Sleeping with élan

[Cokomo]

I had to return the Elan because I just can't tolerate nasal masks. I wonder if it would be possible to create an Elan full face mask? That would get me hot and bothered!!

[portiemom]

Thank you Chunkyfrog for the video of how this mask routes overhead, sleeping on my stomach still, and while on my tummy I turn my head constantly during the night due to back pain. This sometimes makes routing overhead difficult.
I really appreciate your post. Now to see if my DME will carry this mask. They claim they are getting away from the more personal side of supply like they do now, usually I have to make an appointment and get to look at all the masks and choose a few to try on. Now they are moving more to a warehouse type of supply center, and until they do they claim they are not ordering anything new, I guess they are trying to get rid of the inventory they already have while making the switch to a warehouse type facility.
Thanks to this site, I have been able to trade and get an Aloha back-up, but if anyone doesn't like the Elan, maybe they would like to do a trade for something I have. So PM me if you would like to trade.
Thanks again Chunkyfrog.

[chunkyfrog]

You are welcome, Portiemom.
Due to Circadience's 30 day free return insurance, you may have a wait.

Cokomo: (re: full face musings)
That has occurred to me as well;
A big obstacle, I believe, would be the aerodynamics of an anti-asphyxiation valve,
and how to maintain cushion shape with a sudden loss of pressure.
I wonder what kind of safety support they use in inflatable buildings. . .
as a power outage or massive tear could be disastrous.
Isolated inflated ribs? Like the cushion in my 'pump' bike helmet?
The pump ball could be separate; needle valves are light enough.
********Introducing; the new "Sleep Number" cpap mask.*********

[Tip10]

You are welcome, Portiemom.
Due to Circadience's 30 day free return insurance, you may have a wait.

Cokomo: (re: full face musings)
That has occurred to me as well;
A big obstacle, I believe, would be the aerodynamics of an anti-asphyxiation valve,
and how to maintain cushion shape with a sudden loss of pressure.
I wonder what kind of safety support they use in inflatable buildings. . .
as a power outage or massive tear could be disastrous.
Isolated inflated ribs? Like the cushion in my 'pump' bike helmet?
The pump ball could be separate; needle valves are light enough.
********Introducing; the new "Sleep Number" cpap mask.*********

Actually Frog -- I don't think the anti-asphyxiation valve should present much of a problem -- since they have introduced a hard elbow witht he Elan just build it into the elbow similar to how its done for the Quatro FX.
As for needing to maintain the cushion shape I also don't think that's necessary -- I can, and do, routinely have my SW on without the pressure on it (i.e. I pull the hose to go to the bathroom) -- its not really a problem and I can still breathe through it although I'm not sure I would necessarily want to for any great length of time without some sort of anti-asphyxiation device. But if the FF was built with a hard elbow and valve it would tend to help hold open an airway path in the even of "deflation" wouldn't it?
As for massive tears and such is that really any different than a seal blowout on a normal FF??

[chunkyfrog]

Needed or not; the AA valve may still be a given, assuming that the law (as usual) cannot keep up with technology.
Another question: by discussing these technical matters in open forum, are we hanging an 'open source' tag on it?
Maybe they can let us beta test the finished product (good enough for me)

[chunkyfrog]

Another thought: a third-party cushion for your favorite full face mask,
consisting of something like a miniature hemorrhoid cushion,
complete with filler port--to be custom inflated by the 'papper'.
Fabric seems to outlast silicone, and is cooler, too.
(No inventor's credit required, just lifetime freebies)

[Cokomo]

[quote][/quote]
by chunkyfrog on Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:04 am

Another thought: a third-party cushion for your favorite full face mask,
consisting of something like a miniature hemorrhoid cushion,
complete with filler port--to be custom inflated by the 'papper'.
Fabric seems to outlast silicone, and is cooler, too.
(No inventor's credit required, just lifetime freebies)

Could the cushion be like a sticky pad so we can just place it on the silicone and it stays in place while putting on mask?

[chunkyfrog]

We need a reusable adhesive that will stick to silicone, but not irritate skin.
I can see cutting up a silicone cushion and attaching Velcro to the flange, but Velcro is quite porous. Rats!
Maybe that smooth stick and restick film that's on those sole-only shoes sold to tourists in the tropics.
I wonder if they still make Aleen's Stick it Again and Again?

[chunkyfrog]

I looked it up; the product is Aleene's Tack it Over and Over.
Besides the craft uses, it is used to renew the stickiness on worn cutting mats.
If it sticks to faces, this might the the miracle goo we've been looking for.

[jen4700]

Sorry to jump back to original post! lol - second night not so good with Elan. But I'm not giving up. I might try the large size tonight. Last night I felt like the material from the bottom kept slipping up and blocking my nostrils. It could have totally been in my imagination, but I took it off after a couple of hours and put on my TB. It felt SOOO tight compared to the Elan.

