"Tom Miller" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 23:48:15 GMT, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:
| I'm with Bob on this one. A machine of that value is worth a couple
bucks to
| have an electrician replace the cord.
|
| "Bob K 207" wrote in message
| ...
| OP-
|
| I get the feeling this is a medical device in a hospital?
|
| Get one of the electricians to replace the entire cord properly or do
it
| yourself.
|
| this isn't brain surgery
|
| btw what kind of device is it?
|
|
|
Well, I may have to have it done, but to have the cord replaced will
cost me at least $125.00 -- and probably more -- for a very minor
problem -- a 10 cent problem. If this problem were on a lamp, for
example, or on one of my computers, I wouldn't even tape it up. Having
medical equipment repaired by a durable medical equipment dealer is a
real ripoff.
The device in question is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device
-- a pump that prevents collapse of the airway while sleeping. It's a
prescription item in the USA. It's mine, for my personal use, not a
device in a hospital.
The real problem is that if I have someone else fix it, I can kiss it
goodbye for a week or more while they send it off to some repair
place, which means that I can't sleep properly at night. I walk around
all day like an oxygen-starved zombie until I get it back. And it
affects my ability to drive, too. Yeah, there are ways around all this
but they all cost money and are not real convenient.
There is no conceivable liability issue involved. The machine is 6
years old, so it is not ancient. There is nothing wrong with it
otherwise. The crack came about when I packed it into a case and
travelled around for two weeks with it banging against the inside of
the case until the cord started to split right where it goes into the
machine. I have used the machine for several years since it happened
and it works fine. You can barely see the split even if you look
carefully.
I have several chronic medical conditions which have occasionally
taken me to the hospital overnight. Having the machine makes the night
bearable; one less thing to worry about.
Once I spent the night in an emergency room waiting for a regular
hospital bed so I could have a coronary stent implanted in an artery
next day. They would not allow me to plug in the breathing device
because it had not been approved by their electrician (who was home
sleeping). As a result I had to stay up all night. This is not the way
you want to prepare for a guy putting a steel mesh tube in your heart
using a wire and a balloon!
I guess cutting the plug off the cord and slipping a heat shrink tube
over it is the only way, but putting a new, non-molded plug on the
cord opens yet another possible electrical issue for the hospital to
object to. I just thought there might be a clean, neat way that would
not involve this, but I guess not.
Thanks to all for the suggestions.
Oh, hell. Quit making such a big deal over nothing.
Get a loaner CPAP from your DME and send in the old one to get repaired.
Better yet, get a new CPAP and keep the old one for a spare. Six years old
means it probably has over 17,000 hours on it and it is probably worn out.
You got your money's worth if it lasted 6 years. Besides, I'll bet you got
your insurance company or Medicare to pay for 80% of the cost.
|