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Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

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Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#101
post #90
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I can't afford to do another sleep study (American Healthcare rocks!). That's the invisible hand of the free market taking care of you!

Almost nothing about the American healthcare system has anything to do with a free markets. From medical schools, to opening a new hospital, to pricing, to forced insurance, healthcare tied to employment, companies or government pay for almost all of it, FDA drug approval process, etc. Not saying free market and medical are a good mix (who knows?), but what there is in America not is not even a market at all.

> Not saying free market and medical are a good mix (who knows?), but what there is in America not is not even a market at all.

The free market is simply incompatible with health care. Imagine a world where, any time you have a life-threatening health problem, you can expect to transfer everything you own to the hospital, since they have perfect leverage over you.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#102
post #8
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. As the article says, copyright law has a provision whereby the Librarian of Congress can create exemptions. Pretty smart actually, Congress not trying to enumerate all small details itself. (section 1201(a)(1) of title 17, USC)

I believe these were introduced under the DMCA in '98?

Yes. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/1201

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#103
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost nothing about the American healthcare system has anything to do with a free markets. From medical schools, to opening a new hospital, to pricing, to forced insurance, healthcare tied to employment, companies or government pay for almost all of it, FDA drug approval process, etc. Not saying free market and medical are a good mix (who knows?), but what there is in America not is not even a market at all.

> Not saying free market and medical are a good mix (who knows?), but what there is in America not is not even a market at all. The free market is simply incompatible with health care. Imagine a world where, any time you have a life-threatening health problem, you can expect to transfer everything you own to the hospital, since they have perfect leverage over you.

That's not how free markets work. Otherwise food would also cost everything you own.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#104
post #73
post #68

I did read an article early this year where an individual died on a camping trip as he was not carrying his CPAP. So, yes, it does vary for each individual but sleep apnea can be deadly. Also, I cannot recommend enough anyone showing any symptoms of sleep apnea to get it checked out. I started using CPAP just over 2 years ago now and it has been a life changing experience, even though the study suggested only a 'Mild…

Does it bother you at all while sleeping?

I'm more concerned if it bothers your sleeping partner.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#105
post #80

Messing with your own PAP settings can be a bad idea. I have complex apnea - a little bit of obstructive apnea (small pie hole), a little bit of central apnea (brain messages to breathe don't get through). I had an Auto BiPAP machine, which is like an intelligent ventilator that varies settings to determine the best one. A sleep study plus home monitoring indicated that the machine made my apnea worse! After another…

> After another sleep study where they tried many different settings,

Sounds like messing with the settings helped you. Of that you'd discourage other people from trying it.

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#106
post #68

I did read an article early this year where an individual died on a camping trip as he was not carrying his CPAP. So, yes, it does vary for each individual but sleep apnea can be deadly. Also, I cannot recommend enough anyone showing any symptoms of sleep apnea to get it checked out. I started using CPAP just over 2 years ago now and it has been a life changing experience, even though the study suggested only a 'Mild…

What were your symptoms and what kind of difference do you feel now?

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not saying free market and medical are a good mix (who knows?), but what there is in America not is not even a market at all. The free market is simply incompatible with health care. Imagine a world where, any time you have a life-threatening health problem, you can expect to transfer everything you own to the hospital, since they have perfect leverage over you.

That's not how free markets work. Otherwise food would also cost everything you own.

Poor analogy. Food is not generally patented, and people can eat many different kinds of food to live.

Would you tell the people that needed epipens "well just have some paracetamol instead".

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#108
post #80

Messing with your own PAP settings can be a bad idea. I have complex apnea - a little bit of obstructive apnea (small pie hole), a little bit of central apnea (brain messages to breathe don't get through). I had an Auto BiPAP machine, which is like an intelligent ventilator that varies settings to determine the best one. A sleep study plus home monitoring indicated that the machine made my apnea worse! After another…

Central apnea is the scary story people tell on the forums about why not to just get an APAP and skip the sleep study.

(I'm sort of suspicious that I have some kind of apnea since my wife says she thinks I do, but there is just no way I'm doing a sleep study, so this is a topic of some minor fascination for me).

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#109
> “If things go wrong, they may end up dead in their bed."

They make it sound kind of risky, but ... does anyone have a way to quantify the risks here?

I mean, is adjusting your own CPAP machine as dangerous as say, driving a car across country, or drowning on a trip to the beach, etc?

Re: Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker

#110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Not saying free market and medical are a good mix (who knows?), but what there is in America not is not even a market at all. The free market is simply incompatible with health care. Imagine a world where, any time you have a life-threatening health problem, you can expect to transfer everything you own to the hospital, since they have perfect leverage over you.

That's not how free markets work. Otherwise food would also cost everything you own.

Anyone can grow food thus price floor in normal times (and yes everything you own in times of great famine. Diamonds for tripe in WW2 Polish ghettos). Can’t grow a new lung.
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