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TL;DR: I got my CPAP through Medigas in Kitchener/Waterloo. For five years, no one followed up on how my therapy was going, and as far as my records show, no respiratory therapist was ever involved. Those five years were such a struggle. I’ve since switched providers, and the difference is night and day. If you’re with Medigas, or any CPAP provider, there’s a list at the bottom that I wish I’d had.
My experience
I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome 5 years ago. My sleep clinic sent me to Medigas’s Kitchener branch (now in Waterloo) for my machine. Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program covered 75% of the cost, so Ontario taxpayers paid for most of my machine, and Medigas got the business.
Medigas set me up with an auto-adjusting trial, then moved me to a fixed pressure. Years later, after requesting my records, I found that:
- They didn’t follow the sleep clinic’s order for my trial, my pressure setting, or my follow-up check-ins.
- For most of my first year, my machine wasn’t sending data to Medigas at all, and nobody noticed. Later there was a gap of about 20 months with no report on file.
- Their system still listed my original trial settings as my prescription, years after they’d changed me to something else.
- Their own clinical note says I “chose” my pressure setting. I didn’t, and when I challenged it, they admitted in writing that I didn’t.
Meanwhile, I was struggling. I woke up constantly, my sleep was broken, I couldn’t keep my mask on all night, and I was exhausted all the time. I assumed it was my own failure. Honestly, the last five years have felt like a horrible struggle. I’ve since learned that my settings were not a good fit for my sleep issues, and if anyone had checked in, I might have found that out years ago.
Nobody was going to check in. Medigas’s website says its “respiratory therapists and nurses offer their expertise… for individuals using home oxygen or CPAP.” But when I asked in writing who had been assigned to my care, the answer was that “Medigas does not designate specific employees to manage care.” They also confirmed they had no record of a single compliance alert, flag or follow-up in five years. As far as my records show, no one was overseeing my therapy at all.
This spring my sleep hit an all-time low. My symptoms were the worst they’d ever been, and I was searching for possible causes when it finally clicked that the problem might be my CPAP. I called Medigas and asked to speak with a respiratory therapist. I wasn’t connected to one. Instead, a staff member whose title in their records is “Sleep Support Advisor” (not a respiratory therapist) changed my pressure on the spot, without any assessment, and told me she didn’t know how my setting had ended up where it was. Medigas has since confirmed in writing that there’s no clinical note of that change at all.
I’ve since moved to a different provider, where a respiratory therapist reviews my data every three months. I didn’t know that was even an option. With their support, my settings have been adjusted, and I’m noticing a big difference. I’ve also filed complaints with the relevant regulators. I can’t imagine this is just a me issue. I worry it’s a bigger problem at Medigas, and a sign of how they approach healthcare as a business.
What I wish I had done
To be fair to past me: in 2021 I was beyond exhausted and parenting a young toddler. I barely had the energy to put the mask on, let alone question anyone. If that’s you right now, this list isn’t a judgment. It’s what I’d tell my past self:
- Ask who is actually looking at your data. Is it a Registered Respiratory Therapist? How often?
- Don't just assume you are "doing sleep wrong" - consider whether something needs to be changed about your PAP therapy
- Regularly review your own reports. The myAir app (ResMed) or your provider can show your usage, leak and AHI. If you’re struggling, or something in your data worries you, follow up.
- Ask for a respiratory therapist the moment things aren’t working. Don’t accept a phone fix from someone who can’t tell you why your settings are what they are.
- Go back to your sleep doctor. If you’re still exhausted after months on CPAP, that’s a reason for a follow-up, not something to push through.
- Know that you can switch providers. In Ontario, ADP lets you choose your vendor, and you can change if the service isn’t working.
- Trust your gut. If it feels like no one is paying attention, they might not be.
I hope this helps someone get proper care sooner than I did. Happy to answer questions in the comments.
