Two nights without cpap

tmaiberger · Post by **tmaiberger** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:39 am

So, I go out of town this weekend with my family in NE Pa. I pack the kids, the dog, all kinds of luggage, food, etc. (basically my whole house). I make sure I have distilled water with me because there are no grocery stores near where we are going. I get to the place we are staying, get the machine all set up, and then look for the plug that goes from the converter to the wall and could not find it.

Slept for two nights without the machine and felt like crap. Any lingering questions that I had in the back of mind regarding whether the cpap was working for me were answered. I was actually excited to go to sleep on Sunday with the cpap. Guess I am a complete cpap nerd now.

TM

Tash · Post by **Tash** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:17 pm

No, you're not a "cpap nerd". You are now officially a true hosehead. Congrats!

Moogy · Post by **Moogy** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 2:06 pm

I went out of town a couple of months ago. Like a genius, I decided that I could travel without the humidifier, to save weight. I had been sleeping without the humidifier pretty often, anyway.

When I went to set up the machine, I found there was no way to attach my hose to the unit. I still haven't figured out how to do it without the humidifier, although I know it is possible.

I tried everything, finally decided I just had not packed the right connectors, and TRIED to sleep without the bipap. How miserable! When I drove home the next day, I was SO sleepy that I took one of the wake-up pills the doctor had given me before I started bipap therapy. Even with that, I could barely function. Fortunately, the trip was on remote Texas highways with little traffic.

Lesson learned, PACK IT ALL! I don't even disconnect the power cords from the unit. Instead, I just unplug it from the wall socket and shove the whole works into the travel bag.

I am glad your trip was a short one like mine! What if we had left for a week without all our equipment!!! Eeek...

Moogy
bipap addict
breathing addict
sleeping addict
living addict

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 2:29 pm

Moogy,

When you slide the humidifier away from the machine, there's a (clear) rubber bushing that fits over the hose connector. To remove it, just insert one of your fingers into the hole in the bushing (it's got a metal ring in it) and pull it off of the hose connector. Then, just push the hose onto that as you would normally attach it to the humidifier.

The bushing looks like this:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... lings.html

Sorry to hear you slept (?) without your Bi-PAP.

Best wishes,

Den

jrfoster · Post by **jrfoster** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:03 pm

Wulfman wrote: When you slide the humidifier away from the machine, there's a (clear) rubber bushing that fits over the hose connector. To remove it, just insert one of your fingers into the hole in the bushing (it's got a metal ring in it) and pull it off of the hose connector. Then, just push the hose onto that as you would normally attach it to the humidifier.

Den,

I leave my humidifier on #1. Do you think that when I travel to Israel next month for a couple of weeks I could just leave the humidifier at home and not have to worry about finding or bringing distilled water? I have never slept without it on and don't know how much a difference it would make?
Thanks.

Jeff

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:22 pm

Jeff,

If it were me, as long as I was packing the CPAP, that little extra space/weight for the humidifier wouldn't amount to much.....so I'd take it. Even though I use mine in passover mode, a little extra humidity is better than none.

Best wishes,

Den

Snoozin' Bluezzz · Post by **Snoozin' Bluezzz** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:25 pm

Twice times in the past 8 months (really in the first 5 months) I left town for an overnight stay and left a piece behind.

The first time it was the short hose for the Swift. A quick call to the local Apria (yeah, I know but they really did help this time) where I was staying had me rushing over 5 minutes before closing to receive a free short hose.

The second time I left, or lost, the end cap on the Swift. There was no solutions for that and it ended up being a miserable night.

I just returned from 1 week road trip vacation to PA and I lugged the Remstar Auto (avec Humidifier) in and set it up every night and got a good nights sleep each night. I have GERD and by the end of the trip my AHI was climbing because I was not able to sleep elevated but it worked out fine.

If I had to be a road warrior I would want a smaller machine but I would not leave the humidifier behind. I hope to go to Europe next spring and I may try and budget for smaller humidified machine before I go. It was a bit of a pain to lug humidifier and the Aussie hose with that damned monstrous brick of a transformer.

David

jrfoster · Post by **jrfoster** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:26 pm

Wulfman wrote: Even though I use mine in passover mode, a little extra humidity is better than none.

Ok I will take it with me. BTW, being new to all of this, what is 'passover" mode? Just water in the tank but not on?

Jeff

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:50 pm

Passover = yes just water in the tank but no heat source. Either one without a heater or a heated humidifer without the heater turned on. Random note - that's how I use mine all the time. I can't stand the feeling of the heated air!

While I know it doesn't do you any good for the trip you took, I wanted to mention an idea to you. Or anyone really.

