ANTS!

[palerider]

Waffle, as in Belgian Waffle

A clear shot, right over the Head! Jim

Probably sounded something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GY_qiJWHxs

[Alliefiona]

I'm back. How'd this discussion devolve to waffles? LOL

Well, the ants were a minor irritation compared to what I've been dealing with this past month. It took two weeks of phone calls to get my insurer, my doctor, and the supplier on the same page. Then my doctor sent the equipment order to the wrong supplier, one that I'd dropped after they screwed up numerous orders and vastly overcharged me last year. I had specifically asked several times at my appointment that they not to send any more authorizations to that supplier. It took another week to get the doctor to cancel the order and to re-order from the correct supplier.

Then I got a $450 bill from my doctor. Apparently, stopping by his office and showing his colleague there were ants in my device constituted a full diagnostic visit that was 4x the cost of a colonoscopy. I called them and got the "tough luck" talk. They read back to me a list of diagnoses they claimed justified the bill. Those diagnoses came from my sleep test 10 years ago. I kicked it up through supervisors and they said they'd look into it. I'm not holding my breath.

After not hearing anything about my new equipment I called the supplier, and they said that even though I'd talked to them and talked to my doctor and talked to my insurer and all the authorizations were in place, I needed to re-place the order from scratch, because that was the way the bureaucracy worked. I said fine, here's my order. Then they said, "But wait, your old machine is out of warranty and you're not authorized to get a new machine until 2021." (My insurer had said that this catch-22 had been waived due to the circumstances.) More phone calls, and the supplier said, "Oh, look, the paperwork does indeed say what you said it says. We'll ship as soon as possible." I asked if I was required to pre-pay or if the invoice was to go through insurance first. They said they normally go through insurance first. That was 4 days ago.

Today I got an email from the supplier. It stated that they will NOT ship my machine. Why?
(1) The old one is out of warranty and I'm not due for a new one until November 2021
(2) They don't have authorization from my insurance
(3) The type of items on this order require extra review by staff before shipping.
(4) I haven't paid the (non-existent) invoice.

Yes, all four reasons. These were the first people I called when I got the ant problem May 29--I had asked them HOW CAN I EXPEDITE GETTING THIS PROBLEM FIXED AND GETTING AN ORDER OR REPAIR DONE ASAP?

So, no longer an ant problem. They're long dead. Now it's a very expensive episode of the Twilight Zone.

[chunkyfrog]

A registered letter from your attorney--promising dire consequences
if their screwing around results in a health crisis.

[Goofproof]

Sounds like you could have bought a new unit or a few used ones quicker and cheaper, BTW: There are still lots of Ants out there as well as other Bugs. They have been really bad this year as the rains have been bad, and most houses are dry, I think the roofs are causing that. Jim

[Muse-Inc]

...My son discovered that the intense smell that comes from crushing the little devils drives cats nuts.

Had a cat that went nuts rubbing, biting, and slobbering over olives and ants . Talked to our vet who said crushed ants give off an odor similar to that of olives and olive wood as mom discovered when said cat found a sweater with decorative olive wood buttons.

[Muse-Inc]

... HOW CAN I EXPEDITE GETTING THIS PROBLEM FIXED AND GETTING AN ORDER OR REPAIR DONE ASAP?...

While they hem and haw. see if they will give you a loaner. Might need to get doc involved talking about the risk of death from untreated sleep apnea AND they are the ones making CPAP treatment impossible. A lawyer sounds like a good option.

[Goofproof]

Waffle, as in Belgian Waffle

A clear shot, right over the Head! Jim

Probably sounded something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GY_qiJWHxs

Had a 7.62 NATO Round pass my ear by 6 inches, it sounded nothing like that, but I am happy to have heard it anyway, I even seen what it hit, a Ox/Ac rig 400 yds past me, broke the O2 regulator line, all 250lbs went 20 ft in the air like a rocket. That pic sound was more like small rocket fire. Jim

[RonS]

Had a 7.62 NATO Round pass my ear by 6 inches, it sounded nothing like that, but I am happy to have heard it anyway

Sorry you were in that position, but thank you

[Goofproof]

Had a 7.62 NATO Round pass my ear by 6 inches, it sounded nothing like that, but I am happy to have heard it anyway

Sorry you were in that position, but thank you

"The saying "A miss is good as a mile", comes to mind four of us were playing with a basketball, someone a block away let one loose, it came in head high between us. Nothing as dangerous as a G.I. with a Weapon. Jim

It's the ones you don't hear that do the most damage.

