Camping with Friends

[xzombie]

I'm going camping next month with a friend and our boys. They have a trailer and invited me and my 5 year old to stay in their trailer with his 2 boys (they're all best friends). I've got a battery that I've used camping before. Works great and and my boy sees me with my mask all the time so it's no big deal. But I'm a little worried about freaking his boys out. And in the quite of the woods my cpap is a little noisy. I could just take my own tent but I don't want to them to get the wrong idea.

What would you do?

[LinkC]

I would take the opportunity to educate them. Maybe around the campfire. Show them the mask...even put it on...and explain OSA and CPAP (compatible with their age, of course.)

If you aren't secretive and/or acting weird/self-conscious about it, they'll be more comfortable, too.


(Or you could sneak out into the woods, don your mask and hose, then jump out and scare the bejesus outta them. That might be more fun... )

[bearded_two]

If you let them know ahead of time (I would have my bag with me when I bring up the subject), they will probably have one of two reactions; indifference or curiosity.

[DreamStalker]

I would opt for the scaring the crap out them option. They are more likely to remember and thus you will have contributed to effective OSA awareness/education.

[guest2]

Talk to the other father first and see what he prefers, it is his trailer and kids. You may be surprised how fascinated they may be and it might enlighten them to watch out for the affliction in their own family.

[SleepingUgly]

My kid: "Which side are you on?"
Me: "Which side of what?"
Kid: "Are you on the dark side?"
Me: "The dark side of WHAT?"
Kid: "Are you on the dark side, like Sidious, or the good side, like Anakin?"

In short, tell them you're Clone Commander Cody, and all will be well.

[hoseknows]

This is one of those times when I'm glad I'm the one with the motorhome and the plug...

[Muse-Inc]

The across the street kids are over here all the time (ahh, extra hands for stuff and all I gotta do is bake cookies now & then) were fascinated with the mask, the device was of little interest 'cept when I turned it on & they could feel the pressure coming out of the hose. If I'd let 'em they'd have had a fine time playing with the mask...a real novelty. I told 'em I didn't breathe deeply enough at night & that's why I was so tired all the time and that it wasn't good for me so the machine helped me breathe more fully...as fat as I was then, it made perfect sense that there wasn't room to take a deep breath when lying down. I also told 'em that people who snore really loud should also be checked out for apnea. Heck, they wished me well when I went of for my PSG . They loved hearing how I was wired up & slept so well...I still had bits of the white paste in my hair for several days which we all made jokes about. They were 8, 9, & 11 at the time.

[kwikwater]

My first summer with cpap brought me to a week on a houseboat on Lake Powell. This was the wedding trip of the river running friend who had declared a 100 foot rule with me. I couldn't make my personal camp within 100 feet of him due to my snoring!!! I carry a large car sized dry cell deep cycle battery when I'm on the river. I depend on the battery for 5-6 days at a time. I also already had a solar panel to recharge it. I took in on the houseboat and ALL the other 8 people who were sleeping on the upper level said is was WAY easier to get used to my CPAP's sounds than my snoring. I didn't think about whether it would bother them. I just knew I was going to use it!! In camping with others since then, I always cover my machine with a fleece or something to muffle it's sound and it's lights, while not blocking the air intake for the machine. For me, when I call it my anti-snoring machine, my old river camping buddies don't ask any more questions!! Good Luck!!

Kelvin

[pbach]

I bet if not only you share the health aspects, but let them know they will get to sleep because you won't be snoring so loud you could wake up the bears, they will think it is the best thing since s'mores

I am also a camper. For years I learned in the morning everyone could hear me snore in their campers and tents. I am so glad those days are gone.

[araminta]

My kid: "Which side are you on?"
Me: "Which side of what?"
Kid: "Are you on the dark side?"
Me: "The dark side of WHAT?"
Kid: "Are you on the dark side, like Sidious, or the good side, like Anakin?"

In short, tell them you're Clone Commander Cody, and all will be well.

GREAT idea!

[.mike]

I tell kids it is like a supercharger on a race car, for my face.

[OceanGoingGal]

I have a similar situation coming up in November. I am escorting a group on a "Girls Wanna Have Fun Cruise" Some of the girls are friends from NH. They do not know about the C-Pap yet. I did not have it when I was living there. One of the ladies will be flying down a few days early to stay with me before the cruise. I hope she will be okay with having to room with the noise the machine makes. I do think it is preferable to the noise I make without it!

Laura

[BlackSpinner]

I have a similar situation coming up in November. I am escorting a group on a "Girls Wanna Have Fun Cruise" Some of the girls are friends from NH. They do not know about the C-Pap yet. I did not have it when I was living there. One of the ladies will be flying down a few days early to stay with me before the cruise. I hope she will be okay with having to room with the noise the machine makes. I do think it is preferable to the noise I make without it!

Laura

Yep they have the choice of sleeping beside Darth Vader or a Mac truck revving . You may want to pick up a white noise machine - they usually have setting like "Tropical rain" or "Ocean surf" which mask a lot of the breathing noise.