CPAP fails while on vacation -- on a weekend

[Strafer]

This is the second time while visiting my mother in Calif (I live in New Orleans) that my CPAP machine has failed on a weekend! UNBELIEVABLE! I knew this machine was reaching the end of its life, and three legs of flight in the baggage compartment of various jets probably didn't help it, but CAN I GET A BREAK! It worked for a couple of hours last night but now (Sunday p.m.) it's totally dead. I'm looking at a truly miserable night, then scrambling around to find a loaner or something tomorrow. I feel as though God is punishing me for something. What is the moral of this story? Carry two CPAPs on long trip when your main machine is in doubt? I'm so stressed out about this as I am very dependent on the machine. This makes me want to look at some other option like surgery or oral device or something. I don't like being dependent on something that can break or needs electricity. I have been using CPAP for six years. Thoughts? Comments? Pity?

[JayC]

Is that overhead baggage compartment or baggage cargo hold......??????

[Strafer]

Cargo hold. I HATE carrying on baggage, and don't like dragging a CPAP through security. I know, I know, don't say it. But, for two machines that lasted for years and years to fail ON A WEEKEND on two occasions years apart ... And I have flown with this CPAP in cargo holds at least 25 times. Same with the other. Just strikes me as UNBELIEVABLE bad luck. . . .

[tonycog]

You might check the local Craigslist where you are visiting. You may get lucky and find a used machine to purchase today or tomorrow.

Best wishes,
Tony

[JayC]

Luck is unpredictable....cannot be foreseen.....

This was not related to luck..........unless you think it lucky that your poor machine lasted through 25 beatings.....

Why not check your other baggage and carry on your little ole CPAP bag...?

Might make it last longer this next time......

J

[Wulfman]

Cargo hold. I HATE carrying on baggage, and don't like dragging a CPAP through security. I know, I know, don't say it. But, for two machines that lasted for years and years to fail ON A WEEKEND on two occasions years apart ... And I have flown with this CPAP in cargo holds at least 25 times. Same with the other. Just strikes me as UNBELIEVABLE bad luck. . . .

Sounds like you pressed your luck one too many times.......

What machine do you have?
What are the symptoms? (In other words, please define "failed")
Did you leave your humidifier attached and/or could some water have gotten into it?


Den

[Strafer]

Thanks for the replies (some of which were on the obnoxious side -- I really don't need any help kicking myself). After about five phone calls I found a VERY nice place in Paso Robles, Calif., where the resp. therapist said, "come and get it, $25 a week." (she did ask for the Rx, which I had via e-mail). Other places acted like I was trying to rent a morphine drip machine or some other illicit device/substance. "We can't help you." Yes, I learned from this, but I'm wondering about surgical alternatives, oral devices ... Anybody have any experience of heard anything about non-cpap alternatives to apnea treatment?

The machine failed like others before, starts stuttering, readout reads "machine needs service," beeps, and dies.

[nosenabook]

Hey, my machine failed this past weekend too! Friday night, it worked for about three hours, overheated, and died.

Who knew I should have changed the setting for altitude? Not that I can imagine how that could be done on my old Fisher & Paykel. RIP, little buddy.

I live at 350 feet above sea level in North Carolina, and flew to Colorado, where my CPAP continued working in Boulder (altitude 7500), but died at the camp farther up in the mountains, a change of 8000+ feet of altitude. Luckily I took my old model Fisher & Paykel, not the new S9. The S9 certainly adjusts for altitude, but would I have thought of it before disaster struck? Doubtful.

Alas, my desperate phone calls were not blessed with results. I was hoping for a rental unit, but I couldn't even get in touch with somebody who knew what a CPAP was. Most places were closed for the weekend, others closed early on Saturday, and we were too far away to get to them before closing.

In the end Craig's List saved the day, along with cpaptalk.com. If not for the people here who have bought through Craig's List, i would never have dared. If not for this gold mine of information and knowledgeable people, I would not have had anybody to ask for help. As it turned out, I knew enough about the machine to cope, but trust me, it was wonderful to know I had back-up.

eta: One thing the OP could do is keep a back-up machine at mom's house.