[chunkyfrog]

Jen:
I found that it seems like the bottom straps need to be a tiny bit more snug than the top straps,
to prevent the 'hovercraft' from traveling north. Too bad there is no "set and forget" feature for them,
as they consistently cause problems if too loose. It seems the upper straps are a tad more forgiving.
I fastened the tether more tightly by looping it around the top band and sticking the white velcro
to the bottom of the tether instead of the top of the band.
---this makes it too short--got to move the velcro.

[jen4700]

Tired the bigger (large) mask, too leaky. Went back to regular size one last night. Slept well. Very little leaking. I did crank down on the bottom straps a bit more and that helped. Maybe I should use that sticky stuff on my face to keep it in place!

The straps under my ears bug, tough. I wish the straps were a little softer. The bottom straps ride up so they are on my ear lobe when I lay on my side. Very annoying. Also the triangle where the straps come together on the mask is rough. Might have to cut up a tshirt to make a mini pad for that area.

[the_nap_ster]

I am such a mask fashion victim, trying whatever the cool kids are using! So here is my review after three nights with élan.

First, I should say: I love my Aloha/FF mask, but I seem to have a weird body chemistry that destroys silicone. (Apparently I've discovered my superpower.) That means Aloha cushions only last 2-3 weeks for me before they give up the ghost, and not even resting/boiling brought their gusto back. This is annoying -- and expensive! -- but I was resigned to live with it. Until I started reading reviews of the intriguing new FABRIC mask. Finally, something even I cannot destroy!

I ordered the kit in blue, but can I just say: my replacement will be in LEOPARD! +1 for sheer hilarity in fabric choices! I believe in making my xPAP therapy as fun as possible, and I am very glad that the makers of élan put a little fun into things. I think it helps me -- and anyone I show my mask/machine to -- have a more light-hearted attitude towards the whole thing. This came up with our families (many of whom are either undiagnosed OSA or non-compliant CPAP users). I think they were expecting intimidating grey hospital equipment. And if that was the only choice, we'd make it work. But for people who have anxiety about the equipment, I think cute options like this really de-institutionalize the feel of it. And anything that reduces resistance to xPAP therapy is pretty great by me.

But enough on cuteness! Let's talk function!

Taking élan out of the box, I was very skeptical. The only mask I've ever tried that doesn't seriously leak on me is the Aloha, but everything else has my leak lines hovering at 20+ (on a good day). So I thought there was very little chance this would work for me given that Sleepweaver masks aren't known for their resistance to leaks. But I watched the video and spent some time fiddling with the straps. I agree with others on here -- I need the lower straps a little snugger than the upper ones.

Then I spent some time adjusting fit. The tip from the video to pull the mask below your nose and then, when the machine is on and the balloon inflated, pull it up to it's proper position, helped me a lot. I also watched a bunch of YouTube videos on the original Sleepweavers and picked up the tip to pinch gently anywhere there's a leak. Also helpful.

For the record, I am generally a size small in most masks, and the "regular" size fits very well. The "large" is almost big enough to me to use as a FF mask, ha!

So after messing with fit for a few minutes, I got ready for bed. I am used to nasal pillows and have never used a nasal mask before, so the feel of AIR around my nose was extremely weird and had me paranoid it was leaking into my eyes. I HATE air blowing in my eyes, so in a fit of paranoia, I threw on a pair of these goggles: http://www.activeforever.com/p-4731-tra ... y-kit.aspx (Note: I love these Tranquil Eyes goggles and generally use them for very long flights.) I also still have my mouth leaking air problem, so I put some Lansinoh on a cotton pad, stuck it over my lips, and then tied a bandana around it to keep it in place. I must have looked slightly ridiculous, but it was actually really comfortable.

Off to sleep I went. Slept 8.5 hours, uninterrupted. GLORIOUS!!!

Looked at my data the next morning. A near-zero leak line, AHI of .34. A very good night.

I've repeated the same set up for two more nights, and got two more great nights.

I think part of what is allowing me to sleep for such an uninterrupted stretch is that the élan is so COMFORTABLE. I don't get woken up when I squish my face into the pillow, I don't feel my skin pressing against silicone, and it weighs nothing. I have never tried a more comfortable mask.

So, the takeaway: three nights is not a long test, but those three nights were very promising. I'm going to use this as my main mask for the near future, and I'll report back if the ride stays this smooth or if it takes a turn for the bumpy. But I hope it works, because I really want the leopard print one!

[chunkyfrog]

Now, all we need to do is find users who wear the large--so we can swap!
Good to hear you are as delighted as I.

[Reddwarf]

I got the élan a week ago. So far tried it for 4 nights. Tried large and regular size. Very mixed results. Not sure I will keep it. I really like the soft feel and not red marks on my face but I get a lot of leakage during the night. One night I had fiddled with it so much that somehow the pipe came unscrewed. I had to switch to my other mask. I am going to try again tonight. I would like to have success with this mask if I can get it to not leak so much!