Disappointed in sleep study last night

[lostnsilence]

So this wasn't my first sleep study, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea approx 10 years ago, during a hospital stay the nurses noticed how often I was sleeping and that I appeared to stop breathing when I was napping. After getting out, my pulmonologist ordered a sleep test to be done. I did two nights, one for monitoring, and then one for titration, I don't remember how often I stopped breathing, but I was set up with a CPAP 10 cm of pressure.

I used my CPAP everyday for a few years until the my machine stopped working, unfortunately I did not have insurance to get a new machine so I have just lived without it for a few years.

A few months ago I was finally able to get medical insurance again and immediately saw a new doctor here in my new state, and requested a sleep study be done so I can get a new machine and get to feeling better, this was back at the beginning of May, my doctor originally wanted me to just take a home test, but my health insurance would only approve an in lab test. We got it scheduled for June 12th and at 9pm the night of the test they called me to cancel due to "equipment issues" and rescheduled me for last night June 23rd at 10pm.

When I got to the hospital last night at 10pm I was shown to a conference room and told I would need to wait for about 40-45 minutes before they would have time to set me up.

I waited for a little over an hour before I was shown to my 'bedroom' to change shortly after 11 and was told not to touch anything and have a seat in the little chair until she came back, while waiting in there I got to listen to the personal medical history of the woman next door through the paper thin walls. I wasn't exactly comfortable knowing that I could hear everything, and then in turn, she would get to hear all my personal information. The 'bedrooms' were old offices that were no longer in use so they removed the desks and threw in a full size bed and nightstand to hold the CPAP to call it a sleep lab.

The tech came to get me hooked up. She asked for my phone, my glasses and my bag with my pillow and clothes and told me she would put them up for the night. I don't know how most techs do it, but Im damn near blind without my glasses and told her I couldn't see without them, she made a little joke about how she could never be without hers, but they would be in her way and I could have them back in the morning after she unhooked everything. Fine, different place, different techs...I guess there wasn't much for me to see anyways. But I was told that I didn't need any of my personal belongings. That was really irritating, I thought I was supposed to bring my own pillows or whatever to be comfortable and sleep like I would at home so they could get the most 'realistic' sleep.

She didn't get done connecting me and get me into bed until after 12am and warned me that since it was so late if I wanted to finish and get a split study in that she would need me to fall right to sleep on my back because she needed me to meet certain criteria before 1 or 2am and sleeping on my back would do the trick. I suppose that would be fine, except that I never sleep on my back and find it quite painful in that position. I layed there for a good hour, possibly more but I have no idea since I couldn't read the clock without my glasses on before saying screw it and rolled over and went to sleep so I could try and function today at work. I tossed and turned most of the night and at some point some of the leads came undone. There was no mics or cameras in the room and the only way to get her attention was to yell and hope she heard me...she didn't.

She came in to wake me at 615 this morning and was so shocks and surprised to see that 3 of the leads had come off. I was a little pissed at this point, but asked her if I had taken to long to fall asleep or why hadn't she come in to put the CPAP on and she just muttered not scoreable.

WTH does that even mean, does that mean that somehow the in the last couple of years my apnea has magically cured itself? Am I wrong in thinking that if she was actually monitoring the computers and stuff that she should have realized that some leads had come off?

I asked to use the shower and she then got irritated at me saying that no one does that, and I should go home and shower. I explained that I lived 30 miles away and then another 30 miles to work from there and I was assured that I would be up and out of there by 6 and it was after 6 when she woke me and I didn't have time to go home and do that and drive an hour also to make it to work on time.

Im so mad and disappointed, I thought my wait was finally over and I would be getting back to good sleep soon enough and now I don't know what is going to happen. I suppose I will find out what not scoreable means next week when I see my doctor, but I don't even know if insurance will even cover another test or if the wait will continue until im eligible again.

[kteague]

I would be disappointed too. Go get the results from the doctor - get a physical copy for your records. After you have those records in hand, let it be known in no uncertain terms that you expect the sleep lab to give you the next night at no additional expense with a different tech. Although I'd be tempted to start over at a different place. Maybe a meeting with the head honcho of the lab will give you clarity which way to go. Everything that happened was unacceptable and I wouldn't willingly take the financial brunt of their error. I'd also want to see if the report fully discloses the amount of info not captured from the loose leads. If they are forthcoming with acknowledging the legitimacy of your concerns and offer you a second night free, maybe give them another chance, but not this tech. I'd be curious to hear from some of the techs who frequent this board if her practices are standard. I try to not get all riled up because things happen, but this is not one of those cases. You were shorted on sleep time through no fault of your own so you should bear no differential expense of a 2nd night of testing for titration. Hopefully they will have gained enough data for a diagnosis. If they say it was negative, you'll want to examine the detailed report (not just the 2 page summary) to see if you actually slept enough and were supine in REM so they could make a definitive diagnosis. But cross that bridge if you get to it. Let us know how this pans out.

