Is there a simple way to use this Board?

[zonker]

Discovered this site and have been reading newbie stuff which has been helpful in calming my fears (I've had my equipment 6 days and not touched it to set up and use). Created an account. Now that I wish to write a reply to people asking about the home sleep study experience, I am clueless how to do so. Not quite as old as Methuselah, I was a secretary and have been using computers for at least 25 years, but mostly for MSWord docs, email, and search/cut/copy, simple tables, etc., but nothing like business or data processing computing, and I'm totally lost here. Are there any instructions on how to use the site? A glossary of terms for the abbreviations? Apologies for not being more tech savvy, though surely I'm not alone.

aaannnddd.....you are off and running! there are those here with all kinds of technical know how. then there are the rest of us, just getting by.

one thing i can teach you straight away. see how i just quoted you above? you can do the same by hitting the orange ish quote button above. once you get used to it, you can even edit that quote down to just a single sentence that you'd like to quote back.

you'll get the hang of it in no time.

and welcome to the zoo....

[Goofproof]

Discovered this site and have been reading newbie stuff which has been helpful in calming my fears (I've had my equipment 6 days and not touched it to set up and use). Created an account. Now that I wish to write a reply to people asking about the home sleep study experience, I am clueless how to do so. Not quite as old as Methuselah, I was a secretary and have been using computers for at least 25 years, but mostly for MSWord docs, email, and search/cut/copy, simple tables, etc., but nothing like business or data processing computing, and I'm totally lost here. Are there any instructions on how to use the site? A glossary of terms for the abbreviations? Apologies for not being more tech savvy, though surely I'm not alone.

aaannnddd.....you are off and running! there are those here with all kinds of technical know how. then there are the rest of us, just getting by.

one thing i can teach you straight away. see how i just quoted you above? you can do the same by hitting the orange ish quote button above. once you get used to it, you can even edit that quote down to just a single sentence that you'd like to quote back.

you'll get the hang of it in no time.

and welcome to the zoo....

Remember, Don't feed the animals after midnight. Jim

Quibbles, will eat all your grain.

[Okie bipap]

I may have missed it, but I did not see a reply about using soap and water to clean your equipment. I have a large bowl that we used to use for pop corn. I fill that bowl with warm water, add a little bit of dish soap, and wash our equipment in the solution. I rinse it well under a little running water, and lay it on a clean towel on the kitchen cabinet and let it air dry. As far as cleaning, this is a very personal decision. Some clean everything daily, and other clean very little. When I first started, I washed every thing once a week as I had been instructed. Now, I limit how much cleaning I do. I wash the mask cushions every Monday morning (if I don't forget). I wash the mask cushions, water reservoir and strap pads the first Monday of each month. At that time, I check the filter and change them if I think they need it. I do not wash the hose unless I am recovering from a respiratory infection, which I usually get once a year around the first of the year.

[Goofproof]

I may have missed it, but I did not see a reply about using soap and water to clean your equipment. I have a large bowl that we used to use for pop corn. I fill that bowl with warm water, add a little bit of dish soap, and wash our equipment in the solution. I rinse it well under a little running water, and lay it on a clean towel on the kitchen cabinet and let it air dry. As far as cleaning, this is a very personal decision. Some clean everything daily, and other clean very little. When I first started, I washed every thing once a week as I had been instructed. Now, I limit how much cleaning I do. I wash the mask cushions every Monday morning (if I don't forget). I wash the mask cushions, water reservoir and strap pads the first Monday of each month. At that time, I check the filter and change them if I think they need it. I do not wash the hose unless I am recovering from a respiratory infection, which I usually get once a year around the first of the year.

And the Butter flavor helps keep my mouth moist all night. Jim

[chunkyfrog]

Don't feel bad about procrastinating; it happens to a lot of us.
I started cpap the first night,
but it took me a WEEK to build up enough courage for that first shot of insulin.

[Goofproof]

Don't feel bad about procrastinating; it happens to a lot of us.
I started cpap the first night,
but it took me a WEEK to build up enough courage for that first shot of insulin.

I'm a first nighter on both, no mountain too high. Jist an animal I guess. Jim

[AirPump]

After five years on CPAP therapy, what I have found works well for cleaning is a daily quick morning wash for the mask cushion (to remove oils), and a weekly vinegar wash for the hose and fittings. (little elbows connecting hose to mask etc.). You may have noticed that the diameter of the hose fits snugly over a standard sized faucet outlet, so running water through the hose is easy.

I used a dress hanger (plastic coat hanger with the cutouts at the end for dress hanging straps) and rubber bands so that I can hang the hose into a "U" shape from one side of the hanger to the other using the rubber bands to hold the hose to the hanger. Then I fill the hose with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and hot water and let it hang for at least two hours. Take it down and plug one end onto your faucet outlet and run clean warm-hot water through it for a minute and hang ONE end of the hose back up so it can drip dry. Some folks with noses more sensitive than mine might detect an objectionable vinegar smell, but I find that I don't smell it that night (after the hose dries). But if you want to perfume it with mint or something, then rub a little perfumed soap on your pinky and stick it into each end of the hose, and rinse again. I've used Dr. Bannon's soap too when traveling and it's great. During this weekly hose cleaning, I also soak the mask cushion (and any air pathways) in vinegar solution in a small tupperware container.

For the humidifier chamber, I drain and dry it every day, and I wash it 2-3 times / month in the dishwasher. All CPAP manufacturer cleaning guides warn against leaving water in the humidifier for re-use the next night as it can become a petri dish.

I keep my mask and humidifier chamber in a dark place (e.g. a clean box under the bathroom sink or in a drawer). UV light isn't good for mask cushions so you'll increase longevity and comfort by keeping it in the dark when not being used. I easily get 5-6 months out of a nasal mask cushion.

One more thing: I recommend spending $6-7 on a 72 inch tube-cleaning brush. This is useful for a real soap and water cleaning of the tube, with or without the vinegar treatment. I do this occasionally as an extra cleaning job, especially if I have a cold, or when I'm traveling and don't have access to my vinegar soaking setup. I hope you find a couple of useful details in this post. It does take some getting used to, but CPAP therapy will grow on you as your body responds to your better sleep and higher oxygen levels during the night. Good Luck!