VETERANS CORNER: Sleep apnea testing: don’t go it alone

by Gary Kennedy

I had someone ask me this week where our newspaper was. I was at the Cony Hannaford at the time and knew that the location had been changed the previous week. I showed the customer the new location but low and behold the papers were gone. This was on Saturday. I explained this was unusual and I would keep an eye open to see how the paper was being used. I had a couple of extra issues that I ended up with at Togus VA as my wife and I volunteer to deliver them to the various waiting rooms and doctors offices who have requested copies because of interest. We gave them one. Saturday is very early for Hannaford to be running out so we will see what is happening.

Now I will get on with some of the VA business of the week. Many veterans pursue claims on their own. I have warned against this in several of my veteran claims articles. One that many veterans feel that they can pursue on their own is Sleep Apnea. It seems simple but in most cases it is not. I would venture to say that many applications fail the first time. Even if you go through your Primary Care Provider, (PCP) failure in my opinion is probable.

I believe it really shouldn’t be that way but it’s been my experience that many cases have failed even going through a ground level Veteran Service Officer, V.S.O.. The reason that I have discovered is due to the inexperience of some V.S.O.’s. I don’t say this in a condescending way but unless the V.S.O has had years of experience he/she might not have prepared the veteran for the test which is quite detailed and telling. Believe it or not the best advice to give the veteran is to go to the sleep study and act naturally.

Veterans will have questions regarding preparation as, assume they need to act a certain way or do certain things in order to pass/fail the exam in order to get a C-pap machine and/or the monetary benefit that could go along with it. However, it has been my experience that if I am convinced that the veteran actually has the problem it will show up in the study during the night as a natural occurrence and can be evaluated by the examiner as to its validity and severity. This will be the basis to the examiner’s report which will be given a rating by the Bureau of Veterans Affairs, VBA. The sleep study for the most part is considered quite reliable. However, I have challenged the examination results and on more than one occasion have won my challenge.

Sleep Apnea is a disorder that can manifest itself in several different ways. However, in most of these cases it involves the stoppage of breathing. This can be for a few seconds or for more than a minute. If the later occurs than the examiner will approach the bed to initiate breathing if necessary. I have sleep apnea and was told that I have more than 129 apneas and one was for more than a minute. Scary, huh? Needless to say I was given a C-Pap machine which works very well. This all being said, I should add some of the experienced events which generally accompany this event

According to Mayo Clinic this disorder can have several episodic events accompanying it. (Snoring, restless legs, twitching, dreams not remembered, urinary frequency and constant wakefulness). A C-Pap machine will help with these issues.

Polysomnography – is the sleep study which monitors your heart, lungs, brain activity and breathing activity while you sleep. Blood O2 level as well as bodily movements are also monitored. The study can help people who have sudden bouts of sleep during the day known as Narcolepsy. This is an entirely different study or sleep disorder. We will discuss this at another time.

Just remember, if you have these problems you and your family should not have to live with them. Sleep on your side, not your back. This will help your problem and make life in your bed more pleasant for all. Also, it will help keep you safe. I will discuss other issues next week. The final word here lies with your PCP and V.S.O… Don’t try to live with what is controllable.

VA is here for you. God bless you and yours. Always remember we are here and always available to help and guide you. Dial 623-6938 for an appointment. Or you can dial me if necessary at 458-2832. Don’t go it alone.