Just couldn't take it last night!!

[EdNerd]

Okay - I'm less than three weeks into CPAP therapy. I know I'm going to be a hosehead for the rest of my life, and I have to learn to live - and sleep - with this thing. But last night, I just couldn't take it!!

Every night, I put my mask on, fire up the machine, and hunt for the sweet spot of mask on face where there's no leaks - especially squirting me in the eye. Then I try to find the one perfect position to sleep in - comfortable (relatively speaking!) without pushing the mask out of position, and freeze there for the rest of the night.

Last night was 20 minutes of pure frustration! I finally pulled the mask off, threw it on the floor, and went to sleep. Out light a rock until the alarm went off this morning, and I got up feeling good. When you only have six hours to sleep, spending up to 10% of your time agitated, frustrated, and struggling against the thing that's supposed to help you isn't a good feeling.

Yeah, a new mask would be nice. But my insurance will only cover a new mask every 3 months. So I got 2 more months to go. Thinking of the Amara View or one of the Hybrids. And I'm thinking of sleep!!

Ed

[DreamStalker]

Why let insurance control your health? .... or anyone else for that matter? You and only you have your own best interest when it comes to YOUR health.

The insurance companies, like ALL corporate entities just want you to think you are hopeless/helpless without them.

The mask interface is the most difficult part of this therapy and to only allow yourself to trail a new mask once every 3 months or whatever short hairs they control you by is just sadistic torture .... but hey! It's you life. Take control of it yourself or hand it over to corporate/government care .... for now it's all your choice.

Best of luck!

[Pugsy]

What sort of mask swapping policy does your DME offer?
The mask manufacturers offer 30 days on their masks but DMEs will often come up with their own in house rules.
Have you asked them about trying a different mask since this one seems so problematic?

[linuxman]

Do you really need to wait for insurance? Just go out and buy what you want. If you're not past your deductible, you'll be paying for it anyway. The price online should be comparable to your insurance company's negotiated price, or in some cases, much less. If they're paying most or all of the cost at this point, then I guess you can wait to get that benefit....but isn't it worth it to get this figured out sooner than later? You can always sell off the masks that you don't like to recover some of the cost.

[EdNerd]

I'm seeing the sleep doc tomorrow, and I'll drop in on the DME after that.

Do I need to wait for insurance? Well, unless someone drops a pot of money on me, yeah - pretty much.

And I know too that this is the adjustment period. Some nights are great (mask-wise, that is - I don't think I've had a rock-solid night's sleep yet with CPAP). No leaks, no drips, no errors. So it's not that it can't happen. And some kind of CPAP pillow will help too, most likely.

Although I've been tempted to try Tub and Tile Caulk around the edges before I go to sleep ....

Ed

[Pugsy]

Try a different mask while you can utilize any free mask swapping time. You can always go back to a previous choice if it ends up being the best one.
You won't ever know unless you try.

[D.H.]

Why are you using a full face mask in the first place? They are much harder to fit than nasal masks.

[jwood0087]

Why let insurance control your health? .... or anyone else for that matter? You and only you have your own best interest when it comes to YOUR health.

The insurance companies, like ALL corporate entities just want you to think you are hopeless/helpless without them.

The mask interface is the most difficult part of this therapy and to only allow yourself to trail a new mask once every 3 months or whatever short hairs they control you by is just sadistic torture .... but hey! It's you life. Take control of it yourself or hand it over to corporate/government care .... for now it's all your choice.

Best of luck!

Some of us - I can only speak for myself, but some of us have been suffering from the effects of sleep apnea that effect the rest of our lives to a significant degree.

For instance, my symptoms have been so severe and debilitating that consequently, I've never really gone anywhere in life and work for basically no money and live paycheck to paycheck. I'm still in that "walking dead" phase. So, the idea of "just go get a mask" sounds great, but financially I can't really afford to just go out and do that.

Maybe his situation is different, I don't know. Just food for thought.

[LSAT]

Do you really need to wait for insurance? Just go out and buy what you want. If you're not past your deductible, you'll be paying for it anyway. The price online should be comparable to your insurance company's negotiated price, or in some cases, much less. If they're paying most or all of the cost at this point, then I guess you can wait to get that benefit....but isn't it worth it to get this figured out sooner than later? You can always sell off the masks that you don't like to recover some of the cost.

In most cases the insured only pays a portion of the negotiated price...(like 20-25%)

[Rob K]

[/quote]Some of us - I can only speak for myself, but some of us have been suffering from the effects of sleep apnea that effect the rest of our lives to a significant degree.

For instance, my symptoms have been so severe and debilitating that consequently, I've never really gone anywhere in life and work for basically no money and live paycheck to paycheck. I'm still in that "walking dead" phase. So, the idea of "just go get a mask" sounds great, but financially I can't really afford to just go out and do that.

Maybe his situation is different, I don't know. Just food for thought.[/quote]



Your right about sleep apnea, it can be very debilitating. From my experience it is common for most people to not understand how bad apnea and sleep deprivation can be. Even the doctors and DME's often don't have a clue and they are supposed to be helping us. It's even worse when you look mostly healthy. I personally am so happy to recently find this forum and talk to some people that know what is really going on. Obviously I'm preaching to the quire here.

