Octopus Overlords

I got diagnosed with sleep apnea about 12 years ago or so. Used one CPAP machine for about 10ish years, hadn't been back to the specialist for a while. Went back a couple years ago, he recommended a new lighter, smaller, quieter machine. Keep the old one for traveling. Forgot to bring when we went to in-laws out of state for 5 days, 5 of the worst days of sleep I've had since I got on the machine.

I used to nod off (that very brief nod off with a swift/startled awakening) constantly. I'd have trouble driving home from work most days. I still have a little trouble (almost never while driving unless it's a long drive or bad sleeping the night before - drink caffeine for the long drives now). Far fewer nasty headaches too (I get headaches and don't take something, even just Tylenol, I vomit).

So I swear by my CPAP. Wife has had one for about a year now (needed one before, but she has fears about things covering her face in any way so she was reluctant). It's been helpful for her too.

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:19 pm Things got pushed later than I like this year due to end of the year craziness at my house, but scheduled to go in on Friday afternoon for my yearly check.

*Grumble, grumble*

Apparently they have changed the guidance on colonoscopies to start at 45 instead of 50. I was supposed to have 3 more years! We'll have to see if insurance will cover things (they may still only cover over 50 since this was a very recent change).

*Grumble, grumble*

I was in my late 50s before I took it. I "lucked out".....it was only hemorrhoids.

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Sat Jan 12, 2019 12:33 am

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:19 pm Things got pushed later than I like this year due to end of the year craziness at my house, but scheduled to go in on Friday afternoon for my yearly check.

*Grumble, grumble*

Apparently they have changed the guidance on colonoscopies to start at 45 instead of 50. I was supposed to have 3 more years! We'll have to see if insurance will cover things (they may still only cover over 50 since this was a very recent change).

*Grumble, grumble*

Ask for the home kit. Now nearly as good as a full colonoscopy and a lot cheaper. If something comes up though you’ll still need a colonoscopy.

Any one knows about FSA? (Flexible spending accounts)

I got one from my present employer, and due to paperwork mix up, I only recieved the debit card to spend FSA this month (I've been employed since last August/September).

From what I understand, it's basically pre-tax money that can be spent on health-related items, including deductible and co-pay at doctors, dentists, etc. And if I want, I can waste it at "FSAStore" which is basically a bunch of health related crap "guaranteed to be FSA eligible", from band-aids (tm) to TENS units, from lens wipes to urine test kits...

You want to check the details (where the devil hides) for your FSA. Specifically, find out if you get to keep the money at year end and roll it over into the next year -or- if it vaporizes and you lose it forever. HUGE difference. Look into any maximum contributions and how much (if any) your employer contributes. We have a HSA (which is a type of FSA) and we rather enjoy it - but that's only after understanding the ins and outs of how it all works.

Just read the fine print... I have $300 rolled over from 2018. And I am still contributing.

I believe,recently, FSA will usually go to March 31st of the next year (for all of it) and will let you carry up to $500 to the next year. I may be misremembering the exact specifics, but it is not like HSAs that will roll over forever. And you usually cannot have both a FSA and a HFA. You can use a FSA with a traditional health insurance plan (such as HMO and PPO).

This is just based on my experience in reviewing the different options in my company. I was advised when they sold our division a few years back and the new company had HSA or PPO as options, that HSA was great... unless you had expensive maintenance prescriptions - such as being diabetic (my wife is). Then you'd want the more expensive (the amount taken out every 2 weeks) but more economical in the long run PPO plan. I miss the HMO from my old job. Higher take out from my check (and the tediousness of getting referrals for everything not covered by our primary care provider), but everything out of pocket was far cheaper.

Yeah, I was wondering if I should have applied my existing FSA to my dental deductible / co-pay. Just shelled out $700 for a crown of two separate teeth and will have to go back to the dentist in 3 weeks to finish the crown. And that's with insurance paying 50%. I know I haven plenty of dental work pending (need an implant or two, I'm missing a tooth up front and one lower molar). Probably should have picked a bigger contribution. Hahaha.

You should have, but you should be able to apply it after the fact. You'd have to submit a claim through whoever manages your FSA plain and get reimbursed. That might be what you can do until 3/31 if file claims against the previous year.

There is 0 point in not using whatever money you have in there. It won't stay forever and builds no value. Might as well use all of it you have up asap. Would hate to lose it.

Lorini wrote: ↑Sat Jan 12, 2019 10:40 am

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Sat Jan 12, 2019 12:33 am

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:19 pm Things got pushed later than I like this year due to end of the year craziness at my house, but scheduled to go in on Friday afternoon for my yearly check.

