? for SleeplessLI...swift lines

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 8:29 pm

I love my swift also, would be nice to have a layer of something cushy under face strap. I bet they come up with something. Big difference for the better when I started using the med. nose things instead of the small. My face is small and the rt said I would probably never use the med or large. The large would leak all over and not begin to fit. If someone wants to trade med for large---- I may try the small again as I get more accustomed to using the machine. So far not so great nightime sleep. But GREAT 1-2 hour naps.
The only other mask I can compare to is the respironics from the sleep center. I am a side sleeper--side to side, and the swift is doing fine. I do use a buckwheat pillow though which molds like you want it. I think someday I will get an activa.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 9:30 pm

Janelle,

If I'm understanding this, you took the lower set of straps and folded them before you made the cut to make a slit for the ends of the "barrel." Then you cut off the top straps, reattached them somehow and pulled up the lower set with these top reconfigured straps. Didn't that cause marks on your face? I am not quite understanding how you made the bottom straps adjustable, though, if you needed to pull the barrel tighter under your nose. Is that possible that you can adjust it? Would it be by the top straps pulling up the bottom straps in their newly configured position? And how did you reattach the top straps???

I guess by using just the elastic straps, you eliminated the swoosh lines on your face, no? And you must leave the hose in a down position at night.

Do did I decipher this correctly? It's so hard when you're not looking the photo of the configured mesh cap, but I THINK I got it...

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:41 am

UPDATE:

Good morning. Tried a new way of wearing the hose up on top of the top strap and arc'd the hose in a C, and adjusted the straps totally differently last night so that they were nowhere near the top of my ears. Also bought the EXPENSIVE Tempur-Pedic Comfort pillow, too, and used that.

Well, the headgear/hose worked out fine, as did the pillow (love it), but now the marks I got are up higher on the cheekbones. Nothing is taking them away in the AMs. Looser straps, reconfigured straps, change in hose position, expensive pillow. I give up!

I am going to buy some mole skin and apply it to the inside of the side straps and then wrap it around the outer top edge where it digs in on the top of the strap and see if that helps. If it works, it will get expensive since I'll have to take the mole skin off to wash the headgear, but I don't know what else to do, unless I can get totally creative like Janelle. But I still don't understand everything she wrote. Hoping for more details on how to do it.

I now am going to have to change my name to SwooshWoman...

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 3:30 pm

My lines were more apparent today which stunk because I started a new job (at 6:00 a.m.!!!). My 1st quilting experiment didn't work but I'm not giving up. I'll let you know if I come up with a solution.
Amy (yawning....)

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 3:54 pm

Amy,

Are you leaving the hose in the up or down position now?

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:52 pm

The up position. I don't have any leakage in the up position and I can sleep on my side without any trouble at all. This morning my alarm clock went off at 4:15 a.m. and I was so confused that I couldn't figure out how to get off my headgear so I could turn off the alarm (it's on the other side of the room). For a moment, I thought I could walk across the room with the gear and tube all attached.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:26 pm

Yawn writes:

For a moment, I thought I could walk across the room with the gear and tube all attached.

Oh, don't feel so bad. I think that is one that we all do now and then. I forget I'm attached and when I go to go, I get pulled back. If that's the stupidest thing we ever do, then I think we're in great shape.

Meanwhile, I am trying one last new padding tonight. I took the insides of those two large gauze-like pads I had tried putting under the straps and molded them around the straps. I took the gauze-like covering off so that they're just basically a soft cotton-like pad. Then I took the stick-to-itself wrist brace cuts I had tried on their own and wrapped them around each cotton that was against the strap. Tried not to make it too thick so I wouldn't feel it against my bony cheekbones (never thought they would be a problem-used to like my cheekbones). Now with the moldable Tempur-Pedic pillow, maybe the padding will sink into the pillow and I won't get the swoosh marks tomorrow morning.

I am really starting to like the up position, too, with the hose. You don't have it laying across one side or another of you during the night and there's no hose manipulation to wake you up. But for some weird reason, I'm not sleeping that well lately. I pray for a better night tonight. I think I am making too many changes with the gear, the tubes, the pillows, not to mention it's been hot and humid and didn't put in my bedroom AC, just a fan going.

Here's to a good night for us all. Let me know if you come up with anything and I'll let you know how this worked. Keep your fingers crossed.

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:30 pm

The only reason I have the tube in the up position is because of leaking. The tube didn't bother my sleep at all when it was pointing down but it made the mask leak and THAT bothered me

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:36 pm

I didn't have that problem with it down. I tried it up because Rock & Roll thought that it would eliminate the swoosh lines, although it didn't for me. But I seem to like it better this way.

I am getting a very light air noise all night, but as Ozij said, with the higher pressure comes a bit of noise. I used to start at 5 and it would go up to 10, 11. Now I am starting at 10 at night and it makes a light air sound no matter what I do. Doesn't bother me as long as I'm not suffering as a result. I hope it's not leaks, but just that air, as she put it, being forced in at a higher rate.

