New machine on the way

Called my DME today and asked when my rental period was over and when the insurance company would purchase. They don't know...only their head office in Dallas knows. Well that is certainly helpful. Geez loueez.

The RT I deal with obviously thinks I am a pain in the rear. She apparently isn't used to people who know the different brands of machines and model numbers, etc. I give her a major headache and I've only talked to her three times, lol.

I currently have a DeVilbiss 9001..supposedly a good machine from what little I've been able to find on it, but it is HUGE. Very quiet, works well and HUGE.

So I asked what other brands they carry and was offered the PB 420G. That would be nice, but of course I wanted to know if I could get the 420S because it has the software capabilities. Straight CPAP still, but with software. THAT request got me the manager. He sounded like he was getting a headache also......I seem to do that to those people.

The 420S will be a special order and will be mine forever. No ability to switch out ever again. But no additional cost or anything. So I said yes, get me the 420S with HH and I'll be out of your hair. I'm excited! Then all I have to do is get the Silverlining software and figure that out...then buy a 420E out of pocket from this site, which I think will use the same humidifier and I have a good setup with a backup machine as well. Small enough to travel with.

Moving up in the world one step at a time. Now I just hope that I like it!

Jan in Colo

Do let us know how you like it! I'm in the same situation. My DME RT: "heated hose? I think you can wrap it with something but, gee, I dunno..."

So I'm pondering new machines as well. My FP is very quiet and relatively small, but wouldn't mind a backup especially for travel. What are the dimensions on the 420s WITH the humidifier? Keep us posted! And good luck!

Going to try changing my tactic a bit. I DID get a prescription for APAP..so I'm going to call the DME tomorrow as soon as they open and IF they haven't already ordered the 420S for me, then I'll go ahead and get the 420E.

It helped to write my plan down and then see it on the computer screen. Then I was thinking...you are doing WHAT? When oh when does our brain come alive again? It can't be too soon for me...I really need those brain cells back! I miss my old brain!

(I am driving tomorrow to Glenwood Springs for a soccer game. You would not BELIEVE how many times I've had to ask my husband..what is that town again???? He is about to send me to the looney bin if I ask one more time! (so I've started asking my son, lol))

So hopefully the DME didn't order my 420S in the last hour of the day yesterday and I can intervene with my new plan. But if they did, I will have a lovely 420S. Sigh.

Jan in Colo.

Okay you asked for Dimensions......

CPAP alone (all the 420 series) = 5.6" x 2.9" x 7.7" and 1.75 pounds
Humidifier = 6.7 x 3.7 x 11 and 1.76 pounds

So the whole shebang should be 6.7 x 6.6 x 11 and 3.5 pounds.

The 3.5 pounds sounds pretty nice, doesn't it? We just took a car trip with the DeVilbiss I'm using and man was that thing heavy and clumsy! And it was just a CAR TRIP! I can't imagine negotiating an airport with that thing! The Puritan Bennett stuff sounds much better!

Jan in Colo.

The Puritan Bennett stuff sounds much better!

It is.

imho, anyway.

For travel. And as the every-night-machine on the nightstand. Puritan Bennett's 420's are great! I absolutely love my 420E autopap. And if I had to settle for a straight cpap, I'd have the 420S.

If, however, I had to have exhalation relief and wanted that relief in an autopap, I'd get the Respironics REMstar Auto with C-Flex, regardless of its size. And hope the pressure I had to use most of the time was not too high for the force of my exhalation to keep C-Flex doing its thing throughout most of the exhalation.

What I would not get (if I really needed exhalation relief AND wanted it in an autopap) is the ResMed Vantage with EPR -- despite its small size. Almost as small as the 420's, but not as handy a shape for packing. Anyway, I really think it's a bit misleading for that new machine, the ResMed Vantage to be advertised as having EPR unless the product description makes it VERY CLEAR that the EPR feature cannot be used AT ALL when the Vantage is being operated in auto mode.

But I digress.

Back to not needing exhalation relief....yep, the 420E autopap is my favorite.

Jan, you're going to absolutely love traveling with it (the 420 E or S.) I just got back from a trip involving quite a bit of air travel. Every time I picked up a bag with my little 420E in it and thought of how it would have been lugging around the big REMstar that's been relegated to a closet at home...I smiled.