*Grumble, grumble*

Apparently they have changed the guidance on colonoscopies to start at 45 instead of 50. I was supposed to have 3 more years! We'll have to see if insurance will cover things (they may still only cover over 50 since this was a very recent change).

*Grumble, grumble*

Ask for the home kit. Now nearly as good as a full colonoscopy and a lot cheaper. If something comes up though you’ll still need a colonoscopy.

I've got the home kit as a backup in case insurance won't do the colonoscopy. My doctor said it's about 75% accurate (vs. 98-99% for the colonoscopy), but it also needs to be done annually instead of every 5-10 years (or whatever the guidance is on that).

Just out of curiosity, if you lose the unused money in a FSA or HSA or whatever, who gets it? Your employer? The gubmint? Money doesn't just evaporate...does it?

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 2:03 am Just out of curiosity, if you lose the unused money in a FSA or HSA or whatever, who gets it? Your employer? The gubmint? Money doesn't just evaporate...does it?

It goes back to the employer if not spent. That's why there are sites like FSAStore.com so you can easily spend all of it on stuff that's barely medical, like special "vibrating joint cuffs", TENS massagers, even condoms and other "self-care" items.

HSA doesn't evaporate, it carries over. It's FSA that turns to a pumpkin if not used the same calendar year. One time, though, I had used all of my FSA dollars for the year, but then lost my job in the middle of the year - I did not have to pay it back. Now I just do HSA; the deduction should cover expected cost of medical and dental visits plus meds. If something major comes up, I set up a payment plan and adjust the HSA contribution to keep it tax deductible.

My oldest stepson is getting his foot amputated. Must have been stuck in his mouth too long.
Supposedly he broke it a few years ago and it never healed properly. (hairline fracture)
Anyrate they're sending him home to heal for awhile afterwards before giving him an artificial foot.
I can't imagine him being able to get in and out of his travel trailer or even inside it as it's so full of stuff.
Maybe he'll stay over here for awhile.
Maybe I'll shoot him.
Time will tell.

If you are going to feed him to the snake, make sure you do it before he gets the prosthetic. Pooping out an artificial lower extremity would be quite the feat.

I ought to find out how much Wife is paying for my Rx drug coverage. I only take one regular medication, for which insurance pays $1.47 four times a year. Today I had to pick up a temporary Rx that was only $7.50 in total -- not even enough to trigger insurance. I daresay we're paying more than $6 per year for coverage.

Freyland wrote: ↑Fri Jan 11, 2019 1:24 pm Late to the party here.

Sepiche, if you had your heart attack shortly after waking, you may wish to pursue a sleep study for sleep apnea. Significant sleep apnea, especially when associated with oxygen drops, can push a person over the edge into a heart attack.

Dr. Freyland

Hey Frey, sorry, I was just going back over the thread and realized I missed this. I double checked with my wife and as far as she's aware I don't snore. Still something worth looking into or does sleep apnea always come with snoring?

Lorini wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:02 am More information on stool kits.

Even more information on stool kits

ImLawBoy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:19 pm *Grumble, grumble*

Apparently they have changed the guidance on colonoscopies to start at 45 instead of 50. I was supposed to have 3 more years! We'll have to see if insurance will cover things (they may still only cover over 50 since this was a very recent change).

*Grumble, grumble*

I've got you beat. I've had several already (and due for another in 2020) and I'm 45 atm. Family history bumped me to the front of the line! Even better, last time I went in, the nurse messed trying to stick me for the anaesthesia. While it was painful, in the top of my hand, I thought all was well. Doc and assistants were surprised I was still awake when I got into the procedure room. (The assistant cursed the nurse under her breath and had be knocked out in seconds. lol)

Sepiche wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 7:52 pm

Freyland wrote: ↑Fri Jan 11, 2019 1:24 pm Late to the party here.

Sepiche, if you had your heart attack shortly after waking, you may wish to pursue a sleep study for sleep apnea. Significant sleep apnea, especially when associated with oxygen drops, can push a person over the edge into a heart attack.

Dr. Freyland

Hey Frey, sorry, I was just going back over the thread and realized I missed this. I double checked with my wife and as far as she's aware I don't snore. Still something worth looking into or does sleep apnea always come with snoring?