Meanwhile, no one answered my thread as to why my software didn't give me details when I set it last night from APAP to CFLEX. Took it off auto and on straight 10 cms since that seems to be my best pressure and was what I was titrated to have my machine at. I hope it doesn't happen again tonight...

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 8:09 am

Hi Lori!
I'm afraid I can't help you with your software question as I don't have the software. Why don't you re-post your question.
Re the noise from the swift : mine also makes a noise but it's very soft sounding...almost like the sound of the ocean. I try to convince myself that I'm at the beach and the ocean is lulling me to sleep. I've been starting mine at a pressure of 9. You're correct in that the swift does get a bit louder as the pressure increases but I don't think it's a significant increase in noise. The only time it really sounds loud to me is when it's leaking and then it almost sounds like a siren. Luckily, my swift almost never leaks now.
I am sick of the swoosh marks though!! I'm going to try and work on that today but I'm super duper tired today (after 8 hrs. of really rested sleep). I'm really starting to get worried about this excessive sleepiness after getting a good night's rest.... I wish my Dr. would do a blood test or something but he really thinks all my problems are weight related..sigh....
Have a great day! Amy

Simply Sue · Post by **Simply Sue** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:23 am

I use the Swift and sleep on both my sides and my back. I've gotten really good at tossing the line over my face as I sleep and move. When I sleep on my Left side I generally sleep on the edge of the pillow and keep the hose off to the Left side. I also seem to adjust the nasal pillow while I sleep. It just took time.

As for the face marks....that swelling is from pressure on your face. Adding padding will only make it worse. If you weren't sleeping with a mask, you may have those "wrinkles" if your face was touching a wrinkle in your pillowcase. The swelling is a slight form of edema which increases for many reasons...such as "heavy" sleeping puts added pressure on your face.
Your might try moving from side to side more. You might try sleeping on your back. Sometimes weight gain is a factor, so is fluid & salt intake.
You may just have to get used to looking like you "just woke up" first thing in the morning.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:53 am

Simply Sue writes:

Your might try moving from side to side more. You might try sleeping on your back. Sometimes weight gain is a factor, so is fluid & salt intake.
You may just have to get used to looking like you "just woke up" first thing in the morning.

Sue, unfortunately, I, like I think most people, am not in control of what I do when I sleep. I don't think I could tell myself I need to move more during sleep, if I'm sleeping, and have that happen. If you're unconcious, your movements are involuntary. Plus, I am a side sleeper. You can't just make yourself become a back sleeper.

I also have just lost 8 lbs. and have about 15 to go to be just under where I should be weight wise, so it's not an obesity thing. And my face is rather bony, no extra meat at all. Edema? No, I really don't agree. It's not swelling, but an indentation. The skin around the lines are not swollen, but the skin where the hard part of the strap is gets pushed in more. If it was swelling, ice would take the marks away and that would be that. Easy solution, I wish.

I personally think it's the neoprene plastic "stays" they put on the outside of their elastic straps that are digging into our faces. I think if they could use a softer material or just the elastic, most of our wouldn't look like we do when we get up.

I agree, I may have to just grin and bear it, but I'm not happy about it at all. I never had pock marks on my face from bad skin, and now in my forties it looks like I suffered with severe acne in my youth. Not a pretty or a nice thing for a woman, OR A MAN, to have to look like unnecessarily. But if I want to use the Swift and I can't figure out a way to make those lines lessen or disappear, then I guess, as you say, I'll have to get used to it.

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:15 am

Lori...I tend to agree with what you said about the lines but I'm also wondering is Simply Sue knows something we don't know. I agree that I don't feel like my face is swollen....it's indented.
Simple Sue...can you explain why you think your interpretation is more accurate? I'd like to understand your reasoning.
To satisfy my own curiosity...I'm going to really pad the straps tonight and see what happens. I wish we had RR's luck...he doesn't have to deal with the swooshes...lucky son of a gun
Amy

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:04 pm

Amy,

If you read my post from what I was going to do last night, you'll know what I did so I don't have to repeat that part.
That being said, I woke up much better this morning everywhere except where the "padding," which it really wasn't, touched. I didn't, however, soften the area at the bottom where the top and bottom marks make that "C" and that was deeply indented. I made my straps just enough to not feel the neoprene, but not enough to cause it to be so thick that it would be uncomfortable. I believe if Simply Sue was right about edema, then what I did last night would have made it worse, not better.
But I'll bite. Sue, what makes you feel it's swelling rather than indentation? Have you been able to get rid of these lines with ice? I guess that would be one sure fire way to find out, by icing the marks in the morning and see if they go away. Or maybe apply warm compresses to the area and see if it "lifts" the lines away (like we have time before work to do either/or).
Sue, I hope you didn't take my reply the wrong way. I was just stating my side of the opinion fence here. I didn't mean to say it rudely and I hope it didn't come across that way.

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:56 pm

I had the same results as you did. I had padded the straps but not down by the "C" part. I still had lines but they were definitely worse at the "C".
I also don't think I padded the straps well enough but, like you, don't want to pad them so much that they hurt or make the lines worse.
I guess it's back to the drawing board for me....