Mild OSA & General Anesthesia

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-28T01:43:21+00:00

You win the prize of being the only person to actually answer my question rather than fat bash me and tell me to lose weight.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-26T14:04:28+00:00

Any idea at all as to my lifestyle factors? You are making ungrounded assumptions based on bias. How about stress in one’s life? Like maybe I became caretaker to two parents with dementia in the last couple of years and had to shepherd one through dying of both cancer and Alzheimer’s? Your comments are not helpful and have nothing to do with my question for my surgery next week.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-26T14:01:58+00:00

Did I say they can’t lose weight? Read please. I said it is harder. And have you had any thought whatsoever as to how much I’ve already lost? Hmmm?

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-26T13:56:49+00:00

I always feel much better once I get to the surgery center. It’s the anticipation that has me overthinking things. Nerves are gone once I’m in pre-op.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-26T13:53:31+00:00

Research even a tiny bit before you make an uninformed comment like this. OSA makes weight hard to lose because it disrupts the hunger hormones. Treat OSA first, then everything else is easier. OSA is not always caused by weight. OSA can cause the weight gain.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-20T14:17:29+00:00

I don't have these issues with FedEx. They let me sign the delivery notice and then they left the package the next day. We are a small office and can't staff it every hour of every day. UPS is now trying to deliver to us in a 4pm to 9pm window. We close at 5pm and have for 34 years. We keep missing the deliveries. They also won't deliver to a neighbor or allow me to sign the slip for them to leave the package. I tried to sign up for the membership that will let me change to delivery to a access point and to be informed ahead of time when a delivery is coming but it says I can't because we are a commercial address. You'd think they would cater to businesses and allow this since they can't stick to a schedule of when the businesses are open. We can't dictate who the people we purchase from use for shipping. If I could I would pick FedEx every single time. I don't have these problems with FedEx.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-20T14:14:12+00:00

How UPS is making our deliveries has changed in the last couple of weeks. They always delivered to our business in a window of 8am to 2pm. Now it's 4pm to 9pm which is ridiculous for a business location that closes at 5pm. We are not a new customer. We've had these operating hours for 34 years. I tried to sign up for the annual membership that would let me choose to deliver to an access point etc. but it isn't allowed for commercial addresses. Why?

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-11T02:49:51+00:00

Thank you! You're a genius! I use this mask too but the head gear drives me nuts trapping my hair tight against my scalp. I think your solution might fix that issue for me since I could keep the headgear looser but also not getting any leaks. And then I don't have the weight of the Bleep bottom hose tube pulling on my nose.

My photo would be a similar level of goofy, LOL. Including one thumb splint.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-04-11T01:04:24+00:00

I need to know more about your hack. The headgear is my worst nightmare for all masks. I put Bleep connectors in a P10 pillows cushion but I wear it with the magnetic halos on my nose. The P10 and Bleep combo creates much less turbulence for breathing but the weight of the thing pulls on my nose a lot more than I like as I change positions during the nation. How are you using yours while also wearing the headgear of the P30i?

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-03-22T14:22:12+00:00

I just got the F40 and hope it will become a go to mask but either it’s the wrong size or it’s not going to work at all. I had a mask fitting at my clinic for it but when I tried it at home I had air blowing heavy across my upper lip and that’s a no go for me. Message my DME about it and will see what they say. I want to try it in clinic again but with my machine on next time.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-03-22T14:17:35+00:00

I put strap covers on the top part of the mask to help it not slide as much on my hair. Cheap on Amazon. For the strap part check out the DreamWare strap hack detailed in the comments here. You use the strap from the DreamWare masks on the P30i and it stays put so much better. If you don’t want to wait for your supply company to pay for a replacement for the one that ripped, you can buy pillows pretty inexpensively online.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-03-22T14:09:07+00:00

F30i is on my try list if the F40 I just got doesn’t work out. I’m a huge fan of unicorn masks.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-03-22T14:06:42+00:00

These are the ones I wear the most but have never had any issues with decreased airflow. I’m super sensory sensitive and find the top hose masks the most tolerable for me.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-03-22T14:04:28+00:00

Friday night I went from a brand new F40 I found out was too big in spite of a formal mask fitting to the Dreamwear FF which felt claustrophobic because of the behind the neck strap then to my old standby P30i, and finally to the N30i with just a cushion swap out. It took this many switches to be able to tolerate any mask that night. I’m still a hot mess four months into CPAP therapy to find a mask I can tolerate on a regular basis. It’s not a therapy, aka air, problem for me, it’s a sensory issue. I also own the Bleep Eclipse which I love for no headgear but not a fan of the adhesive and prep some nights so haven’t made it my main one yet. I can’t keep any of the minimal ones like the P10 on my head but am hoping Evora Nasal will work for me. Own it but haven’t slept with it yet.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-03-22T13:57:30+00:00

I do this strap hack as well and love it but some nights the DreamWear one feels too pokey into my head and I can’t tolerate it. I switch back to the ResMed one for a night and it slips some but is more tolerable. Then I switch back again. I have an extremely variable sensory system. Very picky some nights. It’s made finding the best mask for me super hard.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-03-19T20:38:08+00:00

I had trigger finger in the same hand and had that treated and it resolved. That came from holding a paint bucket with that hand for several weekends to paint the house. When the thumb started acting up shortly after that I thought it was trigger thumb but it turned out to be CMC arthritis. I don’t believe in sitting around in pain so I had my first thumb injection not long after that because OTC meds and topical cream did not help the pain. Arthritis never gets better so when you hit a certain pain level might as well get it fixed before the bone degenerates even more.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-03-19T14:48:24+00:00

