WAFlowers...how'd it go last night?!

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:18 pm

Thank you, sir.

And how are you and Breezy getting along lately? Still having your love affair???

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:38 pm

Lori

When I started all this extra mask bit I wanted to make sure I could give a good comparison between masks. To do this I am switching between the two, swift and breeze - and to be honest I get on very well with either! I still don't like the swift face lines, and if I've had a good sleep with it and go through an unsettled stage, it drives me mad ... but now I can always use the breeze to settle me down.

Having said all that, hopefully early next week my Aura arrives and I can talk about all three!

Glad to hear your swift has perched and nested! Are you expecting any eggs soon?

sir_cumference (to CPAP what quick-sand is to horse-riding)

sleepy gal · Post by **sleepy gal** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:50 pm

Bill, so glad for you that things are starting out well!!!! Good for you!!!

With best wishes for happy sleeping!

Nan

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:41 pm

WAFlowers wrote: <snip>
I'm excited to try it again tonight when I won't have to wakeup early!

Bill,

Sounds like a highly promising start - very pleased to hear how excited you are regarding next go

Your attitude is 'winner' - great stuff !

Cheers

DSM

so tired · Post by **so tired** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:57 pm

WAF, congrats on such a great start!! I enjoy reading your posts cuz you are so funny!

BTW, I live near you! You can get the Ayr gel at CVS. I would be interested in which DME you use and who your sleep doctor is. PM if you would like to share that info.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:20 pm

Sir Cumference,

Glad to hear you have a choice between two masks you like. That in and of itself is great. Let me know your opinion when you get the Aura. I'm curious as to how it meaures up, in your opinion, to the Swift and Breeze.

BTW, unless Swifty hasn't shared the news with me yet, no new little eggs expected soon...

john57b · Post by **john57b** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:24 pm

sir_cumference wrote:Down in right!
sir_cumference (wholly knowledgable)

Meaning yes the holes should be pointed up. A few times after cleaning I put the pillow in backwards!

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:36 pm

Okay. Now I'm even more confused. When the barrel is in front of my nose, ready to be worn, the little air ports are in front of the pillows, but the air stream seems to point down. Am I doing this wrong? It can't go the other way because the shape of the pillows are angled in towards each other, like a forward slash on the left one and a backslash on the right one, like an upside down V. If I put it on the barrel the other way, they would be angled like a backslash on the left and a forward slash on the right, making a V, so to speak, and they wouldn't conform to anyone's nares. That wouldn't work!!! Help me out here, please???

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 6:10 pm

so tired wrote:WAF, congrats on such a great start!! I enjoy reading your posts cuz you are so funny!

Funny? WOW!

BTW, I live near you! You can get the Ayr gel at CVS. I would be interested in which DME you use and who your sleep doctor is. PM if you would like to share that info.

My doc is Doctor Averill. He seems to be a decent fellow. I've referred a friend to him who has been having cardiac problems and also his wife complains of his intense snoring. When I asked, they admitted he "stops and gasps" too. Seemed classic textbook case to me.

I didn't use a DME. My deductible was so high I just bought from cpap.com and paid it all out-of-pocket.

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 6:11 pm

Lori, I think you have the barrel on correctly. The ports should be away from your face, not blowing at your mouth. IMO

OldSeaRock · Post by **OldSeaRock** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 6:49 pm

Bill,

Glad to see this post and that you're on the road to good sleep. You and I started this at about the same time so keep us posted on your progress.

rpalmer · Post by **rpalmer** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:46 pm

Bill, it's great to hear that your 1st night was a great 1st night. You did this so well, really going to school on this whole deal, I'm sure you'll be bright eyed in no time!
Congratulations!
Rol

unclebob · Post by **unclebob** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 10:07 pm

Hi WAFlowers,

Sort of been following your posts and especially this thread. Now I am wondering if there is a definite cycle xPAPers go through until they achieve RG status that should be documented - who knows maybe it already is.

