New (UARS) -- lots of questions

[Pugsy]

I have plenty of XS P10 pillows. I ended up not being able to use them and needed the Small in the P10.
Just let me know later if you end up needing them. I will save several for you.
I no longer even use the P10 except for special occasions so I probably have some Smalls to spare as well. I could use one pillow for well over 6 months and just stockpiled way too many. I won't ever use up what I have stashed away.

[zan]

Much appreciated.

Tried the APAP again last night, bumped the pressure from 7.5 to 12.5 and I honestly think I would have done really well at that pressure had the mask not insisted on leaking every time I got close to falling asleep. It felt like 12.5 was the pressure I needed to keep my airway open, so I'm going to try it again for the next few days. I made it two hours last night with the mask, so 30 minutes more than the night before! I also finished ordering all of the supplies I'll need for my own machine and they should all be in by next Wednesday. Thanks everyone for all your help so far!

Edit: I think it's worth adding that the sleepiness I felt with the mask, even though I wasn't able to fully fall asleep because of the leaks, was the most restful sleep-feeling I've had for a while... Usually, if I'm on the verge of falling asleep but not really "there" yet, I'll experience mild hypnogogic jerk-like arousals that either make my eyes shoot open or ramp up my brain's conscience levels and essentially drag me away from deep sleep. When those happen, it's almost like I have to start over the process of falling asleep. But last night, even though I was kept awake by the mask leaks, I never lost that feeling of being on the verge of falling asleep -- that gives me a lot more confidence that treating SDB could be the key to sleeping well! I'm so excited to get started with my own machine and mask!

[zan]

Pugsy, I'm assuming your offer includes the P10 pillows only, not the accompanying frame / headgear? In any case, I'd be grateful to take an S and an XS off your hands if you have the time to send them. Let me know if you're up for this and I'll PM you with my address.
Thanks as always for your patience and informed help.

[zan]

Is there anything I can do to reduce the number of leaks I get with the FFM? Realistically I don't think there's much I can do, since I am exclusively a side sleeper, FFMs aren't meant for side sleeping, and most of my leaks come from the way I position myself with the mask. Still, any advice is appreciated.

[Pugsy]

I don't think I have spare P10 parts that are brand new other than the pillows but let me go look in my spares box and see if I have anything else.

I probably have a spare headgear...slightly used but serviceable.
I don't think I have a spare frame/short hose assembly but I will go check just to make sure. I did some surgery on what I thought was my last spare short hose/frame to steal the hose off for a different experiment.

With the pillows I have and the used headgear...at worst you would need to buy the short hose/frame and I have seen them for around $25 or so on EBay. Haven't looked lately.

Let me go dig out my spares box and see what I have.

[Pugsy]

Save this but don't buy just yet. I am still looking in my stash as well as for a better price but so far this is the best I have found.
I did find a brand new P10 headgear that I forgot I had and I have found some small pillows and one XS...but I think I have more out in the big box in the shed so I need to go out and look in the big box. The pillows are new but out of the package because they came in a box with 3 sizes. I just pulled them out and put them in a baggy.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ResMed-Airfit- ... SwseZb1iUM

and I stumbled across this complete package

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Resmed-Airfit- ... Sw-mVd3VQ9

[zan]

Tried the Dreamstation + FFM again last night, and I may just stop using it at this point because it's not doing me any good. I solved the leakiness issue by sleeping more on my back, but since sleeping on my back is very uncomfortable for me, the net gain was zero. I'll have to wait until next Wednesday to try the AirFit N20s. In the meantime I suppose it'll be vanilla sleep for me.

[zan]

I really hope that the N20s will be the right fit for me. I've never been a very high-energy person (maybe because I've had SDB longer than I'd thought) but in the past couple years I've had no motivation or energy to do anything, even the things I really love / miss doing. Feels like there's no difference between being awake or asleep, both are unsatisfying.
The good news is that I at least now know that it's probably poor sleep that's causing the issues, and I have enough cognitive-behavioral therapy tricks up my sleeve to keep depression at bay.

I'm really grateful to all the users in this forum, because before coming here I wouldn't have had much hope that UARS was treatable!

[Pugsy]

Send me a private message with your name and address and I will send you the P10 nasal pillow and headgear that I have if you just want to use those and buy your own short hose/frame.
Unless you want to buy the complete package I found on EBay
I can't find a suitable short hose/frame in my stash. The only spare one that I have has had surgery on it to cut its hose part off and use with a different mask.

[Miss Emerita]

"Vanilla sleep" -- I like it! And for some people, "killa vanilla." When does your Vauto arrive? About the mask: I hope the N20 will do the trick for you. I can't recall whether these two ideas have already come up in your thread, so apologies for any repetition: you could try a mask liner, and you could try a specialty pillow (search CPAP pillow on Amazon).

[zan]

Can't remember whether the VAuto arrives this week or next but it shouldn't matter. It's a little complicated (or not):

At the moment I'm home for Thanksgiving, but I had all the equipment I'd ordered shipped to my dorm because I was ordering from so many different vendors that the arrival dates ranged from this Friday to next Wednesday. The whole system is rendered null until I have every part on hand, so it won't be until the last part arrives that I'll be able to start using the VAuto. I'm pretty nervous about sending medical supplies to a university mail service, especially so many supplies at once, but I think they'll be able to handle it, given the use of Amazon Prime among students. Since they'll be arriving in waves I'll just try to pick them up as they come in so nothing gets lost.

I might give mask liners a go if the N20 presses too much on my face. It's not worth buying anything for the F&P mask since it's not mine to begin with, and definitely not a mask type I'd choose for myself given that I never mouth breathe. I don't want to buy special pillows unless I really, really can't do without them, but it's good to have those options in mind. Good suggestions, thank you!

[babydinosnoreless]

Can't remember whether the VAuto arrives this week or next but it shouldn't matter. It's a little complicated (or not):

At the moment I'm home for Thanksgiving, but I had all the equipment I'd ordered shipped to my dorm because I was ordering from so many different vendors that the arrival dates ranged from this Friday to next Wednesday. The whole system is rendered null until I have every part on hand, so it won't be until the last part arrives that I'll be able to start using the VAuto. I'm pretty nervous about sending medical supplies to a university mail service, especially so many supplies at once, but I think they'll be able to handle it, given how many students abuse their discount Amazon Prime memberships. Since they'll be arriving in waves I'll just try to pick them up as they come in so nothing gets lost.

I might give mask liners a go if the N20 presses too much on my face. It's not worth buying anything for the F&P mask since it's not mine to begin with, and definitely not a mask type I'd choose for myself given that I never mouth breathe. I don't want to buy special pillows unless I really, really can't do without them, but it's good to have those options in mind. Good suggestions, thank you!

I use the N20. I really like it. Be careful of over tightening. Don't crank it down tight. Leave it a little loose so it fills with air. I can get two fingers under the straps. It also seals better if you get the face oils off. I wash my face and then use a stridex wipe.

[zan]

I use the N20. I really like it. Be careful of over tightening. Don't crank it down tight. Leave it a little loose so it fills with air. I can get two fingers under the straps. It also seals better if you get the face oils off. I wash my face and then use a stridex wipe.

I'm trying to get into the habit of washing my face before bed, so I see this a good thing. Thanks for the tips.

[zan]

Do new machines usually come with spare filters or do I need to buy those separately?

[Pugsy]

They will normally come with a spare filter. Just wait and see what yours comes with. There's no rush with the filters.
They normally won't need frequent replacement and in a pinch you can even rinse them out.