CPAP machine

So I had a really hard time falling asleep tonight, but actually managed to sleep. But at 4am, I woke up because of bad rainout in my APAP machine. For those of you who don't have CPAPs or APAPs, that's when water gets in the hose and bubbles loudly and makes it hard to breathe. So I took my mask off and was showered with a ton of water from my humidifier tank. I don't think I can go back to sleep, but don't want to be up. I'm staying over at a friend's apartment and don't want to wake people up, but don't want to just sit here doing nothing. And my back and head are hurting a lot. This is not the start I wanted for my day.

I have always had an absurdly easy time falling asleep. In the car? Out in seconds. On the bus? Can't keep my eyes open. Reading a book? Forget about it. It's only gotten worse since I got older. I've fallen asleep in meetings and at my desk. I've almost nodded off behind the wheel at a red light and I often fall asleep mid-sentence in the evenings. During these naps I often dream, which I always thought was normal but apparently not.

I got a home sleep study and I was diagnosed with #SleepApnea and started sleeping with a #CPAPMachine . It helped, but I was still tired. I got started on Adderall for #ADHD , but I was still tired. Now I'm starting to strongly suspect I have #Narcolepsy . I can't imagine what it would be like to feel truly awake all day, and not have to refuel with coffee all the time (which barely works). I haven't experienced cataplexy to my recollection, but I am also taking meds already that are used to treat cataplexy. I am hoping to get a referral for a in lab sleep study from my GP when I see her on Monday.

I changed jobs for a lot of good reasons, but better health insurance coverage wasn't one of them. I used to work for the State of Wisconsin, and even though our union was destroyed back in 2011 we still had the best health insurance in the area. All the specialties, all the tests, all the medical supplies were covered. I never had to worry about whether or not my insurance would pay for the care that I needed. My new job has done great things for my mental health and my overall life satisfaction, exception when it comes to insurance coverage.

My new health insurance does not cover my psychiatrist my therapist, the DME provider where I got my #CPAPMachine the pre-op appointment for my #TotalHysterectomy and my testosterone, which is now my only source of sex hormone.

The thing that drives me absolutely crazy is on more than one occasion I checked to see if a given provider or service would be covered, and I was assured that they will be. Lies, all lies.

Anyone who says the American health insurance system isn't broken has the 1 in a million really great insurance, or else is rolling in cash so the costs don't even register.