VEST treatments

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anonymous

New member
My boyfriend has CF, and he has a VEST for his treatments. but he did not get this machine until he was about 13....i think. I was just wondering if this was a common machine, that was easy for everyone to get their hands on to use....or if people just stick to doing the treatments the original way.
thanks<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">
 
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LindseyRose

Member
I thought it was common until I asked a friend if her brother, who has CF also, had a vest. She didn't even know what I was talking about. If I remember correctly ( I was still at an age when my dad still handled everything so I didn't really pay attention) my doctor had to write a letter to my insurance company saying how it would be beneficial for me to have. The machine costs like $15,000 (at least it did back then - 10+ years ago) and they wanted to make sure I was really using it so the insurance company called me every once in a while to give them the reading off of the meter on the bottom of the machine. They are also used at my hospital.
 
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anonymous

New member
It's not common and I personally believe for a few reasons. First of all, the information isn't circulated like it should be at CF clinics and stuff, our CF clinic didn't even know about it until WE told them. Now they have flyers and such but no clue before that. The other issues is the cost and the fact that not all, or even a lot of insurance companies cover it. There are ongoing studies for the vest (my husband tried to be a participant, but because we had already used it he didnt "qualify") trying to prove that it is useful but until those "results" are out, and probably even after that there will be some skeptics.

Julie
 
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