Come to think about it maybe RG is not a good example as she did the treatment route somewhat different than the rest of us. I understand she took the bull by the horns with extensive personal monitoring, a real patient take charge sort of thing. Hard for most people to do.

So anyway, reading your posts after you started treatment, my first thought was "I know what he is going to say next". That is after you finish getting your first set of equipment adjusted and comfortable for the most part.

Mind reader that I am I'll bet it's something like "Are the rest of you xPAPers experiencing these vivid dreams, haven't had these in years"?

Please let us know if this is the case.

My point is, from a newly diagnosed Apneac through to RG status of experience, there are specific stages we all go through to some extent or another. Maybe these should be listed somewhere in detail for first timers to review. In my case, I could not locate such a list and did not get anything from my sleep MD. I was lucky enough to stumble across this board and was able to garner a bit of knowledge. So much so my DME thought I was some kind of an expert. They never had patients who asked all the right questions like I did.

It's Friday night and after 3 R&C's I ramble a lot. I just wish first timers could get the info in six days that it took me six months and counting to get.

Looking forward to your posts on how things unfold.

Bob F

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:46 am

unclebob wrote:Mind reader that I am I'll bet it's something like "Are the rest of you xPAPers experiencing these vivid dreams, haven't had these in years"?

LOL! Uncle Bob, you win the bet. Well, I wasn't actually going to ask about it because I was expecting this as part of REM rebound.

Last night was a great night! I had no trouble falling asleep. After 6 hours I woke up drowning though. I had the humidifier up so high that the tube filled with water (I think I'd been vaguely aware of it gurgling) but I was lying on my side with the Swift tube down (left nice corrugation marks beside my eye in addition to the swooshes on my cheeks) so I was still able to breathe. Then when I turned over I got a nose full of water! What a way to wake up.

After clearing things out I turned the humidifier down and crawled back in bed for another 3.5 hours sleep. I got a total of 9.5 hours of what felt like really great sleep.

And yes, there were some vivid dreams. One was about making buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, so when I woke up I did (served up with real maple syrup along with bacon, sausage patties, hash browns and fresh coffee). Some of the others I wouldn't share in a public forum or mixed company (if you get my drift) which pleasantly surprised the heck out of me! I haven't had a dream like that in a decade (which is far to long when I'm only 48 ).

I'm very happy to report that my nose is not sore this morning. Which reminds me; I didn't use the large pillows last night. I tried, but they are too far apart for my nostrils or something; I just couldn't make them work.

Another thing that is working for me is no GERD (acid reflux) for the past 2 nights. This isn't totally unusual as I'll sometimes go a few days without problems so I'll be monitoring this over the next week. But I'm hopeful!

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:18 am

Oh, WAF, way to go!!! I couldn't be happier for you. You are doing so well for two nights, you're a pro already. Did I not give you the warning, though, yesterday about keeping the humidifier up that high? 2 was even too high for me. I'm at a 1 and it does just fine.

LOL about your dreams, and not the buttermilk pancakes one, either. You and I are the same age, so I feel we probably are connecting on the same level. Were you a '75 graduate from HS? My 30 year reunion is this November. Hoping the rest of the weight comes off by October (15 lbs.) so I can buy my tickets and not feel like people aren't going to know who I am. My 10th and 20th, I was still the slim girl I used to be. Hey, I guess 15 lbs. is not THAT awful (did I say that???).

Seriously, I am very, very happy that you are having such an easy time, all things considered, and you're already reaping the rewards of what cpap therapy can do for your life. The Swift lines are a bit to deal with. I keep the hose down, but Rock & Roll, who is up there, in my book, with RestedGal, wrote me a thread this morning. I'll provide the link viewtopic.php?p=32103#32103. He swears by his method of keeping the hose up, thereby elimating the hose/strap marks. Maybe you want to give that a try. I don't know.

Well, I would say "Happy dreams," but I don't think that's necessary...

Mask

Humidifier