Hang in there Ed. I feel your pain, so to speak. As do many others here. It's been three years for me and I'm still struggling with pressure settings and masks. The members here will help you as they did me. Unfortunately there are no quick fixes. We'll lose our patience due to poor sleep, but we have to endure.

[linuxman]

Do you really need to wait for insurance? Just go out and buy what you want. If you're not past your deductible, you'll be paying for it anyway. The price online should be comparable to your insurance company's negotiated price, or in some cases, much less. If they're paying most or all of the cost at this point, then I guess you can wait to get that benefit....but isn't it worth it to get this figured out sooner than later? You can always sell off the masks that you don't like to recover some of the cost.

In most cases the insured only pays a portion of the negotiated price...(like 20-25%)

Sure. That's why asked if he was beyond his deductible or not. If he wasn't, the price to him should be comparable at an online store.

[Rob K]

As you know it depends on his insurance. In some cases, like mine, it is far cheaper to buy online.

What are his options if he can't afford to buy online? 2 months can be an eternity. I hate to see him wait when he's suffering.

What mask are you struggling with? Where is it leaking?

[DreamStalker]

Why let insurance control your health? .... or anyone else for that matter? You and only you have your own best interest when it comes to YOUR health.

The insurance companies, like ALL corporate entities just want you to think you are hopeless/helpless without them.

The mask interface is the most difficult part of this therapy and to only allow yourself to trail a new mask once every 3 months or whatever short hairs they control you by is just sadistic torture .... but hey! It's you life. Take control of it yourself or hand it over to corporate/government care .... for now it's all your choice.

Best of luck!

Some of us - I can only speak for myself, but some of us have been suffering from the effects of sleep apnea that effect the rest of our lives to a significant degree.

For instance, my symptoms have been so severe and debilitating that consequently, I've never really gone anywhere in life and work for basically no money and live paycheck to paycheck. I'm still in that "walking dead" phase. So, the idea of "just go get a mask" sounds great, but financially I can't really afford to just go out and do that.

Maybe his situation is different, I don't know. Just food for thought.

I too live from paycheck to paycheck like the rest of the 99%. Also, when I started I too was half dead and unable to think clearly. I was known for heavy snoring for at least 25 years before I was diagnosed with AHI of 102 and blood O2 levels dipping below 60% ... so yeah, maybe a little more than half dead.

I've been treating my OSA (quite successfully I might add) for over 10 years now and I was just trying to pass along what I've learned on the journey that most of us are on.

The proper mask is the key to this therapy! (hint hint and double hint)

The only thing worse than sleeping with untreated OSA is sleeping with untreated OSA and a mask that doesn't fit right. It took me about three full-face masks to realize that the more surface area you have to seal on your face, the harder it is to maintain the seal -- especially when you toss and turn while asleep like I do. It only took 2 nasal cushion masks for me to realize that they put pressure around my nose and caused my sinuses to become congested. Once I narrowed it down to nasal pillow masks, I trialed over a dozen trying to find the perfect fit and the rest of this therapy has been a real breeze. Everyone is different and everyone must go through that journey of finding the right mask for their unique face and sleeping habits.

You don't have to be a one-percenter to find the right mask and you don't have to put yourself at the mercy of the insurance, DME, or doctor to find the right mask either. There used to be mask exchange threads where people would trade and/or try out different masks like this one. There is Craigslist and eBay and of course the forum sponsor cpap.com which offer competitive prices on masks so that people can bypass their insurance/DME/doctor. Sometimes people give away masks here on the forum -- I gave all the ones that didn't fit me away many years ago.

The main point I was trying to make however is that this therapy requires that patients take total control of their therapy and NOT rely on anyone else to make it work. People who do NOT take control of their own therapy have a very slim chance of succeeding. Where there is a will there is a way -- so make it your will to find the way. Just food for thought ...

Best of luck to all the newbies -- but know that his forum increases you odds by orders of magnitude.

[library lady]

Every night, I put my mask on, fire up the machine, and hunt for the sweet spot of mask on face where there's no leaks - especially squirting me in the eye. Then I try to find the one perfect position to sleep in - comfortable (relatively speaking!) without pushing the mask out of position, and freeze there for the rest of the night.

I toss and turn all night, even before I get to sleep, and it doesn't affect my therapy... mask stays put, etc. If I tried to freeze for the night in one position I doubt that I'd sleep at all. I had a rough time my first couple months of CPAP, getting used to the gear and the therapy, as many people do, so you are not alone in that.

If your mask is the right size, seated properly on your face and your headgear is properly adjusted, your mask should stay put no matter what movements you make. I don't think there are many people on this entire planet who stay in one position when they are in bed, either sleeping or awake.

It will take some time, but eventually you'll adjust. I recall sometimes waking up during my first months to find the mask on the floor with no recollection of taking it off... I think that's part of the initial adjustment to this thing called CPAP. Good Luck, and come back as often as you need to with questions. We are all here to help you, just as we were helped by others in the beginning.

[angelc]

I am right there with you! I finally was able to have a good night rest Monday night but last night I couldn't take it and it came off as well. I know I need to keep trying and I will be trying right there with you!