Overnight sleep study, what is the form?

[Biggles]

Hi, I'm living in France and in December I tranferred into the French system for CPAP therapy. I've now been 'invited' for an overnight stay at the hospital.
My new consultant did advise me that he likes his patients to overnight once a year. Now then, despite having treatment for over 5 years I have never had an overnight stay. For my original assesment I took the equipment home with me and returned it the following morning.

What can I expect? Will I be filmed? that thought fills me with horror and trepidation

TIA

newbie to overnighting!

[Biggles]

I've been doing some reading..

so I think I will go and buy myself some jim jams as I think this might be more fitting than a flimsy nightdress. Be prepared for any eventuality.

Dressing gown and slippers and a good book to read

[ElleCee]

Imagine it is like a cheap hotel for the night, except that you get to wear some stange wrist strap and finger nibbler.
One exception, you will probably get a cup of tea in bed in the morning and breakfast on a tray, just don't mistake the tea lady for your partner

Have fun.
Lorraine

[Poppy56]

My sleep clinic has individual bedrooms and proper beds for sleep studies. I got wired up when I when I told them I was ready to go to sleep - plus thingy on my finger. I slept well - I thought, until they showed me the read-out which said I stopped breathing 455 times during the night. I then went for a second overnight stay when I was trying out the CPAP - bedroom door was left ajar so technician could come in and out to adjust the machine. Not too uncomfortable - and they brought me tea and toast in the morning.

[Biggles]

Thank you, I had not thought that they may want to place that clip on the finger, only had it the once and it sort of irritated all night. The sleep place is towards the top floor so hopefully it won't be too noisy.

I suppose they may want to wire me up as well as this will be the first (and only my second) study with my new consultant.

Many thanks
Jan

[Tigers Fan]

Not fun!

I was asked to sleep in a private room off the Respiratory Ward - tea making and toilet 30 and 40 meters down te hall. Video camera and microphone aimed at the bed, which had a waterproof matress protector. The room was vastly over-heated. Builders were using pneumatic drills three stories below. I was shown the areas in the room that were 'off camera'. The camera was set rolling and I was told to go to bed when I felt tired and to leave when I was ready. Oxymeter on my finger. I was to expect the results within two months, by which time the consultant would have had time to review "my case".

I must have slept as I was surprised to find it was 5 am. Woke the security guy, got my car, drove home, showered and went to bed.

Three months-ish later I had heard nothing so I called my GP, who, indeed, had a letter saying that I "showed sufficient symptoms to support a diagnosis of OSA." Also that I had snored at 70 decibels (I think 70, but it equated on-line to a telephone ringing) for two and a half hours.

A bit - lot - more chasing and I had an appointment at the Respiratory Clinic several weeks later. I had a trial CPAP (a model current just after steam driven ones went out of fashion) and we discovered CPAP would definately help me. Unfortunately, there was no chance of funding and could they have their ancient model back as there were lots of people waiting to try it.

In the event, I made a prescription matching the US on-line retailers' version, persuaded a nurse to sign it and bought my own APAP in the States. The people at the Clinic thought it unreasonable of me to expect them to know how to set the APAP as they didn't dispense them. Forum to the rescue!

A year later - last August - the NHS funded a CPAP which I am now using. A RemStar Plus - with exactly the same access to the Clinicians' Menu as the RemStar APAP - and I had to show the nurse how to do it. It only took them two months to get a humidifier for it!

Strangest of all, I think - I have yet to meet the consultant. Reportedly, she is a she - but I don't think she actually exists, just a number on a pay-roll!

Have you ever met the missing Dr Johnston, Buildone and Gargler?

TF

[Biggles]

Thank You

Thanks for the info, I hadn't thought about that they may want to moniter other things as they have asked me to take my machine with me. The sleep disorder part appears to be quite high up in the building so it should be quiet....

Thanks again, Jan.

[Biggles]

Oh dear I think my PC is getting into a bit of a tizzy as well as me; my earlier answer wasn't showing, nor your reply TF.

I had my sleep assessment at home which I thought was quite good, after 9 months I'd not heard anything so started a chasing excercise. Some time later my results were found and I met my Consultant who convinced me I ought to travel the 'private' route (I was getting married the following month and my hubby doesn't drive and we lived a fair way from anywhere, car essential)!! I took a 5 year contract out with Respironics, who I thought were very good. Respironics eventually admitted they could not / did not want to 'look after me' now I'm in France which set me off on what to do next.

I do feel as though I was in my own little bubble for 5 years, we exchanged information on the card which fortunately was showing I was compliant. They were also very quick to sort things out for me. My UK consultant did send me paperwork which has been useful at this end but I'm learning so much here on this site. I did feel the nurse who I was supposedly linked to had far too many patients and I never did get to meet him. Sad isn't it, the early days take an amount of adjustment and ensuring you get the right masks, settings etc. Still, on the up side, 5 years on I have a life and if the consultant suggests again that I should have an humidifier I will consider it; he mentioned the lack at our first meeting and I didn't know anything about them. It's great to learn all these new things
Jan

[gargler]

CPAP Doctor

My initial sleep study mirrors yours TF. I can't remember sleeping but the geriatrics toilet we were supposed to use/share were disgusting though.

My consultant is Dr Wilkinson who I have only ever seen once (before the sleep study). I am due to see him again in August.

[Tigers Fan]

I stand corrected

Yup! Wilkinson it is - or so it says on my appointment letter. Where did Johnston come from, I wonder? Makes no difference to my story - I have yet to meet the lady.Mind, I've only been her patient for a year and a half.

What is she like? Does she listen?

TF

[Tigers Fan]

Oh!

Oh! She's a him!

Now, is this the utter 'erbert who tangled my paperwork and I had to go to the CEO and the ENT secretaries to get it sorted? Delayed my sleep test by nine weeks!

Thought I'd best check my files before posting that. Wilkinson is a stranger to me. The 'erbert was a locum consultant called Wright - too important to do his paperwork and then too careless to put it in the right tray for the secretaries.

B*!*!r - now I'm on a soapbox! I went to my GP complaining of perpetual tiredness. He referred me for a sleep test after peering knowingly at the girth of my neck. Now, in my simple world, next stop would have been a sleep test but oh! no! I get an appointment to see Dr or Mr Wright. He gives me the "Fat Lecture" that every medic seems to think he has a right and a duty to administer and refers me on for - guess what? - a sleep test. Study. And then messes up the paperwork.

Now, whether or not the NHS is strapped for cash, why do we need an extra layer of consultant and entourage between a GP and the investigation he believes his patient needs (mine is male)?

The only conclusion that makes sense to me is that it is a way of keeping Waiting Lists within Government targets and parameters - go on a waiting list to see a triage nurse to go on a waiting list to see a consultant to go on a waiting list to get the treatment your GP wanted in the first place. With long enough lists, I'm sure they could dream up a waitng list to see someone before the waiting list for the triage nurse!

Maybe Alleycat is right and I hate the NHS - all I love is the NHS as it should/could be in a dream world. I love that we as a society could conceive of an NHS let alone enact it. I hate - as we know - the beaurocrats!

TF

ps Do they train nurses to look at you in that "Diddums! I know it hurts but we'll make you better" sort of way, or do the nurses acquire it with experience? Some of them, anyway.

TF