my husbands diagnosis of OSA

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Holli
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Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:56 pm

Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by Holli » Sun Apr 26, 2015 5:26 pm

Pugsy was kind enough to help me identify the mask earlier in this thread.
Thank you for the tip about putting everything in the additional comments field. I was actually trying to figure that out last night. I will do that as soon as I have a chance. Today or tomorrow.

I got kind of crosseyed with the side tracked goings on discussions here so I just skimmed over those.

I guess what I need understanding on....is ive known about his apnea diagnosis for only four days. While I am absolutely doing my best to take this all in stride,it is a highly highly emotional roller coaster to all of a sudden know for sure someone you love stops breathing in his sleep and is at risk for stroke, cardiac arrest, heart attack, heart disease etc. He can still have problems until his pressures and all are what his body needs to not have them so much if at all. And right now the machines settings are not at that point. So yes I am going to worry even if I try not to be. I'm going to be scared. I'm going to go through a lot of emotions because I love him. I can't just put on a smile and say ohhhh okay it's all good bc he has therapy now.

Now.....once the therapy levels are what works best for him, absolutely yes I will not worry like this and I will have peace knowing as he works to deal with the root cause of his apnea which is his weight, he will be protected by this therapy. But right now we are not there we have not arrived.

Needless to say when something major goes on yes you need to be strong for the one who is suffering but also need to be allowed the grace to adjust too as the one watching everything unfold. I may not have all the answers or know everything. But need the grace that it's okay to be sad that my sweet husband is facing this. No one of us likes to see our loved ones go through things. And that it's okay to have to let a few tears fall if only by myself for a few seconds. My eyes can only hold back a few thousand until some have to spill.

I'm not pushing my faith on anyone but I am a Christian and this really helped me. My dear sister told me last night these words..."Holli I really do not believe God is going to let James slip through our fingers now. James had this apnea long before any one knew about it. I believe God led y'all down this road to bring it to light so he can get the help he needs and finally lose the weight before any other problems pile on him too. And I do not believe God led y'all to discover this to be scared. He brought it out to direct y'all to getting the real help he needs."

I think she's right.

And really y'all are the only ones I'm even baring my soul to that face what James is or that's really reaching out with open arms helping me with my ignorance or learning curve or whatever this is. I'm so grateful for you.

I know that I know that I know that once his therapy gets close to where it should be, I'll let out a big sigh of relief. The journey has begun and I cannot say how happy I am that we have his therapy started, and a plan for him to get healthy and a plan to lose weight that we believe will help his apnea down the road. I read every word said for me and parrot them to James too. He ROFL at the statement "alien strapped to his face" and the "Darth Vader" thing. He actually did a Darth impression with his mask on last night before bed lol. It helps to see he is trying to make the best of it right along with me.

And yes I say y'all bc I'm from Texas lol. IRL I do sound like I'm from the sticks lol.

Any way I'll get the stats below my posts when I can. I tried to find where I could put up our wedding pic but No dice. Did I mention I'm computer challenged too lol...

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Holli
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Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:56 pm

Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by Holli » Sun Apr 26, 2015 5:37 pm

[quote="yaconsult"]Hi, Holli. Finding the right mask is the single hardest part of cpap therapy for most people. And the doggone things are so damn expensive that we can't afford to just buy a bunch of 'em to experiment.

But feel free for either him or you to post about difficulties with a particular mask. We have people who have experience with many different masks and we can benefit from their experience. Sometimes, there are tweaks that can be made or accessories, like padacheek, that can help with specific problems.

Some machines have an alarm that can be set if the mask is taken off - I don't know if you have that available or not. How many hours does the machine say it was used for last night?

Not sleeping on the back is something that helps many people and has been discussed here many times, including here: viewtopic/t60655/How-to-avoid-backsleeping.html[/quote

Yep you are right they sure are not cheap. He has the ResMed Mirage Quattro. I do not know how to look at the stats yet. I'll be going thru the manuals that y'all were kind enough to post earlier.James has already done that to find how to adjust the settings for tonight. As for back sleeping we do not have a backpack or baseball but our son has a cabbage patch doll with a big hard head so James will have her sttapped to his back instead hahaha.