Don't be afraid to call a DME company in the area if you forget to take something with you. Most all of them keep some extra simple things around, especially something as minor as a power cord, and don't have a problem loaning it out to someone. Of course not every company will be in a position to do this but just about all of them should be able to handle a power cord. Especially if it is the same provider that you bought your machine from (A national like Apria or Lincare or a regional like Robert's or American Home Patient) but still worth a call even if it's not someone you have dealt with before.

At the company I work for we have a whole shelf devoted to nothing but "extras" that we provide as loaners for people travelling in our area and trust me - stuff goes out every week! Now, the companies I have spoken with usually will not deliver freebie loaner stuff unless they are going to be right in your area but I think it's a fair trade off to ask someone to come pick the stuff up and bring it back when they are done. Some things we don't charge for like power cords or simple stuff. Some things we keep on hand specifically to sell cheap in circumstances like that. For example if we get shipped a D.O.A. cpap we strip out the humdifier when we can before trashing the unit. That when someone calls us frantic because they just flew into town and their humdifier cracked on the airplane we have something we can sell them without having to charge them full price. Happens all the time.

Anyways it was just something I wanted to mention as an option should the need come up again!

mattman

Moogy · Post by **Moogy** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:03 pm

Wulfman wrote:Moogy,

When you slide the humidifier away from the machine, there's a (clear) rubber bushing that fits over the hose connector. To remove it, just insert one of your fingers into the hole in the bushing (it's got a metal ring in it) and pull it off of the hose connector. Then, just push the hose onto that as you would normally attach it to the humidifier.

Best wishes,

Den

_________________

Den,

Thanks for the description and the picture. I found that little seal on the night in question, but the seal seemed VERY secure, and I guess I didn't pull on it hard enough or at the right angle.

Moogy

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:15 pm

Moogy,

It's almost impossible to get that thing off unless you put your finger in the inside and then you can use the metal ring to wiggle it from side to side till it comes off.

Den

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:17 am

jrfoster wrote:
Den,

I leave my humidifier on #1. Do you think that when I travel to Israel next month for a couple of weeks I could just leave the humidifier at home and not have to worry about finding or bringing distilled water? I have never slept without it on and don't know how much a difference it would make?
Thanks.

Jeff

Jeff,
Some parts of Israel are desert dry - and in winter with central heating you might be in a dry environment even when it's raining outside. Don't come without your humidifier.

You can obtain distilled water in a 1 litre bottles in pharmacies for a very reasonable price - and in some places, if you bring along a bigger bottle of your own you get it even cheaper. Tap Water in Israel is pretty hard in most of the country - so I would go to the trouble of buying distilled.

If you're visiting friends, they can buy you a bottle ahead of time. Bring along distilled water only if it's a business trip and you think you'll be too busy to buy water.

R&R one of the experienced business traveler suggested putting the water in a thermos jug (did he say aluminum?) because they don't leak.

You could also check about fluid containers in a Container Shop, or one that carries sports (mountaineering) supplies.

O. (Who's an Israeli and lives there.)

________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, Travel

apneaicinisrael · Post by **apneaicinisrael** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:50 am

I second ozij's recommendation - if you are used to using the humidifier, bring it along! We only just got our first significant rain of the season this week, we've been dry for months. If you find you have any equipment needs while here, just PM either me or ozij, we'll put you in touch with our DME who will be glad to help you -- or else! We've both tortured him with our knowledge and ideas, so he knows a bit about what the knowledgable cpap user is like...

Don't forget a plug adapter and an extension cord in case the plug is not near your bed.

HAVE A SUPER SUPER TRIP!

AII

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:47 am

apneaicinisrael wrote:
Don't forget a plug adapter and an extension cord in case the plug is not near your bed.

HAVE A SUPER SUPER TRIP!

AII

A must site for the "Have CPAP, will travel" community:
Electricity around the world:
http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/ ... .htm#plugs

(For Israel you need an adapter from the US plug to an H type plug. N

cwsanfor · Post by **cwsanfor** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:50 am

I leave my humidifier on #1. Do you think that when I travel to Israel next month for a couple of weeks I could just leave the humidifier at home and not have to worry about finding or bringing distilled water?

I was in Israel last May, and I would second or third what the Israelis here said: you'll probably want the humudifier. It's very dry there, being a desert, and you probably aren't acclimated to that, and may be sleeping under more air conditioning than usual.

Have fun. It's an eye-opening experience. Be sure and climb Masada. I have the name of a truly excellent guide in Jerusalem, if you want it.

If you need a power adapter, this one is the best I've used: http://us.kensington.com/html/5519.html . You'll find two different style plugs in Israel.

Two nights without cpap

Two nights without cpap

Electricity....