> and they gave me some POS machine and I hated it
I really hate that they do this. I had a friend who also got stuck with the same situation and did not have a good experience as a result. They should send you home to try the top-of-the-line model and then let you duke it out with your insurance company! ;)
Pay cash. You can get a refurb at $600. It's totally worth it.
Speaking side-sleeping, I have sewn a sock with a tennis ball to the back of my sleeping tshirt. It worked well, but it's hard to wash. So I bought this contraption: https://www.amazon.com/stream/ref=nav_upnav_mobile_T2_Detail...
Side-sleeping is a big deal, but it's even better with a neck pillow.
Better link, I hope. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DTLLYQ6/
Believe it or not, I also snore on my side. sigh
Of corse. But a better question to ask is if your AHI takes a plunge. If it goes down from 20 to 10 for example you are halfway there to control your apnea.
A good CPAP machine will tell you what your AHI is. Even the S8 does, though you have to get to the system menu (hold down and right arrows for five seconds).
Where do you get refurbs?
My posture definitely makes a big difference, I'm at 9 AHI sleeping on my side but 50+ on my back untreated. I'm gonna duct tape pillows to myself or something. Glad you found something that works for you!