Post
by pagetc » Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:06 pm
My replies on this thread and others about the Hybrid have really been about the Liberty. So for those of you still working with it, I will share my experiences. I first got mine about a year and a half ago. I struggled with it for weeks and finally gave up and moved over to Swift pillows, which I used consistently for about a year, but I needed to use a humidifier with it. Every so often I would revert to a full face for a day or two because the pillows gave me nose sores after a week or so of use. That is all I could tolerate, but no humidifier was needed.
Then, out of desperation, one day about 6 months ago I dug out the old Liberty, just to try again and recall why I couldn't use it. It would leak, the pilllows wouldn't stay in place and I didn't get a good night's sleep. I knew the Liberty was a clever alternative, but couldn't understand why it didn't work. I tried all the different sized that came with it, but the pillows just would not reach me nose to make a good seal.
Then it came to me. The strap across the top of the head is the only one without adjustable velcro. (What's with that???) So I pinched it up and lo and behold the pillows seemed to seal up. So, I dug out a safety pin to fix that position of the headgear over the top of the head, and, voila, it worked. With this minor adjustment, it has become the only mask I use (except when I am on a business trip, which will change when my insurance covers a new mask: the Liberty again). No more humidifier and as long as I wash it daily and give it a monthly thorough washing, it works perfectly.
If you are having nose sores from this mask at the beginning, as I did, hang in there. Take a break from this mask and use your old mask for a day or two; in about a week I think you won't need you old mask ever again.