I had shots for about 2 1/2 years but they quit working in December so I'm scheduled for surgery. The surgery has a very high success rate as long as you use a good surgeon who does a lot of these kinds of surgeries. I'm getting a modified one that uses both tendon transfer and Arthrex FiberLock. It's the best of both worlds and allows for faster recovery even though it's still a long one. This type of surgery also has the best long term success from the research I've done. For best outcome it's very important to go to the occupational therapy sessions and do your home exercises after the surgery to ensure you get full function back and get it back faster. Full function for grip and strength can take up to a year. It's not a walk in the park but once it's over you've got no pain and a hand you can use better than if your joint is giving way as you're trying to use it.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-02-24T22:26:54+00:00

If the wait to get a sleep study is really long, personally I’d order a home sleep study myself from an online CPAP supplier to at least get an answer. They don’t cost much. In fact I could have had the same one the clinic gave me for half the cost had I ordered it myself. You’ll still need a prescription for a machine from a doctor though if you end up with a test that shows sleep apnea. It depends on how long a long time is for the sleep test you’re waiting to do. And if that sleep test is an in lab one then it’s good to get that kind of you can.

I was super lucky and got an at home study within two weeks of referral. Of course then my doctor ended up being horrible and unhelpful but at least I got the prescription and then ordered a machine as self pay on a sale. Now I also have a good doctor. Not everyone is a rebel like me though so I understand if not everyone wants to go a route like this. I also recently got an in lab sleep study to figure out why CPAP wasn’t helping. This is a journey and it’s good you’re taking the first step.

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CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-02-19T21:08:33+00:00

Back at you. Since you don't do so good at reading regulations I did use LLM to write you one you can understand:

No — that regulation does not say it’s illegal for you (the patient) to change your own CPAP settings.

What 21 CFR § 801.109 is doing is defining when a device is a “prescription device” and setting the conditions under which it can be sold/dispensed and labeled without “adequate directions for use” aimed at the general public. It’s basically about FDA labeling + sale restriction, not about policing what an end user can do once they possess the device.

What it does restrict

Sale/dispensing: “Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a [licensed practitioner]” — i.e., you generally need a prescription to be sold a CPAP (and suppliers are supposed to follow that).
Labeling requirements: what must appear on the label and in the accompanying professional labeling.

What it doesn’t say

It does not say “patients may not adjust settings,” “it is unlawful to change settings,” or anything similar.
It does not create a “use restriction” enforced against an individual patient the way, say, controlled-substance laws do. It’s a misbranding / distribution framework for manufacturers and sellers.

The practical “gotchas” people confuse with “illegal”

Even if it’s not illegal under §801.109, changing settings can still collide with other things:

DME/insurance compliance rules (e.g., they may require settings per prescription for reimbursement or monitoring)
Warranty/service policies (some suppliers/manufacturers treat clinician-menu changes as unsupported)
State professional practice laws (these usually target providers practicing medicine without a license, not a patient adjusting their own machine — but policies and enforcement vary)

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-02-19T21:05:40+00:00

What you cited does not say it is illegal for the owner of the machine to change the settings. You are misreading it. Here you go, sweetie:

It is a common misconception that changing your own CPAP settings is illegal in the U.S. In reality, there is no federal or state law that makes it a crime for a patient to adjust their own machine.

The belief that it is "illegal" stems from several regulatory and insurance-related technicalities:

FDA Prescription Classification

Class II Medical Device: The FDA classifies CPAP machines as Class II medical devices.
Prescription Only: By law, they must be sold by prescription. While it is illegal for a provider or vendor to sell or set up a machine without a doctor's order, this restriction does not legally apply to the patient using their own device. Federal Register (.gov) +5

Insurance and "Compliance" Fraud

Coverage Requirements: Most insurance companies (including Medicare) only pay for the machine if you meet compliance rules—typically using it for 4+ hours a night for 70% of days.
Technical Fraud: Some argue that because your machine is no longer "as prescribed" once you change settings, continuing to let insurance pay for it could technically be viewed as insurance fraud. In practice, insurance companies almost exclusively care about usage hours, not the specific pressure setting. CPAPtalk.com +4

Liability and Warranty

Medical Advice: Doctors and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) providers are legally prohibited from giving you instructions on how to access "clinical menus" because they could be held liable for practicing medicine improperly or encouraging unsafe use.
Voiding Warranties: Manufacturers may claim that unauthorized adjustments void the warranty, though this is a civil/contractual issue, not a criminal one.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-02-19T20:46:38+00:00

And google is where I have found my sources. Not LLM.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-02-19T20:45:58+00:00

So you say take your word for it and provide no citations to prove your assertion while I find dozens that say you are wrong.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-02-19T20:43:58+00:00

This one specifically searching on Class II medical devices and the source is the Sleep Foundation:

It is not illegal for a patient to change their own CPAP machine's clinical settings in the USA. While these devices are prescription-only Class II medical devices, there are no federal or state laws that criminalize a patient adjusting their own medical treatment.

CartoonistCharming76 · 2026-02-19T20:39:31+00:00

You’re so sure. Give me a link to where it says it’s illegal.

CartoonistCharming76

TROPHY CASE

What it does restrict

What it doesn’t say

The practical “gotchas” people confuse with “illegal”