[Nick Danger]

That sucks. How could she not notice that 3 of the leads weren't registering anything??

[palerider]

congrats on finding this place... the reddit forum is pretty useless

[lostnsilence]

congrats on finding this place... the reddit forum is pretty useless

haha! Thanks Yeah seems to be a bit more active here and a lot more information

[palerider]

congrats on finding this place... the reddit forum is pretty useless

haha! Thanks Yeah seems to be a bit more active here and a lot more information

and not just "go do what your doctor tells you to like a good little sheeple"

there's folks here that know what they're talking about, and offer good advice for your consideration.

I never subjected myself to a sleep study, and have just bought machines off craigslist... but I manage quite nicely thanks to the good advice around here.

[ems]

That sucks. How could she not notice that 3 of the leads weren't registering anything??

Because she was sleeping! My sleep study wasn't exactly wonderful, but this is one of the worst I've ever heard. My tech was very professional and heard me the first time I called out to her. Her job was to immediately put those leads/wires back on you! I hope you report her and please read Kteague's post again!

[kaiasgram]

What ems said.

You had the sleep study from h_ll. Sleep studies that actually go well are difficult enough. I'm sorry you had such a beyond crappy experience. I hope you'll let us know what happens with your report and whether you get any kind of acknowledgment about what went wrong. Seems to me you should not have to pay for that sleep study.

[JerseyBiker]

That was way different from my experience earlier this year. The place I went to was a separate sleep study facility owned by a rehabilitation center. They had rooms setup like hotel rooms with a TV and shower. I was allowed to keep and use my glasses and cellphone. They had a video monitor and a microphone so they were always watching and listening. As a matter of fact I had to sign a waiver acknowledging I was aware that they could see and hear everything I did and said. I remember about 5:30 AM I told them I had to go to the bathroom and I got an instant reply. I told them that I most often sleep on my sides. They said it would be better on my back but on my side would be OK as long as I didn't roll over on my belly. I went to that facility twice, first to determine if I had sleep apnea and secondly to determine the CPAP pressure. The technician was always very professional, friendly and accommodating. It wasn't easy trying to get comfortable connected to so many wires but the facility and staff were great.

[hyperlexis]

This was in an actual hospital? Sounds pretty abysmal. No the pillows wont really do anything from what I have been told, and yes, you are supposed to sleep on your back for a time, and sides, if possible, to get accurate data. But they certainly should have detected whether a lead has come off during the night and reattached it. If they have to have you do another study then they shouldn't charge you for it. No excuse for them not paying attention like that.

[lostnsilence]

This was in an actual hospital? Sounds pretty abysmal. No the pillows wont really do anything from what I have been told, and yes, you are supposed to sleep on your back for a time, and sides, if possible, to get accurate data. But they certainly should have detected whether a lead has come off during the night and reattached it. If they have to have you do another study then they shouldn't charge you for it. No excuse for them not paying attention like that.

I know they do want me on my back for a period of time and can remember the lab in St. Louis, MO waking me up in the middle of the night and asking me to change positions, so that doesn't bother me. It was just the way she handled it and the fact that she didn't realize that leads had come undone.

It was done in a hospital, but not by the hospital. I live in a very rural area and it was done in hospital about 30 miles from me in a town of about 4000. They rent two offices to turn into bedrooms for the night. Next time I will insist on going to an actual lab even if it means driving an hour and a half to the city!

That was way different from my experience earlier this year. The place I went to was a separate sleep study facility owned by a rehabilitation center. They had rooms setup like hotel rooms with a TV and shower. I was allowed to keep and use my glasses and cellphone. They had a video monitor and a microphone so they were always watching and listening. As a matter of fact I had to sign a waiver acknowledging I was aware that they could see and hear everything I did and said. I remember about 5:30 AM I told them I had to go to the bathroom and I got an instant reply. I told them that I most often sleep on my sides. They said it would be better on my back but on my side would be OK as long as I didn't roll over on my belly. I went to that facility twice, first to determine if I had sleep apnea and secondly to determine the CPAP pressure. The technician was always very professional, friendly and accommodating. It wasn't easy trying to get comfortable connected to so many wires but the facility and staff were great.

Yes, I have had sleep studies done before in actual sleep labs and the experiences there were wonderful (Well about as wonderful as they go lol). This time was just completely different and disappointing. I've calmed down since I got some sleep last night, but I do plan on writing to the company and talking with my doctor next week when I see him for my follow up to see what we can do from here to get this all straightened out.

