u/Front_Blood_3543

Hello,

Does anyone have experience dealing with the VA and treating UARS? They diagnosed me with moderate sleep apnea. I somehow had an AHI of 17 for the HST they ordered. They sent me a CPAP. Tried that for two months, didn't help at all even with all the different settings I tried. Bought a Bipap to try and have been unsuccessfully treating myself with that so far. Aerophagia, unable to tolerate or fall asleep to higher pressures. I can fall asleep with lower pressures (like 12/8) but I still have pulse rate spikes and flow limitations.

I have a PES sleep study+PAP titration coming up with Jerald Simmon's lab (CSMA). I'm hoping they will be able to find what pressure I need/determine whether or not PAP solves my flow limitations in the first place.

That being said, I am losing hope that PAP is suitable for me. I have yet to try ASV and plan to once I'm 100% bipap won't work for me but I am quickly losing hope. Which leads to surgery.

I do not have health insurance and all my doc visits and specialist visits are through the VA/community care referrals. If I determine that I need EASE or want to try MMA, how feasible/possible is it that the VA would pay for something like this? Anyone have any experience here?

And, what's the general progression path if I want to try the surgery route?

My current understanding is:

Get a CBCT

Get a DISE

Consider turbinate reduction/septoplasty/UPPP

Try MAD

MARPE/SARPE/FME

EASE

MMA

I could opt into my employer's health insurance if I ultimately think surgery of some sort will be necessary. My question is, how difficult is it and how much of a 'paper trail' do I need to establish before they will help pay for things like these? How successful are these routes, is one better than the other, etc. Forgive me for the overwhelming amount of questions. I am exhausted and ready to give up on trying to treat this horrific condition. I am desperate as many of you can likely relate. I've also heard that soft tissue/consulting with ENTs is generally not the best and will not alleviate symptoms like they say. Curious about your guys' thoughts.

Hey friends, struggling today.

I (25M) lost my marriage, faith, and all of my friends in less than a year and I'm scrambling. Have looked into joining various groups. Getting into different hobbies. Recreational sports leagues. Meetups. Etc. Looking at an MMA gym. Volunteering.

And I plan to do those things. And I am sure they will help. But it's hard. It's hard to make friends. I had a solid core of friends when I was a christian that I did everything with. It's the loss of this that hits me hardest. I crave deep, authentic connection. I was never a party animal or into bars, even before I was a christian (I converted after high school). I have severe alcohol intolerance and find that I don't fit in typical social scenarios. I am very extroverted, but the kind of connection I crave seems to only be found in the church. I don't know how to explain it. The intimacy, the authenticity, the mutual service and accountability. It makes relationships in the secular world feel so hollow and surface level/in-authentic. And it makes me wonder if maybe I was wrong about leaving christianity. I know there are some strawmen here. I am broadly inexperienced as my entire adult life was 100% involved in the church up until now.

Just feel like I'm drifting. And internet communities like this are great. I don't want to downplay that. But I want to spend my time with people in person. And it just feels lonely. Lonely in the church because I can't force myself to believe. The cognitive dissonance is too great. Yet the church inevitably shaped me and now I find that I don't really fit in secular circles either.

Don't even get me started with dating. I don't even know where to start. Part of me wants to just hop on tinder. But I know that will not fulfill me. And I know the kind of woman I want to be with is probably not best reached on tinder. Nor am I ready for dating.

Anyone relate? Hell I've even considered attending a mainline/progressive church just for community and shared values. But the ones I have been to so far have primarily older demographics and I'm looking for others who are in a similar stage of life.