Let me introduce myself.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:26 pm

Hello...I hope everyone had a good nights sleep last night. I live in South Carolina and I've used a Respironics cpap for about 6 years. I love to go backpacking; I mean I used to until I started using a cpap. I've got one of the new M series Respironics on order and I was told that I will have the ability to buy a battery pack so maybe now I can get back to the beautiful mountains of upstate S.C. I wish I had found this forum years ago but now that I have I'll be checking in with my questions and comments. So when you see scbackpacker that'll be me.

Gidgie · Post by **Gidgie** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 4:28 pm

Hi......and welcome to the hosehead gang.......glad to see you're getting back to the great outdoors, backpacking.......let us know how you do, and how you manage all the little quirks........I haven't been camping in years....too tired....now have cig lighter hookup for my Pro2 to my truck.....means I'll be sleeping in the cab.......

elliejose · Post by **elliejose** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 5:28 pm

Welcome!

Guest or scbackpacker, whichever, from another from SC. I believe you will be #5 here from good ole SC. I just noticed another new (to me, anyway) person from SC earlier today. I am from upstate myself. Keep us posted on how the new equipment goes. I have not tried camping since I became a hosehead.

Regretfully, I have not been on cpap for as long as you. When I tried it about 10 or 12 years ago, I gave it up because I could not find a mask that I could tolerate. Thanks to the good advice and support of all the experienced hoseheads on this site, I am still hanging in there after a little more than a year.

scbackpacker · Post by **scbackpacker** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:59 pm

I logged in but when I posted it showed up Guest. I would take my girls up to White Water Falls a lot and we would pack down to the bottom and camp. If I even tried that now I would most likely roll back down to the bottom...lol. We had a hugh German Shepard that we would take and I had to hold him back going down but my youngest daughter then would hold him going back up. She finally told me why she would hold his lease. He was pulling her up the mountain. Can pictures be posted to this forum? And one other question. Do we ever stop feeling tired and sleepy?

rdjw · Post by **rdjw** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:10 pm

Ha! I'm newer than you are!

Hi, My name is Rookie and I've been a forum member for 3 minutes. To make things interesting, I am a new CPAP user - only three weeks, and still trying to make it all work. I don't even know the names of things yet.

I poked around a bit on cpap.com and discovered that I probably need a chinstrap. I've been jamming my mouth closed with fist or pillow.

But even when I do keep my mouth closed, how do I keep tongue forward? If it slides back a bit, air comes whistling out between my teeth and cheek, escaping with a lovely raspberry. Wakes me up muy pronto, you betcha!

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:18 pm

[quote="rdjw"]Ha! I'm newer than you are!

Hi, My name is Rookie and I've been a forum member for 3 minutes. To make things interesting, I am a new CPAP user - only three weeks, and still trying to make it all work. I don't even know the names of things yet.

I poked around a bit on cpap.com and discovered that I probably need a chinstrap. I've been jamming my mouth closed with fist or pillow.

But even when I do keep my mouth closed, how do I keep tongue forward? If it slides back a bit, air comes whistling out between my teeth and cheek, escaping with a lovely raspberry. Wakes me up muy pronto, you betcha!

rdjw · Post by **rdjw** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:26 pm

Hi again SCbackpacker. I dunno the answer to your question. I sure hope so. I've felt fatigued forever, it seems like.

I'm 54, (as of yesterday), female, live in New Mexico, and really hope that I can learn to sleep w/o meds. I figured out what kind of machine I have, but not the mask. All I know is tha the headgear is Comfort Lite, and the mask is nasal. I feel like such a gorm when I have it on. My husband calls me "The Dalek." I never dreamed that the mechanics of sleep were so complicated.

rdjw · Post by **rdjw** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:33 pm

Hi Goofproof Jim. Thanks for replying. I have 2 immediate questions.

1, what is an FF mask?
2, how did you reply specifically to my post and how can I reply to your reply?

Thanks
Rookie

rdjw · Post by **rdjw** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:45 pm

rdjw wrote:2, how did you reply specifically to my post and how can I reply to your reply?

OK, I think I figured out the reply part. And I think I figured out what an FF mask is. Full Face, right? I peeked at a couple of other threads. Wow. I think I'm just a wee bit overwhelmed. The Design flaws / what were they thinking thread is very interesting. I think I'll just lurk for a while until I figure some of this stuff out.

Cheers,
Rookie

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:47 pm

A FF Mask, is a mask that covers your nose and mouth both, that way if you are congested you can still breath through your mouth. You mouth isn't the preferred way but we have to breath. I knew I couldn't keep my nose clear most of the time so it was no option for me.

A ff Mask covers more area and some are bothered by that, but I decided full treatment was what I had to have, no option there. Jim, I am now logged it.

You could hit the quote at the top right, but if the reply is under the post it's not necessary, Quote just releaves confusion, maybe.

rdjw · Post by **rdjw** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:51 pm

Hmmm. I may need to discuss this with my respiratory therapist. I am not thrilled about even considering using a full face mask. Maybe I could get used to it. It's surprising what people can get used to.

Thanks
Rookie
PS. Love your piccy.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:52 pm

At the top of the page is a book icon, CPAPopedia, it contains a wealth of definations, along with CPAP FAQ, very useful tools. Reading posts until your eyes give out, some of us don't have lives in the real world, what the heck! Jim

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:57 pm

Once you make up your mind, you can do anything,even if it appears to be unpleasant.

I have made friends with my new way of sleeping and couldn't live without it.

It's a lot in the attitude, If you don't get into De-Nile, you won't get wet, and good sleep will return. Jim

Gidgie · Post by **Gidgie** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:57 pm

Hi, Rookie......Welcome to the Hosehead Club! Gidgie here has been around since Feb 2006.........feel like an old hand......which I'm not......but have a great relationship with my equipment.......and it shows......! I run off at the mouth alot, but I would be truly mortified if I were to inadvertantly cause anyone distress........I'm female, 58, and enjoying being alive, in spite of physical handicaps. And hey, no matter what it looks like, that mask is there to be your best friend.......

rdjw · Post by **rdjw** » Sun Apr 23, 2006 9:29 pm

Thanks Gidgie and Jim.

I just took what the med equip place gave me - I was too ignorant to ask questions. So I will check out the CPAPopedia. My situation isn't severe. I think (from what I've seen so far) that my pressure is low (7), and my condition mild (hypopnea rather than full apnea). I just want to get off the drugs. There's just a lot more to this than I realized.

Oh, well. Any day you learn something new is a good day, right?

Rookie Hosehead