[Just me]

@RonS I am so sorry to hear about your experience with ants in your CPAP. It must have been quite awful! On top of that, you needed to replace it. Such an expense!

I have not purchased a CPAP yet; was just told last week that that I have mild sleep apnea with average AHI 5, up to 9 on my back. The doctor says I really NEED to get a CPAP. Not sure I believe the doctor given the AHI values I’ve been reading for when CPAPs are usually prescribed. Any comments would be welcome. However…

The ant issue is of relevance to me because my building is experiencing a Pharaoh ant infestation. Another doc (different specialty) who worked in a large downtown hospital told me that getting a CPAP when my building has a Pharaoh ant infestation is just asking for trouble. I’m waiting to hear from the respirologist again.

Because I was freaked out about the ants even before I was told to get a CPAP, I’ve read a lot about Pharaoh ants now. They can carry (transport on their little ant feet) up to 12 dangerous infectious microbes including but not limited to strep, staph A, salmonella, Klebsiella, and clostridium. Clostridium is the family that causes botulism.

You don’t want these creatures in your CPAP.

[zonker]

@RonS I am so sorry to hear about your experience with ants in your CPAP. It must have been quite awful! On top of that, you needed to replace it. Such an expense!

welcome to the zoo!

ron s hasn't been here in over three years, so don't think he's going to respond.

as to you starting cpap or not, please start your own thread. the forum is here to help, so you should get some responses when you post.

good luck!

[lynninnj]

@RonS I am so sorry to hear about your experience with ants in your CPAP. It must have been quite awful! On top of that, you needed to replace it. Such an expense!

I have not purchased a CPAP yet; was just told last week that that I have mild sleep apnea with average AHI 5, up to 9 on my back. The doctor says I really NEED to get a CPAP. Not sure I believe the doctor given the AHI values I’ve been reading for when CPAPs are usually prescribed. Any comments would be welcome. However…

The ant issue is of relevance to me because my building is experiencing a Pharaoh ant infestation. Another doc (different specialty) who worked in a large downtown hospital told me that getting a CPAP when my building has a Pharaoh ant infestation is just asking for trouble. I’m waiting to hear from the respirologist again.

Because I was freaked out about the ants even before I was told to get a CPAP, I’ve read a lot about Pharaoh ants now. They can carry (transport on their little ant feet) up to 12 dangerous infectious microbes including but not limited to strep, staph A, salmonella, Klebsiella, and clostridium. Clostridium is the family that causes botulism.

You don’t want these creatures in your CPAP.

This is an old zombie thread.

But if you’re worried- there’s probably a similar item available where you live with very fine mesh. I had my machine in here over summer due to earwigs. They have a toggle opening that I could seal tightly around the hose.

I didn’t run it with mesh bag in place because of the potential to stress the motor drawing in air but it might have been ok.

Reusable Produce Bags 15 Pcs, Barcode Scannable, Washable and See-Through Extra Strong Mesh Bags for Grocery Shopping, with Colorful Tare Weight Tags https://a.co/d/bPFoGyn

(looking up specs the 20D size has an opening smaller than your ant)

[chunkyfrog]

Fine, soft transparent fabric--sounds like nylon hosiery.
Think sheer trouser socks.
Easier to find, and way more affordable.
I could stuff my entire p10 inside one, and use a ponytail band to snug it up to the tubing.
No ants allowed.
Long ago, I found a dead silverfish inside my S9 tank--those li'l buggers TRAVEL.
I know--fun with zombies . . .

[lynninnj]

The produce bags are large enough to fit the machine, not just the mask.

[JeffL]

Oh Great! Now I'm going to worry about spiders getting into my machine!

that ring on the nightstand where your cold water sweated.

Just a side note - When I first became a CPAP user, I found that the area under the machine got damp which wasn't good for the nightstand finish. I solved that problem by making a small stand for the machine out of a piece of Plexiglass and stick on rubber feet.