? for SleeplessLI...swift lines

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:46 am

Good morning,
I remembered you asking for help on eliminating facial lines from your swift headgear. Did you ever figure out a solution? I have also fallen in love with the swift. I slept all night long last night (not even a potty break) with no leaks or any other problems. I did, however, wake up with those lovely indentations on my cheeks. I was hoping you came up with a cure for those. If you haven't, just tell me what you've tried without success so I don't reinvent the wheel. I do alot of quilting and am already thinking of making a mini quilt to attach to the sides of the gear.
I also want to thank you for your enthusiasm about the Swift. I had looked at one and rejected it...didn't think it would work for side sleeping. You were so excited about yours, I decided I would give it a try and I am so happy that I did.
I also want to thank everybody that suggested wearing the largest nasal pillows available. My nose wasn't even sore this morning. I've used other nasal interfaces with smaller pillows and had to jam them up into my nose...that hurts after a few hours. The larger pillows eliminate the need to "jam"...they just sort of rest at the nasal opening...much more comfortable.
Thanks everybody! Amy

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:54 am

AMY, AMY, AMY, I couldn't be happier!!! I am so happy you feel the same way as I do about the Swift. I hate to preach and send someone off in the wrong direction. I still love mine and only use that to sleep every night, no alternating necessary IMHO.

I have tried the following, unfortunately with not a great deal of success. First I tried to put the type of stick to itself wrist bandage that I bought at CVS around the straps. I cut a piece from the roll (4") and wrapped the straps so that they weren't too thick that they would bother me when I laid on my side. That didn't work.

Then I put some gauze-like large pads under them. That didn't work. Then I tried doubling the pads in half, and so far that is the only thing that takes the "Nike" lines away a little bit.

You could try mole skin. I just hate the peeling of it off my skin the morning. It is flat and soft. Maybe I'll try putting the mole skin onto the actual straps??? Hmm...I just don't want the straps to be sticky if that doesn't work. But that may be worth a try.

The last thing I tried was to position the hose in the "up" position. Didn't even make it to falling asleep in the position. Hated resting on the side where the hose was, too lumpy.

By the way, the type of pillow you have does help somewhat.

I will stick with my Swift, lines and all, because I think it's the easiest mask to sleep with so far and it doesn't leak (and quite a few other reasons that I've talked about on other threads before). I am so happy you like it, too. Let me know if you come up with anything that works on those indentations. They do go away in about a half-hour or so. And my mom suggested ice, but never tried it. Too cold on my face in the morning...but knowing her, that will probably be the answer!!! Mothers usually DO know best.

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:08 am

Hah! This morning I was also sporting "swoosh" lines on my checks, but not too badly. I decided to not worry; they're just a sign of someone pusuing quality sleep!

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:14 am

Bill!!! Tell us...how did you do last night??? I've been dying to hear from you today.

Sleepless on LI - Moleskin on the gear sounds like a great idea but I totally understand your worries about making the gear sticky. Also, it would probably be difficult to wash the gear. I'm going to give this alot of thought today. If I come up with a "quilting" fix, I'll make sure to share it with you and anybody else that wants it.
Also, I point the hose downward...I don't want it over my head..it works for me that way.
...Amy

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:39 am

Amy, yes, please keep me posted and I will do the same with you. Let me know how your quilting works out. Maybe you'll have a market on this site it it does!!!

WAF, don't you just talk about your swoosh lines without any details!!! We are all waiting to hear. Hope it was a successful first night...but if it wasn't, it wouldn't be surprising. First nights are seldom perfect (if ever).

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 11:05 am

OK people. You can read all about my first night adventures here: viewtopic.php?t=3998

Lori, you're right; it wasn't perfect but it was pretty darned good!

sinclaj · Post by **sinclaj** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 12:52 pm

I also use the Swift, and I've never noticed any lines on my face. When I used a different "regular" mask, I did notice marks on my forehead (unfortunatly, my forehead pretty much cover the majority of my scalp ) and on the top of an under my nose.

