I really need advice ho help my brother and his 4 year old duaghter.
This Fathers Day was a little heartbreaking for me. I was looking out the window and notice my four year old niece getting into my brother's car I wanted to know what was going on so I went out there and much to my surprise my brother is passed out in the car with it running. I opened the door and tried to wake him up but didn't even get a reaction he never even heard me my niece asked me why he was asleep I told her that I didn't know but I promised her that I would find out why. After some heavy questioning and stay overnight at my brothers house I have come to the conclusion that my brother cannot breathe while he is sleeping at all. The second his head hits the pillow he starts gasping for air unable to get any. He tries two or three sometimes four times before he wakes up choking because he can't breathe. I am soo worried about him. I haven't even been able to sleep myself. He has lived with my mom for a long time now, he works with my brothers yet I can't even get any of them to research the topic hey all thank he's just lazy. I just found out my brother broke his jaw for not wanting to get up and go to work which infuriates me to no end. I told them that I thought I knew when it started when he face plants for concrete trying to jump a ramp, they said don't worry he's doing better now I told them it's just because he got his jaw broke and anybody would do better after that no matter what their condition. I can't get any of them to do anything for him and I can't sit here and watch it. I don't have much money because injured my back working for my brother and he fired me so I am unable to work much. I don't know what to do but I know I need to do something. Any advice or information to helpful resources is much appreciated
Hi
. I’m sorry to hear about your brother, and you too. Migraines suck!
I wrote the original post you commented on, and followed your posts.
Just as a follow up to my original post, I struggle with the cpap still. I haven’t actually worn it in the past few months, since the symptoms have gotten worse. I have PTSD, and the masks are triggering me, I was waking up in panic attacks.
But I was referred to a doctor that does the Inspire implants by my neurologist (who treats me for my migraines). Once I looked into him, I found out he also handled vestibular balance issues, I switched my focus with him to that, as it is a recent issue that has caused me a lot more problems.
Well, now that he performed all the tests from his aspect, he determined that I do indeed have a balance disorder, but it’s not from my hearing. He said it’s in my brain, and sent me back to my neurologist.
But now we are moving on with the implant. First, I had to have another sleep test, this time with a home test. The last tests I had were about 5 years ago, in a sleep study with the sleep doctor. I had to do it twice, since I was in so much pain that it skewed the first result by him. Before that, it had been 15-20 years since my first test. All those tests where in sleep labs.
The new test results showed my sleep apnea was considerably worse, and that I qualified for the implant. Funny, the previous doctor said my apnea was too bad for the implant, lol!
So, the next step is a drug induced sleep endoscopy. (DISE). Depending on the results from that, they can do the surgery.
As far as cost, with my insurance, Medicare Advantage, it will cost me $400 per procedure, so $800 total. So far my insurance has been covering the costs so far, though I had to appeal the hearing test, because they refused to pay it, since it wasn’t at their approved facility. But since it was a diagnostic procedure, they eventually agreed to pay.
Usually Medicare insurance sucks, but I chose an Advantage plan that doesn’t have a copay for specialists, since I have so many of them!
If your brother is on Medicaid, the cost should be minimal or nothing, if it’s approved. If he isn’t on it, then he should apply. He definitely has health issues that need to be addressed, like has been mentioned. Check out doctors on the Internet, if they take Medicaid, what people say about them. I do this on any new doctor. Or for diagnoses’s, to look for doctors or providers who treat certain diseases. You should be able to get some sort of idea of cost and treatment from the internet.
The one thing from my experience is to remember it took years of putting up with my problems with cpap machines, before finding a doctor who could evaluate me for it. If your brother wants to go that route, he might have to be patient. It could have been the providers I saw, or my reluctance to follow up further to push my story to this point. Things might have changed, insurance’s might be more willing to pay for it rather than pay for the expenses caused by untreated sleeping apnea. Or you would think so. Good luck.
