Oracle modification

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Sleepless on LI
Posts: 3997
Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Oracle modification

Post by Sleepless on LI » Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:23 am

To anyone who is thinking of destroying their old Oracle to do the inventive and creative idea of Good Knight, who got such great results with his modification which is now being used as a mouthpiece to stop mouth breathing, remember first why you stopped using yours before you go ahead.

Last night, I did exactly what GK suggested, down to the dremmeling off of the hard plastic piece that the soft seal attaches to. I followed the plan exactly. When I put it in my mouth, all the "wonderful" memories of why I stopped using it came back. Not only did I remember them, but it seems that the worst of them would still happen with or without the modifications being made to it. The worst of all, which is why I wouldn't even try to use it last night, was that the soft seal, no matter what size I used or how loose I made that ring that adjusts the tension on your mouth to keep it inserted properly or comfortably, would squeeze my lower lip, at the bottom, between it and the snap flap (good name for it) that goes outside your lips, so badly that I would wake up with lips that were so swollen, it truly looked like a botched Botox injection. Took hours to go away, too, not to mention that pain of swollen lips. When I first got the Oracle and experienced this, people jokingly wrote, "So that's great. People pay a lot for Botox injections." But this looked like a butcher did the job, my lips were so huge. I looked like a circus performer in a freak show. I thought that only would happen from the pressure being turned on with the mouthpiece, but obviously not. The second I put it in my mouth, the old horrible memories came flooding back. It also would cut into the bottom of my lower lip inside if I would use the standard soft seal, and the small felt like it would just pop out of my mouth if my mouth had too much saliva in it.

So for me, this modification thing was a bust. That's not to say others won't succeed like Good Knight did and have a great new way to stop their mouth breathing. But for me, it was just the destruction of an old interface I could never use again, anyway, and a great experience learning how to use my husband's dremmel. FUN!!!

L o R i
Image

User avatar
dsm
Posts: 6998
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:53 am
Location: Near the coast.

Which ver

Post by dsm » Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:42 am

Lori,

Is the Oracle you modified the old or new model. The old has the tongue guard, the new doesn't.

Cheers

DSM

xPAP and Quattro std mask (plus a pad-a-cheek anti-leak strap)

Sleepless on LI
Posts: 3997
Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Post by Sleepless on LI » Sat Aug 13, 2005 7:54 am

DSM:

Mine was the newer model, with no tongue guard. Was that the reason? But, in any event, those "soft" seals, once the snap flap was SNAPPED in place, used to pinch my bottom lip so bad, I had tremendous swelling in the morning, no matter how loose I would make the adjustment ring. And if it was too loose, it would feel like it was just about to pop out of my mouth. So I'd keep waking up (with the loose adjustment) worrying because it was almost to the edge of the inside of my lips, ready to blow.

The "soft" seal, also, as I said, irritated the you-know-what out of the inside of my lower lip AND the top gums if I used the standard, and the small would almost pop out.

So although I give a huge amount of credit to Good Knight for his creativity and inventiveness, this was one that won't work for me. I am probably going to order Dr. Sue's device, or just allow myself to mouth breathe until it interferes with my progress, if ever. So far, last night's results were almost as they always were with taping.

L o R i
Image