip ring, and hundreds of dollars in rewards points....in addition to make great money and having all requests met while being totally respected by all in house employees(dispatch, road assist, mechanics etc), and luxurious terminals.

had i known 2 years ago when i came here that i would be dealing with this now, i still wouldnt have gone elsewhere. Nor am i leaving prime anytime soon. Short of getting married and being home with my new hubby, im not sure if i could find a reason to leave.

also, im sure that this does help some people, but everyone is different. im sure that some who are diagnosed are truly in need.

ill deal with it for now. my main hoal has been to pay off my debts. Ive stated on anoyher thread that i paid off $40,000 in bills...well i have $5,000 left. ill deal with the retest after i pay everything off. priorities! lol

I can indeed retest, either at the same clinic or another.

So you originally were sent to take the first 2 tests (one recently, and one when you were hired) by a doctor that Prime sent you to? But you have the option of seeing the same or another doctor / get a sleep test? If you pass the next test with a separate doctor will that get you off the machine and how often will you have to re-test?

At the risk of prematurely hitting the panic button, your description of the test conditions is a big part of the issue. If the test center makes it uncomfortable and then claims you have a sleep issue because you can’t fall asleep, how can anyone consider those results legitimate?

Airline pilots get their flight physicals with their personal family doctors as opposed to doctors affiliated with their employers. I’d be much more comfortable with that arrangement than the one most major trucking companies have.

Prime has a doctor (Trinity healthcare) who does the DOT physical then gives you an RX for the sleep study along with a 2 month card. The study is then performed by a sleep clinic (Cardinal.Sleep) that has rooms at primes motel. This is a matter of convenience for the driver and the cost is deducted from your pay. If i went to an outside lab, I would have to front the costs and the costs would probably be much greater than what the primes associates charge.

once the results are in, you get a two year card if you test negative. Or a one year card if you are diagnosed with apnea. At the 2 year DOT physical if you have gained weight, they have you test again (which is what happened to me. i tested negative in 2015, then gained weight so needed to retest. in 2017). If you have the apnea and get the machine, you go for the DOT physical once a year. there is no reason to retest at that point unless you are trying to get off the machine the sleep lab monitors the machine remotely and sends the DOT doctor.proof you are DOT compliant by using the machine. so once diagnosed, there is no reason to restest----unless i want to.

as for the test conditions, that is my observations. Im a primadonna who takes sleep and comfort very very seriously. i dont stay at motel 6 or super 8 motels. i get pillowtop jacuzzi suites cause i want comfort. lol i know others who fall asleep in the test and sleep like a rock. i dont think they are trying to cause you discomfort, its just that i was not comfortable. most drivers do not buy a mattress for the truck...they buy TVs, GPS, refridgerators, Sirius radios etc. i bought a $600 mattress cause i hated the rock like "pads" that come with the truck. i have a $120 pillow. hahhah spoiled i know. Plus, regardless of how comfortable the bed is, how will you like wires connected to your head and legs? NO doctor anywhere will allow a sleep study while one sleeps on their stomach---which is what makes me comfortable.

if you are truly that concerned, get the test done elsewhere before going to prime. However, if you are diagnosed, you will.need 30 days compliance for a DOT card. If going that route, be sure to get a machine with a modem for monitoring.

otherwise, go to a company that doesnt require the apnea tests for overweoght people.

dont panic.

Rainy thanks for taking the time to make such an informative response.