Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Remember Roland's Apnea?

Here's a timeline, because it will help me not SCREAM.

Jan. 8: Roland goes for sleep study 1.
Jan. 9: We learn it should take about three weeks to get the results.
Feb 15: We get a message that says nothing other than that he needs to make a second appointment. For those of you who don't have calendars handy, that's five and a half weeks.
March 6: Roland goes in for the second study, the first appointment he could get, which turns out to be to test different pressures for a CPAP machine. He is told that he needs to make an appointment with the local person to get the actual machine, or a prescription for one, or something.

Today, March 12, I finally get around to telling you that he tried to make the appointment but was told that he can't until they get the results back, which should only take about two weeks. And no, he can't just set up an appointment for three weeks from now. Let's just wait for the results to come back.

People, this guy is hanging on by his fingernails. He has not had good sleep for years, but he thought that was just life. He was buckling down, coping, taking 90+ minute naps every day, accepting this as the reality of life. Then he was offered hope. Then he got to sleep with the machine for several hours. He got real, deep, actually refreshing sleep for the first time in years. That evening he didn't need a nap even though he spent less time sleeping, by far, than he usually does. A starving man was given a taste of food and said, "Yes! That is great! Give me more!" only to be told, "We'll call you."

If we are lucky, he will get his CPAP four months after his first appointment.

UPDATE: they called. He has an appointment on Friday, presumably to be fitted for a machine.

2 comments:

  1. Not to put a scare into you and add to the frustration, but about a month ago a young man (40), fit, healthy, active died from sleep apnea.

    This isn't just about getting good sleep; it really can be deadly.

    Start bugging the hell out of them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carol's life changed with her CPAP. The puppy ate her mask last week and she had to go a night without it and we remembered how bad it had been.

    Fuss at them!

    ReplyDelete

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