You may not always snore, but you stop breathing. If she ever notices you stop breathing or partially awake (you might not fully awake, still be light sleeping), likely with a bit of startled action, because you stopped and just started breathing, those would be signs of sleep apnea. Snoring I think is pretty common and makes it a lot easier to detect that stopping breathing thing (snore....snore....snore.... snork...gasp <stopped breathing>... regular breathing....).

Zenn7 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 1:32 am

Sepiche wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 7:52 pm

Freyland wrote: ↑Fri Jan 11, 2019 1:24 pm Late to the party here.

Sepiche, if you had your heart attack shortly after waking, you may wish to pursue a sleep study for sleep apnea. Significant sleep apnea, especially when associated with oxygen drops, can push a person over the edge into a heart attack.

Dr. Freyland

Hey Frey, sorry, I was just going back over the thread and realized I missed this. I double checked with my wife and as far as she's aware I don't snore. Still something worth looking into or does sleep apnea always come with snoring?

You may not always snore, but you stop breathing. If she ever notices you stop breathing or partially awake (you might not fully awake, still be light sleeping), likely with a bit of startled action, because you stopped and just started breathing, those would be signs of sleep apnea. Snoring I think is pretty common and makes it a lot easier to detect that stopping breathing thing (snore....snore....snore.... snork...gasp <stopped breathing>... regular breathing....).

Right. Not breathing long enough means less oxygen (chronically), which means less favorable environment for your overworked heart muscles, which have already been exposed to lesser oxygen for all the time you have been having the condition. Made worse by increased blood pressure caused by OSA. So, either your wife needs to stand by your bed all night, while you wear a portable pulse oximeter, or you at least consider a sleep study. Back when I was in the Office setting, one could arrange an overnight pulse oximetry monitor simply through their doctor, to at least see of sleep-apnea induced hypoxia enough to merit a true sleep study.

Zenn7 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 1:32 am
You may not always snore, but you stop breathing. If she ever notices you stop breathing or partially awake (you might not fully awake, still be light sleeping), likely with a bit of startled action, because you stopped and just started breathing, those would be signs of sleep apnea. Snoring I think is pretty common and makes it a lot easier to detect that stopping breathing thing (snore....snore....snore.... snork...gasp <stopped breathing>... regular breathing....).

My wife is reporting I do this, and she wants to take my daughter to the doctor for testing as she is a very noisy sleeper (I've not noticed her stop breathing, but that could be I am too busy enjoying the respite on those nights she insists on sleeping in our bed).

Freyland wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 3:28 am Back when I was in the Office setting, one could arrange an overnight pulse oximetry monitor simply through their doctor, to at least see of sleep-apnea induced hypoxia enough to merit a true sleep study.

My wife was able to do some at home test instead of going into the sleep center. She did this in late 2017. Back in early/mid 2000's when I did it, I had to go spend the night. Twice I think.

My wife has a portable pulse oximeter; a cheap OTC model. Not sure how effective it would be on it's own monitoring all night long.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Wed Jan 16, 2019 10:47 am My wife has a portable pulse oximeter; a cheap OTC model. Not sure how effective it would be on it's own monitoring all night long.

Does it alarm if it goes below a certain level? If not, it's probably not going to help. We have a cheap one that we'd use to monitor my son's levels, but it was only effective when he was awake (unless someone wanted to sit by him and watch the readings all night, I guess). After his bout with respiratory failure last month, we've got the real deal at home that creates a holy racket if his Sp0 drops below 88. Maybe I can rent it out to all of you guys!

I guess the one she is a pretty cheap one - no alarms or data recording, alarm units start at $27 on Amazon. This one, for $57, does data recording though and would seem to be the one to get.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Wed Jan 16, 2019 1:27 pm I guess the one she is a pretty cheap one - no alarms or data recording, alarm units start at $27 on Amazon. This one, for $57, does data recording though and would seem to be the one to get.

My wife has OCD and when the kids are sick (and when you have a CF kid) it reminds me that this was the worse decision we made on something we purchased. She's always checking. I keep telling her, she's gonna give them a complex.

My wife already decided it wouldn't be helpful with our daughter because no way will it stay on her finger all night. When I mentioned it could be used on me, though, just simply said "ok."

While my wife isn't OCD, she is a nurse and seems constantly on the lookout for the absolute worst diagnosis. Kid gets a cough, "OMG, what's if it's pneumonia?" Because I am not a medical professional, my contrary opinion based on how much the illness is slowing down the kid (usually, not one bit) is worthless. So I keep paying the doc to look at them at tell me what I already had high confidence in: "these are the healthiest sick kids I'll see all week."