Hi--

I have severe obstructive sleep apnea, diagnosed about two years ago. I was diagnosed and got my CPAP machine with humidifier (pressure 10) just before I lost my health insurance. It made a big improvement in my alertness, though I still haven't woken up with that refreshed feeling in several years. Over the last few months I've noticed an increase in early morning headaches. Sometimes it hurts enough that I wake up. Usually the headaches disappear after I get up in the morning, though sometimes I wind up developing a migraine that lasts all day.

I'm afraid this might mean that the treatment is no longer working as well as it did. I haven't gained or lost weight since I first got the machine. (I was told that I have multiple structural problems in my mouth/nose/throat, so losing weight wouldn't really help with the OSA and surgery wasn't an option.)

I'm in my late 20s. I currently have zero health insurance, not much money, and I don't qualify for any kind of state aid that would help. I do have access to a campus health clinic, but as you can guess, they don't do sleep disorders.

Do you have any advice for me? If the only thing to do is try to get enough money to visit the sleep specialist, what can I expect? (Multiple visits? Another sleep test?)

I may be moving to another country to work in spring of 2007, and that country has national health insurance for which I would qualify. But I don't know if I'd be able to take off time to go to a doctor, or if I'd be able to communicate well enough. And it seems like that's a long way away.

I'd really appreciate your suggestions. Thank you!