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wm_hess
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by wm_hess » Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:40 pm

Holli

You've had a ton of emotional worries and woes thrust upon you. It's okay to take baby steps. Your husband is in good hands and the therapy you're using is the gold standard! Most of us don't take to therapy like ducks to water, but more like lurching towards a goal. This is not like a cut artery that must be fixed immediately, it's more like a slow bleed. It will hurt you over time but you also have time to get it to heal.

His weight can't help him but we have people here who are flyweights and still have apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a physiological condition where the airway is blocked. There are many many causes (narrow throat, large tongue, weight etc).

Here's something else to try.

What type of pillow do you use? If you're using a 'standard' type of pillow when you're on your side it can lever the mask up and off the face. I use a buckwheat hull pillow, others use different specialized pillows. My pillow is about the size of a rectangular couch pillow. That way my head is on the pillow but my face (and mask) hang off the edge of the pillow. The other specialized pillows I've seen have a cutout where the mask fits into. Some people love them, some hate them, but I've never tried them.

Take your time, and always remember you've got A LOT of very knowledgeable people here who can give you some wonderful advice. It's hard to wade through the extra stuff but it pays to do so!

-Bill

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Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: AirFit™ F10 Full Face Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: CMS-50I Wrist Pulse Oximeter, SP02 Review, Sleepyhead

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Holli
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Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2015 8:56 pm

Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by Holli » Sun Apr 26, 2015 7:08 pm

wm_hess wrote:Holli

You've had a ton of emotional worries and woes thrust upon you. It's okay to take baby steps. Your husband is in good hands and the therapy you're using is the gold standard! Most of us don't take to therapy like ducks to water, but more like lurching towards a goal. This is not like a cut artery that must be fixed immediately, it's more like a slow bleed. It will hurt you over time but you also have time to get it to heal.

His weight can't help him but we have people here who are flyweights and still have apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a physiological condition where the airway is blocked. There are many many causes (narrow throat, large tongue, weight etc).

Here's something else to try.

What type of pillow do you use? If you're using a 'standard' type of pillow when you're on your side it can lever the mask up and off the face. I use a buckwheat hull pillow, others use different specialized pillows. My pillow is about the size of a rectangular couch pillow. That way my head is on the pillow but my face (and mask) hang off the edge of the pillow. The other specialized pillows I've seen have a cutout where the mask fits into. Some people love them, some hate them, but I've never tried them.

Take your time, and always remember you've got A LOT of very knowledgeable people here who can give you some wonderful advice. It's hard to wade through the extra stuff but it pays to do so!

-Bill

Yes I've seen all the types of pillows and suggested them to him many times. He hasn't said yes but he hasn't said no either.

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Holli
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by Holli » Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:17 pm

Well I've read both manuals to the resmart apap and do not see anywhere how to access the data or a sd card of any kind. Sorry I guess I'll have to wait on giving that info I just do not know how to access it. I'll post it when we figure it out.

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yaconsult
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Location: "Silicon Valley", CA

Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by yaconsult » Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:26 pm

Holli, you are doing a terrific job! Just take it one day at a time and try to not let it get you worked up. Almost all of us had sleep apnea for years before we were ever diagnosed. Once we know we have it, it has to be treated or we suffer from various problems due to the lack of sleep and oxygen.

I am sure that your interest and involvement is a big boost for your husband and having that is a huge advantage. Way too many people get a machine, use it for a short period, and then run into the typical problems and issues many of us see. They have no idea what to do about it so they stick the machine in a closet and it never gets used again.

Once you start looking at the reports, the feedback they provide can really help. We always advise making adjustments slowly and waiting after making them because it often takes time for the effect to be seen.

The important thing is for him to use the machine every time he sleeps and get used to it and give it a chance to work. Come to us with any issues or problems that he has and we can likely make suggestions. Does he have a followup scheduled with a respiratory doctor or is he on his own now that he has a machine?