Hi
. How awesome that you are getting an neurological evaluation for the balance issues and that you are a candidate for Inspire. I hope it all works out in ways that are most beneficial for you. If you do get the device, we would love to hear about your experience with it. It is so new that we haven't gotten much feedback about it in this community yet. Thanks for chiming in and for the update. Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
Thanks for replying. He is willing to do what he needs to fix or help the problem but we don't have a regular doctor or even see doctors at all, I had the top of my head crushed when I was I think 3 or 4 by a pellet gun my brother threw over my grandmas house and never saw a doctor, from then up until the beginning of seventh grade the only thing I remember is the unimaginably severe migraines the first year after that, I don't even remember getting hit with the nun chucks during that year. I need to find out if he has Medicaid I think I remember something being said about that one time not too long ago. If he has Medicaid does that mean he has doctor that is assigned to him? Thank you Melissa for showing concern for my brother it means a lot to me. Ill keep you updated as much as my computer allows it has issues because I accidentally drop it often.Hi
. If your brother has Medicaid, he doesn't have a doctor automatically assigned to him. He will have to call around to find a doctor who is accepting Medicaid patients. That can be a frustrating experience, so he might need some help with that. Once he has a doctor, he can ask that doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist during one of his visits. I hope that helps. Best of all wishes. - Lori (Team Member) 
Actually, I think it can vary depending on where you live. I had Medicaid for a little while several years ago here in New Jersey, and the insurance card they sent me had the name of a random doctor on it that had been assigned to me. I was surprised. Ultimately, though, you can choose whatever doctor you like as long as they take Medicaid and are accepting new patients.
You can try calling the customer service number on your brother's card and see if they can give you more information, like a list of doctors in your area, and how to get other services he might need, such as a sleep study or medication.
If you end up getting a list of doctors to try, my personal strategy is to Google different ones and read reviews that others have written about them. I do that whenever I am looking for a new doctor, and most of the time I've been happy with my care team. And one more thing: if for whatever reason you don't like the doctor, you can ALWAYS switch to someone else or get a second opinion. Remember that we pay the doctors good money -- your brother should be treated respectfully, given plenty of time to talk, and taken seriously. Don't be afraid to move on until you find the right person. It's worth it.
We'll be here if you need to talk! If you're having trouble, you might try calling your local Department of Social Services. They might be able to give you advice that's specific to your area.
Hugs,
Melissa, team member
Hi,
. I saw the comment you left on another article, so I'm just going to respond here. Here is the link to the other comment you left so that everyone can follow along:
https://sleepapnea.sleep-disorders.net/stories/cpap-machines-dont-help-me#comment-530327
So, first of all, you are such a good brother for caring so much and coming here to ask questions! He is lucky to have you and I hope you both know that.You asked about the Inspire implant. In order to get it, your brother would need to meet certain health criteria, have a sleep study, be approved for surgery by his doctor, and then have the implant installed via surgery. Medicare, Medicaid and other insurances often cover this, but it is always best to talk with the insurance company to confirm and get an estimated price *before* he moves forward with this process.
Here is our article about the implant:
https://sleepapnea.sleep-disorders.net/stories/cpap-machines-dont-help-me#comment-530327
Now, I have some other questions. It is unusual and concerning to me that your brother would be asleep in his car and not respond when you tried to wake him. It is worth noting that there are many different sleep disorders, as well as other health problems that could be causing this.
What does your brother (the patient) think about everything that is happening? Is he willing to go to the doctor and start the process of figuring this out?
If so, the best place to start is with his regular doctor. The doctor will likely want to do a full physical, with bloodwork and other tests, to look at his overall health. Insurance will cover a full exam once a year, and more often if there are health problems.
The regular doctor will give him a referral to a sleep doctor or sleep clinic if he thinks there is a sleep disorder going on. If your brother is OK with it, it would be a great idea to try to get a short video recording of him sleeping/gasping, so that the doctor can see what you're seeing.
As for the rest of your family, I am so sorry to hear they aren't taking the situation seriously. Even your 4-year-old niece knows something isn't right! Keep supporting your brother -- maybe show them the video of him choking as well. They may come to accept it, but they may not. The important thing is that you care. You may also want to talk to him about putting distance between himself and your other brother to prevent further violence.
Take it one step at a time, Waylon. Step one, talk to your brother and see about making an appointment with his doctor. We are here to support you and answer questions. I'll be thinking of you both, please come back and keep us updated! We want him to get the answers he needs. -Melissa, team member
