Swift Connecting Piece

dkeat · Post by **dkeat** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:42 am

Hi

Nearly all of the masks I have tried so far were delivered with a small hard plastic insert that goes into the main CPAP hose. You then plug the mask into that. It makes it easier to plug and unplug the mask. You probably know what I mean.

The Swift that I got from my sleep lab does not have such an interface, but needs to be plugged directly into the hose.

Never having previously used a Swift I can't judge if there is a part missing or not. Can anyone fill me in?

Thanks,

David

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 8:45 am

Not quite sure if I follow you, but I'll try my best to describe my Swift hose connection.

At the end of the Swift's corrugated hose is a swivel assembly made of clear plastic. I found out (the hard way) that the clear end can come off and be simply reattached. It is that clear end piece of the swivel assembly that the CPAP hose attaches to; it goes into the end of the CPAP hose.

I wish I could take a closeup photo of that part for you. You can see it on the right in this picture:

dkeat · Post by **dkeat** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:04 am

Hi,

Yes, I think we are talking about the same thing here. I don't know what the trick is to get it off.

On the other masks I tried this piece was mouted in the main hose and you just clicked the small mask hose into it when you hit the sack.

Maybe the Swift is different?

David

ProfessorSleep · Post by **ProfessorSleep** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:10 am

Yes, I know what you're talking about. I have one of those connectors on the end of the hose that attaches to my cpap unit (actually to the humidifier on my F&P). I had an extra and put that in the end of the hose to hook up to the Swift short tube. It was much easier to put together. But it also was more likely to come apart. My preference is just to work with the rubber end of the hose and the swift short tube and not push them together too tightly. Use your thumb to roll back carefully part of the rubber end from the CPAP tube and break the grip and they come apart easily. You can purchase those hard plastic connectors separately if you want, but your Swift is not missing any pieces, unless I'm missing something in your post.

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:42 am

dkeat wrote:Yes, I think we are talking about the same thing here. I don't know what the trick is to get it off.

Off of what? It is supposed to stay attached to the Swift tube. It pushes into the rubber end of the CPAP hose.

To disconnect from the CPAP hose, grasp the clear swivelling Swift end in one hand and gently pull apart, flexing the connection slightly. Don't flex it too much or you might snap the plastic swivel end.

On the other masks I tried this piece was mouted in the main hose and you just clicked the small mask hose into it when you hit the sack.

Maybe the Swift is different?

I think it is different.

dkeat · Post by **dkeat** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:23 am

[quote="ProfessorSleep"]Yes, I know what you're talking about. I have one of those connectors on the end of the hose that attaches to my cpap unit (actually to the humidifier on my F&P). I had an extra and put that in the end of the hose to hook up to the Swift short tube. It was much easier to put together. But it also was more likely to come apart.

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 7:31 am

dkeat wrote:I have the Swift set up right now as suggested with the rubber end of the main hose attached to the top buckle with the velcro strap. This is great for sleep, but it is not easy to put this on in a darkened room with a wife sleeping in it. And God forbid you do need to get up during the night.

Practice should resolve those problems. I've gotten to the point where I can deconstruct my Swift and reconstruct it in the dark, even to the point of changing pillows when I once had the wrong size installed. I feel like I'm in the armed forces stripping and cleaning my weapon ... by feel ... in the dark! .

Grabraham · Post by **Grabraham** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 7:47 am

WAFlowers wrote:
dkeat wrote:I have the Swift set up right now as suggested with the rubber end of the main hose attached to the top buckle with the velcro strap. This is great for sleep, but it is not easy to put this on in a darkened room with a wife sleeping in it. And God forbid you do need to get up during the night.
Practice should resolve those problems. I've gotten to the point where I can deconstruct my Swift and reconstruct it in the dark, even to the point of changing pillows when I once had the wrong size installed. I feel like I'm in the armed forces stripping and cleaning my weapon ... by feel ... in the dark! .

I am with you there! but I stopped short of thying to fill my humidifier by sound in the dark lasnight... I wimped out and turned the light on

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 8:08 am

Grabraham wrote:I am with you there! but I stopped short of thying to fill my humidifier by sound in the dark lasnight... I wimped out and turned the light on

Uhhh, that's probably a very good idea. I'm not concerned about distilled or even tap water causing electocution so much as having water all over the floor to slip on (tile floor)!

Putting on the Swift headgear, adjusting straps by feel-a-vision and even swapping the elbow from the left to the right (as I swap the plug from the right to the left) are all trivial tasks that I not only do in the dark, I can do practically in my sleep if I have to stumble to the bathroom and back in the middle of the night. Practice is all it took.

ProfessorSleep · Post by **ProfessorSleep** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 8:28 am

Putting on the Swift headgear, adjusting straps by feel-a-vision and even swapping the elbow from the left to the right (as I swap the plug from the right to the left) are all trivial tasks that I not only do in the dark, I can do practically in my sleep if I have to stumble to the bathroom and back in the middle of the night. Practice is all it took.

Thank you - that gives me a lot of hope. Obviously 5 weeks isn't enough practice (for much of anything, I guess). Darn thing drove me crazy last night slipping and sliding, pulling on my hair, and the hose kept getting stuck in its little velcro hanger I have on the bed post (scrunchie was too short). Argh! Maybe I just need to vent today - and I appreciate the reassurance. Some days are like that, and it all settles down eventually.... doesn't it???

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:33 am

ProfessorSleep wrote:Some days are like that, and it all settles down eventually.... doesn't it???

Definitely! Even before CPAP, even before sleep apnea, sometimes we'd have good nights (mostly, I hope) and sometimes we'd have bad nights. We can't expect it to be any different now.

dkeat · Post by **dkeat** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:40 am

WAFlowers wrote:Practice should resolve those problems. I've gotten to the point where I can deconstruct my Swift and reconstruct it in the dark, even to the point of changing pillows when I once had the wrong size installed. I feel like I'm in the armed forces stripping and cleaning my weapon ... by feel ... in the dark! .

Well you shoulda seen me last night, sitting on the edge of the bed, my wife already asleep one bed over and me trying not to make any noise or light. I sat there for 10 minutes and I fiddled and fiddled and darned if I could not get that mask on! I finally unplugged the thing and took it out of the room to get some light.

The humorous side of sleep disorders

David

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:57 am

David, the good news is you were able to maintain your sense of humor!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 12:48 pm

Definitely! Even before CPAP, even before sleep apnea, sometimes we'd have good nights (mostly, I hope) and sometimes we'd have bad nights. We can't expect it to be any different now.

The rational side of me knows that. The irrational side (which sometimes speaks more loudly) says that for all this hassle and expense and torment, I wanna wake up feeling like I'm 20 again!

OK, back to reality.....

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:15 pm

Hey guys...instead of doing all this in the dark, why don't you just set everything up before your wife goes to bed. That's what I do. When my hubby decides to go to bed, I go up with him and fill up the water chamber, attach it to the machine, plug in the machine, assemble my mask and lay everything on the bed for when I'm ready to go to sleep. Then all I have to do is slip on the mask and go to sleep.

Now, I know my idea makes sense which is maybe why you guys don't do it that way......just kidding....couldn't resist....

Amy

Machine	Mask

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