Is this a common problem with the Swift system?

christinequilts · Post by **christinequilts** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 12:59 pm

I've been using a Swift for 8 months (have 2- one for backup) and at first I had problems with marks on my face. I have very, very fair skin and rosacea so anything touching my skin is going to cause problems (nasal masks were much worse with the red spot on the bridge of my nose that never went away until I totally stopped using them). What I did with my Swift was to flex the plastic part of the strap a few times very carefully to get rid of some of the springyness that forces it into my checks. At first I had to do it every night before putting it on but after a while the plastic got use to the new position so now I only do it occasionally. Another thing is to make sure you have the headgear adjusted properly- it shouldn't be tight at all...it needs just enough pressure to hold lightly in place. I had problems at first with not wearing the lower strap low enough- once I figured that out everything fell into place.

BTW- as you can probably tell by my screen name I am also a quilter/sewer so I used small scraps of polar fleece under the strap on my checks the first few night...it helped some but once I made all the other adjustments I didn't need it.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 1:26 pm

Chris:

I'm running downstairs now to go flex my plastic (sounds kinky, no?). Thanks for the suggestion. It would be THE perfect mask if it weren't for indentations on my face. Thanks!!!

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 9:41 pm

I still say fasten it up high and you won't get marks. I NEVER get marks after I ran mine up high and it's more comfortable to a rocker and roller like me.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:35 am

Hi, stranger...don't see you that much lately. Maybe you finally stopped traveling the world? Hope it all went well.

I did try that night fastening the hose to the headgear and tried laying on my side. All I can say is, I must have done something wrong because I felt like there was a lump under my face. Do you have to then lay with the side of your face off the pillow? I immediately took the holder off and then went back to the usual way of keeping it down.

I woke up this morning looking like I'm 90, there are so many wrinkles and lines on my face. I had a gauze-type pad folded under the straps and don't ask what msut have went wrong because I don't know.

Please give me some details on the best way to do the hose up right (nice pun-unintentional, too). I would appreciate that. Thanks for you input, R&R.

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:58 am

Well for me I run then hose up the left side as I sleep on the left side of the bed. I fastenn it with the velcro loop up high enough that the hose falls over the back of my head, kind of behind my ear. The hose stays over the top of my head when I sleep. I do not lay on it. Even if sometimes if falls down and I do, I sleep on a visco memory foam pillow. This type of material absorbs any structure into it. In fact, (Isell them wholesale) I will take it into a buyers office nand put huge nuts and bolts on it and then haved the buyer lay down on it. They cannot feel the nuts and bolts. I hope you can visualize this.

I am still traveling, I go to another trade show in Tupelo MS next weeked for a week. Just part of my job. I go to China in Sept. and to NC in Oct. New Orleans next Thursday. So I am hot and cold on the list as my time allows.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 9:02 am

R&R,

You are fast in your reply today. Just happened to still be online when your reply came in. You sound like you really need the energy that cpap can give with all this traveling, but what a wonderful opportunity to see the world.

I had bought one of the visco elastic pillows for $60 from Bed, Bath and Beyond and was not too happy with it. But that was before I starrted on cpap. I do sleep on a 3" visco memory foam topper on my mattress and love that, though.

If I'm envisioning this correctly, you put the hose so that it curves and actually ends up off your head entirely, but towards the back? I am still a bit confused, but tell me if I'm getting it right. Then there won't be need for further explanation.

Also, this takes away your straps lines???

Thank you so much.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:08 am

Speaking of visco elastic, is the 3" memory foam topper just as good as getting a whole tempurpedic mattress?

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:39 am

I LOVE my tempurpedic mattress and pillow. I bought them approx. 3 years ago because I was having so much trouble with my back. It took a little while to get used to them but now I wouldn't trade them for anything.

? for SleeplessLI...swift lines

? for SleeplessLI...swift lines

Lines on the face?