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CPAP.com Employee Spotlight - Ted Nugent, RPSGT
When did you first suspect you might have a Sleep Apnea?
In 2000, a friend of mine came to visit with his CPAP machine and told me about how he was falling asleep at work and in his car at traffic lights. He explained how the CPAP worked and the benefits of using it every night. I was falling asleep at work and would wake up on a Saturday morning, drink a pot of coffee, and then crawl onto my recliner and sleep for a few more hours. I knew something was wrong. So, I requested a sleep study from my doctor. It was the smartest decision that I have made in my life thus far.
What obstacles did you run into initially with your CPAP setup and therapy?
I had issues keeping the mask on all night. I would pull it off while sleeping, and wake up with the machine running and the mask on the floor. After a month or so, I acclimated to using the mask and kept it on all night. The DME had initially given me a passover humidifier and the cold air was freezing my nose. I told my therapist about this and he suggested that I try a heated humidifier. Problem solved.
What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and prescribed a CPAP machine?
My advice is to not give up. There are stumbling blocks that each of us face when starting CPAP. Keep trying different masks and you will eventually find your perfect mate. This is the make or break of the therapy. Also, understand that recovering from years of sleep deprivation can take time. Seeing that you will most likely be using a CPAP for the rest of your life, pace your expectations for your recovery. You may still have residual daytime sleepiness for months after starting. Keep in communication with your doctor and your friends at CPAPtalk.com.
How did you end up working for CPAP.com?
CPAP had given me back my life, so I had become a CPAP evangelist. I started exploring careers in sleep and made friends with a few sleep techs. I was so enthusiastic about learning and was recommended for a trainee job at a local sleep lab in Kentucky, where I lived at the time. I worked there for about a year, covering as many shifts as possible and reading everything I could get my hands on about CPAP and Sleep Apnea.
I found a Sleep Apnea message board online and started interacting with other patients. I tried to help new users overcome the hurdles of starting CPAP therapy. I also started building relationships with manufacturers and online Sleep Apnea vendors. One day, while on the phone with the owner of CPAP.com, John Goodman, he mentioned that he wanted to start a patient forum to help support their growing customer base. He asked if I was interested in the project as well as working on the phones. This was the break I was waiting for, so I left the lab to join an exciting new venture at CPAP.com.
What role have you played at CPAPtalk.com?
I am the Site Administrator. That is a big title for a message board that pretty much has a Laissez-faire approach to allowing patients to communicate with each other. I helped start the board by contributing to content, writing product reviews, and promoting the board in every way possible; basically talking all of my online CPAP friends into joining our site and making it their home. It has gone rather well.
How has CPAPtalk.com helped you with your therapy?
They say you learn something new every day. I still learn from the message board. There are tips and tricks that are immensely helpful to new and veteran CPAP users alike.
The major manufacturers of CPAP equipment read our message board and use the members in beta testing of new products. The CPAPtalk members give valuable feedback to help shape the products of the future. Another very cool program is the CPAPtalk Product Challenge. This type of participation by real CPAP users pushes the envelope of product development. CPAPtalk.com is all about the patient.
What equipment do you currently use in your treatment?
I am currently using a DeVilbiss IntelliPAP Auto machine with Heated Humidifier and either a ResMed Swift II nasal pillow mask or a Respironics ComfortGel nasal mask. I also really like the Fisher Paykel HC407 nasal mask. I use a SnuggleHose cover and Pad-A-Cheek mask strap pads. I try to use everything that comes out on the market for at least one night. I am not proud. I pretty much beg to try everything that comes in the door. The Goodmans have been great about it and turn to me for initial product feedback.
How important has the use of an Auto-Adjusting CPAP with software capabilities been to your therapy?
Using an Auto-Adjusting CPAP has been imperative to my treatment. I tend to need a lower pressure when I am in non-REM sleep. When I go into REM sleep my pressure needs jump up several centimeters in water pressure. The Auto machines will adjust to suit my pressure needs regardless of the reasons and the software is a very useful tool that allows me to see what is really going on with my sleep therapy.
I understand you had gastric bypass weight loss surgery about 2 years ago. How has this affected your life and your CPAP therapy?
I feel great. My energy levels are better. I can buy clothes at regular stores and sleeping is better because of the weight loss. My pressure has dropped from 20cm to 12cm. I have lost 120lbs but would like to go lower. This is still a work in progress.
Congratulations on becoming a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist. Now that you are a Board Registered Sleep Tech, or RPSGT, what will you be doing?
Thank you! I have accepted a job at HMSD LLC located in the Houston Medical Center. I am working there full-time and at CPAP.com part-time. Sleep techs generally work long shifts, about three nights per week, and so in my off time I still answer the phones at CPAP.com.
What do you enjoy the most about working at CPAP.com?
What I enjoy most is helping people. That is what drives me these days. I also like being around the CPAP gear. Working at CPAP.com is like working for Santa Claus.
What are the most important things you have learned while working at CPAP.com?
There are quite a few surgeries and dental appliances available to help with Sleep Apnea. I recently had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction. I have yet to see a reduced pressure, but I can breathe better through my nose. The truth about nasal or throat surgery is that it usually is not a cure unless you have a very mild case of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. From my research, I have seen that throat or nasal surgery will cut your Apnea Hypopnea index in half. A normal AHI for someone without sleep apnea is 5 or less, so if you have a baseline AHI of 30, which is mild, you will end up with an AHI of roughly 15. This still constitutes Sleep Apnea, though your pressure needs would most likely be lower. Surgery on adults is used to either lower pressure or treat borderline cases of sleep apnea. Surgery on children with sleep apnea is common, and has a higher success rate. This is because a child is still growing.
How has the Internet changed the Sleep Industry?
I think the Internet has changed all commerce, not just the Sleep Industry. However, the Internet has brought awareness and solutions to thousands upon thousands of CPAP users. When it comes to buying CPAP equipment, the Internet has brought freedom of choice since online providers often carry more of a selection and give better pricing than a local DME.
Where do you see the Sleep Industry 5 years from now?
Insurance coverage for Durable Medical Equipment seems to be dwindling, while cost of coverage goes up, and businesses have to cut corners in order to provide essential benefits for their workers. People are also moving to higher deductible disaster coverage with deductibles as high as $10,000. This pushes patients to the free market for their CPAP and other medical supplies. The Internet providers will play a huge role in this new insurance model. Hopefully, competition will bring better prices and more choices to the people affected by the lack of coverage.
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