Week 1 in the can

[hosehead512b]

Well, this marks the end of my first week as a hosehead. I'd have to say it has gone okay. I posted here after my first night, and that day I felt like a zombie pretty much. After subsequent nights of CPAP, I was feeling generally more rested during the day, but I can see that I'm not going to be one of those "dramatically improved" cases in a short period of time! Nonetheless, I find myself looking forward to "masking up" every night - I find the airflow to be kind of soothing, actually, and knowing that it's helping me sleep better is a psychological boost. I DO use the ramp up feature, though, and I re-engage it if I don't get to sleep before it kicks into regular mode - my machine is set to a 7-14 pressure range, and the ramp up is at 4.

I'm definitely pleased with the System 1 Remstar APAP with A-Flex; I like the BIG button, which makes it easy to reach over and kill the airflow when needed or restart. I set my A-Flex on 3 (maximum exhale relief), and don't know why I'd ever lower it. I live in Southern California where we have pretty low humidity, and I've found the humidifier's 3 setting to work well. I experimented with 4 one night, but it started to feel a bit too "clammy" inside the mask.

I'm also using Sleepyhead shareware software, so it's good to see how my nights generally transpired. I pop out my SD card and copy it onto a flash drive every morning so I can view my data at home or at work when I have time. A shout out to Pugsy for hooking me up!

The Mirage Quattro FX mask is working out pretty well for me, too. I'm wondering if the size medium is a little too large for me, though, so I've ordered a small from my DME - I'm fortunate they offer a free 30-day period during which I can try as many masks as I need in order to get it right! It takes me five to ten minutes to get settled in with the mask and my pillow, but generally I get to a point where I can just "let it be" and fall asleep pretty easily.

One question I'd like to toss out there is this: If anyone has tried both the Quattro FX as well as a standard FF mask with a forehead-to-nose bridge piece, which kind was more comfortable on the bridge of the nose? With my FX, I've noticed that, if I position the top of the mask where the directions indicate (approximately "mid-bridge"), it almost gives me a headache (and that's with the straps as loose as they can be w/o causing leakage), so I've opted to wear the mask higher up on my face. The problem with that is that my eyelashes brush against the mask liner, which isn't all that big a deal, but the mask IS a little more likely to unseal up around my eyes. Part of the reason I can get away with wearing the mask that high up is that it is a size medium, so there is still enough room below my lower lip to fit okay. For that reason, the size small may actually be worse, but with my DME's generous policy, I'm going to go ahead and try it. I do open my mouth when sleeping, so I'd have to use a chinstrap if I opted for a nasel-only mask setup, and the idea of a chinstrap just seems MORE uncomfortable to me.

Thanks again to everyone who contributes to cpaptalk - it's been great so far to have access to all the knowledge, experience, and encouragement!

[Pugsy]

Sorry I can't help with the Quattro questions as I have never used anything but nasal pillows.
I just wanted to congratulate you on getting through the first week and tell you that it will get easier. The mask is indeed the hardest part of all this to sort through.
I also wish you had been one of the "overnight successes" that we read about. Those aren't nearly as common as one might think. I wasn't one either. Most of us it was a very gradual and ongoing process with very few hallelujah mornings.