Body Mass Index

As part of orientation you will receive a physical from Prime's on site doctor who is employed by the company. BTW, he's good ... not some jerk quack. If you hit the guidelines for sleep apnea, haven't had a sleep test, you'll get a medically sound sleep test - as long as you don't come out diagnosed with sleep apnea, you're good - at least that's what I understand to be happening now. Wasn't a concern when I hired on.

 

How do they test for sleep apnea?

 

They knock you out during orientation with sheer boredom, then hold a mirror in front of your face to see if you're still breathing. Didn't you know orientation was that boring for a reason?

 

That's good! Hook you up to a bunch of vitals monitoring stuff, put you in bed, turn on the camera, start the data recording, and wait to see how many times you quit breathing.

 

I just had this done due to my company policy (Crete/Shaffer) they told me to get it done with no diagnosis. They also refused to pay for it even though it their "policy"

step 1 is to contact your family dr. Discuss with him/her that your company requires it. once the dr schedules it, you show up at wherever he tells you to go. I had mine done at the local hospital.

In my case, I showed up at 9pm. They had me sit around til 10 then brought me to the sleep apnea test room. It was like a motel room. Pretty nice. They had me sit on a chair and began wiring me liftoff.

4 sensors on calfs. 2 each. 2 sensors on belly, 2 sensors on chest (ekg) 1 sensor each side at rear of jaw to test for snoring. 1 sensor halfway on each side of jaw to test for teeth grinding. one sensor on chin. dont know what that was for.

about 12 sensors placed over cranium



Once you get wired up, they tell you to climb into bed. They turn off the lights. There is an intercom in the room wired to thier control booth. They tell you to do a series of activites. fake snore, grind teeth, roll eyes, blink fast, flex toes.

Once they complete the tests they tell you to go to sleep. While you sleep they watch all the sensors to tell how fast you fall asleep, how deeply you sleep, if you snore, how many times you "wake up" meaning how many times you rise from deep sleep, whether you stop breathing during sleep and how many times. If you stop breathing too many times in your first test, they actually wake you up and put you on a CPAP machine.

I had to take the test twice. My first test indicated mild sleep apnea because I dind't fall asleep fast enough...look at the picture and tell me how you fall asleep like this. They didn't put me on the CPAP machine though so I did get a little bit of sleep.

My second test They did all the stuff listed above and then strapped the CPAP machine on me.

The test ran from 11pm to 530am and I was dressed and leaving by 545am


plan on being tested a second time because I guarentee you will not sleep the first time so you WILL be diagnosed with sleep apnea whether you have it or not. Its a money thing.

I don't know how your company will address thie issue if you are prescribed a CPAP machine. In my case Crete/Shaffer has me on medical leave. I have to wait 30 days from the day I began using my machine because they supposedly require a 30 day printout from the machine to see how it works and whether you actually are using it. It took me a week to get into see my dr and another week to schedule the first test, 5 days to interpret the test results,then another 6 days to schedule the 2nd test. 4 days to interpet that test then another 30 days for the machine to work enough for the printout.

I was placed on med leave on July 10 and my scheduled return date will be September 15

Each of my tests base cost was $2700 EACH. Then add in your family dr costs, the cost of the machine you will be prescribed.(mine is $1400)

All I can say is I hope that your company will pay for it. Crete/Shaffer did not. Insurance covers part of it but I talked to the hospital and they estimated my costs will be about $1200 plus the costs of operating the machine.

 

What do they do if you're like me, and can fall asleep anywhere, but can't fully wake up without coffee? And to think I was once diagnosed with ADHD, hahahaha! I've always slept like that. World War III couldn't wake me up.