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Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: January 2015 Sleep Study Results: Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 80.2, Sleepyhead

yaconsult
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by yaconsult » Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:29 pm

Holli wrote:Well I've read both manuals to the resmart apap and do not see anywhere how to access the data or a sd card of any kind. Sorry I guess I'll have to wait on giving that info I just do not know how to access it. I'll post it when we figure it out.
For that make of machine, the only way to access the information is through a website as explained by another poster who has the same machine. He posted some examples earler here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=105318&st=0&sk=t&sd ... 15#p996020. Once you get those on your screen, you can save them as images in windows using the Snipping Tool found under Accessories. We can help you with it as much as necessary when you are ready - just let us know.

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Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: January 2015 Sleep Study Results: Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 80.2, Sleepyhead

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Pugsy
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by Pugsy » Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:35 pm

This page is where you plug in the iCodes to generate a report.
https://www.bmc-icode.com/

And this page it tells you how to get the iCodes
https://www.bmc-icode.com/Help.aspx
How to get iCode Strings from device?

1. Make sure the device is plugged in and turned on.
2. Enter the patient menu:press and hold “Ramp Button” for 3 seconds, and then you will see "Heater" be shown on the screen.
3. Press "+" until you see "iCode", make sure it is "Enable". If not, press "Ramp Button" and then press "+" to change it to "Enable".
4. Press "+", when you see "Save" on the screen, then press "Ramp Button" in order to save the settings.
5. After that, press "Heated Humidifier Button" once, then get "iCode 1".
6. Repeat it, until the "iCode 365" is displayed and read the iCode Strings.

How to get the report?

1. Fill in the blanks with "*" in the web page.
2. Complete the clinical and patient information if you need.
3. Press "report" button and get compliance report.

4. Press "Get PDF" button to get report as "*.PDF" document.
5. Print it or save it.

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wm_hess
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by wm_hess » Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:45 pm

Holli you mentioned that James took the mask of last night. Looking at your manual (page 14/34) your machine will alert you when you have a large leak, or your mask is removed. To do this you also need to have the auto off feature turned off.

You may want to consider using this at the beginning. If your husband is removing it while still asleep this might waken one of you enough to reapply the mask. You might want to try it out while your husband is still awake and the machine is on. You could find out how much of a leak it takes to trigger the alert, and how long it takes before the alarm will sound.

Take care and keep letting us know what problems you're having! Somebody somewhere here has probably had the same issue before.

-Bill

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Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: AirFit™ F10 Full Face Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: CMS-50I Wrist Pulse Oximeter, SP02 Review, Sleepyhead

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Holli
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by Holli » Mon Apr 27, 2015 6:32 am

Thank you everyone, he found the alarm for the mask but did not see the icode option when pressing the key to cycle through. I told him to try installing it first (i don't know it was my best guess at 145am with no contacts on to repost lol) He thinks maybe the manuals y'all linked are an older manual bc those manual mentions a serial port and nothing about an sd card and his has an sd card.

James does have a Mac with an sd card reader so he plans to have a look at the card data after work. We will have ss then to put up.

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tedburnsIII
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by tedburnsIII » Mon Apr 27, 2015 9:45 am

Papit wrote:Yep, when our equipment is not on the menu, adding it to Additional Comments in your Profile under User Control Panel is a good way to do it. I did the same. Even the big name brand models are not all on the menu.

Btw, Ted, please understand that this is Holli's thread. She initiated it to get some help and advice for her husband and for herself in supporting him. What we do here is start a separate thread to address our own individual questions and guidance needs. And you can start new threads whenever you need, not just once or twice. I took a look at your lab report and machine data report. I'll give you a few comments fwiw (others here are more knowledgable) when you post them on a new thread of your own. So far it looks like you're doing well. Keep it up.
tedburnsIII wrote:
wm_hess wrote:
Holli wrote: He woke up with the mask off and does not remember taking it off. I reminded him of the pad site and showed him the neck pads and said perhaps he subconsciously took it off bc of discomfort. So he is going to get a pad for that and for his nose which has a mark that's sore from the mask.
Hi Holli

A couple of ideas/suggestions for you!