What ems said.

You had the sleep study from h_ll. Sleep studies that actually go well are difficult enough. I'm sorry you had such a beyond crappy experience. I hope you'll let us know what happens with your report and whether you get any kind of acknowledgment about what went wrong. Seems to me you should not have to pay for that sleep study.

I'll keep you guys updated, I will see my doctor next wednesday to see what he says

[chunkyfrog]

NOBODY gets my glasses and cellphone!
If they ask, my answer is, "No."; If they insist, it becomes, "Hell No!"

[HealthyandHopeful]

So this wasn't my first sleep study, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea approx 10 years ago, during a hospital stay the nurses noticed how often I was sleeping and that I appeared to stop breathing when I was napping. After getting out, my pulmonologist ordered a sleep test to be done. I did two nights, one for monitoring, and then one for titration, I don't remember how often I stopped breathing, but I was set up with a CPAP 10 cm of pressure.

I used my CPAP everyday for a few years until the my machine stopped working, unfortunately I did not have insurance to get a new machine so I have just lived without it for a few years.

A few months ago I was finally able to get medical insurance again and immediately saw a new doctor here in my new state, and requested a sleep study be done so I can get a new machine and get to feeling better, this was back at the beginning of May, my doctor originally wanted me to just take a home test, but my health insurance would only approve an in lab test. We got it scheduled for June 12th and at 9pm the night of the test they called me to cancel due to "equipment issues" and rescheduled me for last night June 23rd at 10pm.

When I got to the hospital last night at 10pm I was shown to a conference room and told I would need to wait for about 40-45 minutes before they would have time to set me up.

I waited for a little over an hour before I was shown to my 'bedroom' to change shortly after 11 and was told not to touch anything and have a seat in the little chair until she came back, while waiting in there I got to listen to the personal medical history of the woman next door through the paper thin walls. I wasn't exactly comfortable knowing that I could hear everything, and then in turn, she would get to hear all my personal information. The 'bedrooms' were old offices that were no longer in use so they removed the desks and threw in a full size bed and nightstand to hold the CPAP to call it a sleep lab.

The tech came to get me hooked up. She asked for my phone, my glasses and my bag with my pillow and clothes and told me she would put them up for the night. I don't know how most techs do it, but Im damn near blind without my glasses and told her I couldn't see without them, she made a little joke about how she could never be without hers, but they would be in her way and I could have them back in the morning after she unhooked everything. Fine, different place, different techs...I guess there wasn't much for me to see anyways. But I was told that I didn't need any of my personal belongings. That was really irritating, I thought I was supposed to bring my own pillows or whatever to be comfortable and sleep like I would at home so they could get the most 'realistic' sleep.

She didn't get done connecting me and get me into bed until after 12am and warned me that since it was so late if I wanted to finish and get a split study in that she would need me to fall right to sleep on my back because she needed me to meet certain criteria before 1 or 2am and sleeping on my back would do the trick. I suppose that would be fine, except that I never sleep on my back and find it quite painful in that position. I layed there for a good hour, possibly more but I have no idea since I couldn't read the clock without my glasses on before saying screw it and rolled over and went to sleep so I could try and function today at work. I tossed and turned most of the night and at some point some of the leads came undone. There was no mics or cameras in the room and the only way to get her attention was to yell and hope she heard me...she didn't.

She came in to wake me at 615 this morning and was so shocks and surprised to see that 3 of the leads had come off. I was a little pissed at this point, but asked her if I had taken to long to fall asleep or why hadn't she come in to put the CPAP on and she just muttered not scoreable.

WTH does that even mean, does that mean that somehow the in the last couple of years my apnea has magically cured itself? Am I wrong in thinking that if she was actually monitoring the computers and stuff that she should have realized that some leads had come off?

I asked to use the shower and she then got irritated at me saying that no one does that, and I should go home and shower. I explained that I lived 30 miles away and then another 30 miles to work from there and I was assured that I would be up and out of there by 6 and it was after 6 when she woke me and I didn't have time to go home and do that and drive an hour also to make it to work on time.

Im so mad and disappointed, I thought my wait was finally over and I would be getting back to good sleep soon enough and now I don't know what is going to happen. I suppose I will find out what not scoreable means next week when I see my doctor, but I don't even know if insurance will even cover another test or if the wait will continue until im eligible again.

My first sleep study was ridiculous as well. I talked to the director (more than once) and finally convinced them to do another at their expense, and they did. I went to a different facility for the next one and it was better. I hope they will do this for you.

[Bama Rambler]

I'm with Frog. My personal belongings are staying right with me! There's no way anyone is leaving the room with my phone, glasses and no way in H with my wallet!