Kinder and Gentler replacement M Series Machine????

[hen3ry]

Folks:

I posted recently about figuring out that there was a bad bearing --or something-- causing a disturbing whine in my Respironics M Series BIPAP Auto with Bi-Flex machine. As a result, I was exiled to the couch by my wife.

The story had a happy ending. My formerly unresponsive DME vendor has been turned around, and is now efficient, friendly, and informative. They instantly replaced my machine with a brand-new unit of the exact same type, with the exact same settings.

Hooray! The new machine purrs quietly, my wife stopped complaining, and I returned from exile.

After several weeks, I'm very happy with the new machine. Works great, and I'm convinced there's something different about it. It is, well, ummm, gentler than the previous machine. Same mask, same hose, by the way.

Some of you are probably thinking "this guy is crazy -- CRAZY -- B-O-N-K-E-R-S". Gentler? It's the same #$*#!# machine, set the same way. How can it be different? Other than the whine, the old machine did its job just fine.

I dunno ... the new one seems less harsh, less intrusive somehow. Kind of like the noticing that the 3 mile stretch of potholes you drive every day has been resurfaced and is now smooth and pleasant.

Anyone have any similar experience?

Thanks,

hen3ry

[ozij]

Makes a lot of sense: Suppose you had a Rolls Royce with one flat tire -- how smooth would it move? The noise in your machine was caused by a faulty moving part; the air you breathe is supplied by a moving part that may have depended on the faulty one -- so having the machine work better now (gentler and smoother in addition to silently) is no surprise.
Glad your DME turned round --

O.

[hen3ry]

ozij :

Thanks for your response to my post:

Makes a lot of sense: Suppose you had a Rolls Royce with one flat tire -- how smooth would it move? The noise in your machine was caused by a faulty moving part; the air you breathe is supplied by a moving part that may have depended on the faulty one -- so having the machine work better now (gentler and smoother in addition to silently) is no surprise.

Maybe. I've been thinking about it. The RT at the DME unboxed a new machine and handed it to another person to set it up. Apparently that's just a matter of setting the pressure range that the machine is "allowed" to use if necessary -- it is programmed to use only the amount of pressure needed to overcome obstruction. I've been thinking: what if the person accidentally set the top of the range much lower than it should be?

I'm not worried: apparently my case is mild and I learned at my recent appointment that the machine never pushes much beyond the bottom of the range. But even though my HMO and DME are putting a lot more attention to treating OSA, they do not actively monitor the data, so if my case gets worse, the machine might not be pushing hard enough, and it could take a lot of time to discover that.

Glad your DME turned round --
O.

Whew! So am I. I really hated walking in the door of their office -- before the changes, they were a bunch of lumps. The only time they showed life, sometimes, was when I asked them to do something beyond the bare minimum --which is all they thought they should do. Then, at least sometimes, they would argue with me. Sigh.

Thanks,

hen3ry

[rested gal]

I really hated walking in the door of their office -- before the changes, they were a bunch of lumps. The only time they showed life, sometimes, was when I asked them to do something beyond the bare minimum --which is all they thought they should do. Then, at least sometimes, they would argue with me. Sigh.

I like your sense of humor, Henry!

[hen3ry]

rg:

Thanks for your reply:

I really hated walking in the door of their office -- before the changes, they were a bunch of lumps. The only time they showed life, sometimes, was when I asked them to do something beyond the bare minimum --which is all they thought they should do. Then, at least sometimes, they would argue with me. Sigh.

I like your sense of humor, Henry!

Thanks!

It is much easier to be funny when one is sleeping well! 30 months of treatment and counting.

hen3ry