Can you go to your User Control Panel (at top, light blue line), then click on Profile. Then fill out your equipment. ...
-Bill
Re: equipment drop-down menu in Profile- I could not find it for our machine, eg., 3B RESmart APAP. So, I had to do it myself by means of a link to it.
So, comments about her machine and software that she inquired about would be verboten?

I am really getting sick of this place. Soon to just go away or monitor but not participate because it is not just worth the trouble!

And I thought some of the gun forums were bad. At least they 'police' rude, insulting, personal attacks. And here everyone acts as their own moderator, instead of reporting a post to the moderator. That is not good.
Machine - https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmart ... ducts.html
Setting: APAP, 10.5-14cm
Software: Proprietary
Mask- PR Wisp nasal (large); ResMed FX Nasal (wide);
Oximeter: CMS50D+

yaconsult
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by yaconsult » Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:17 am

tedburnsIII wrote: So, comments about her machine and software that she inquired about would be verboten?

I am really getting sick of this place. Soon to just go away or monitor but not participate because it is not just worth the trouble!

And I thought some of the gun forums were bad. At least they 'police' rude, insulting, personal attacks. And here everyone acts as their own moderator, instead of reporting a post to the moderator. That is not good.
No one said that. This forum is here to help people. If you can do that, feel free to jump in and do so.

Most established forums are like a community. It can be a long process to become part of a community. It's always important to watch and listen to the experienced posters when new to a forum.

Every forum of any size has people that are less easy to get along with. If there are people you would like to ignore, you can do so by going to the user control panel and adding them to your Foe list found in the Friends and Foes section.

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Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: January 2015 Sleep Study Results: Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 80.2, Sleepyhead

yaconsult
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Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by yaconsult » Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:23 am

Holli wrote:Thank you everyone, he found the alarm for the mask but did not see the icode option when pressing the key to cycle through. I told him to try installing it first (i don't know it was my best guess at 145am with no contacts on to repost lol) He thinks maybe the manuals y'all linked are an older manual bc those manual mentions a serial port and nothing about an sd card and his has an sd card.

James does have a Mac with an sd card reader so he plans to have a look at the card data after work. We will have ss then to put up.
Holli, Pugsy posted instructions about getting access to your machines data just above your post here: posting.php?mode=quote&f=1&p=996594#pr996554

It's early and you're probably still getting caught up as there are a lot of posts - it's ok! One step at a time. How did James feel about his sleep last night?

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Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: January 2015 Sleep Study Results: Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 80.2, Sleepyhead

tedburnsIII
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Location: San Diego

Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by tedburnsIII » Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:34 am

I have yet to hear a single comment from the husband. I don't care if he works or not.
And I have yet to hear a single comment from him about how he has felt since doing the therapy. Good, bad, the same, worse, better?

One can lead a horse to water but not make him drink. It seems that she is doing all the work and that is NOT GOOD, IMO.

Unfortunately, he may be DOOMED TO FAIL if he personally does not take a more active role in his own therapy.
Machine - https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmart ... ducts.html
Setting: APAP, 10.5-14cm
Software: Proprietary
Mask- PR Wisp nasal (large); ResMed FX Nasal (wide);
Oximeter: CMS50D+

yaconsult
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Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:43 pm
Location: "Silicon Valley", CA

Re: my husbands diagnosis of OSA

Post by yaconsult » Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:46 am

tedburnsIII wrote:I have yet to hear a single comment from the husband. I don't care if he works or not.
And I have yet to hear a single comment from him about how he has felt since doing the therapy. Good, bad, the same, worse, better?

One can lead a horse to water but not make him drink. It seems that she is doing all the work and that is NOT GOOD, IMO.

Unfortunately, he may be DOOMED TO FAIL if he personally does not take a more active role in his own therapy.
Now see - how does that help?! Several of us have gently suggested the same thing. But here you come with the negativity and talk of failure.

You, Sir, are sadly lacking in people skills!

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Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: January 2015 Sleep Study Results: Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI): 80.2, Sleepyhead