I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Komodo · Post by **Komodo** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:03 am

I am totally thrilled with it! (so far )

My DME came here this morning with a large bag full of masks for me to try. I had asked for the Quattro, Ultra Mirage, and ComfortFull, which he brought, along with a bunch of others. Without ever seeing them, based soley on my research, I thought my first choice would be the Quattro, so I tried that one on first.

It was L-O-V-E love at first feel!

I didn't need to try any of the others, THIS is the perfect mask for me! The DME wanted to fit the mask on me and I told him I'D do it. Took me about 15 seconds for a perfect fit. Then he tells me I'm wearing the mask too high and pulls it down lower on my face, where it leaks like a sive. I pull it back to where I had it (where I would normally wear it) and the leaks were gone. I lay down on the bed on my back, no problem. Roll side to side, on my stomach,still no problems Not only were there ZERO leaks, the mask was EXTREMELY comfortable. I didn't feel ANY contact with the bridge of my nose, which for me, is a major problem. This Quattro makes all my other masks feel like intruments of torture!

I've only been "on the hose" for six months, have only used 3 diferent masks, and never realized HOW MUCH of a difference there is with a well fitting mask. All you new guys reading this, take my advice and try on as many different masks as you can. The Quattro is perfect for ME, it may not be perfect for you, but there IS one out there for you. Keep searching until you find that special one!!!

Hawthorne · Post by **Hawthorne** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 12:29 pm

Congrats!!!

You also give excellent advice!!

Gerryk · Post by **Gerryk** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 12:50 pm

Congrats. It pays off to keep trying.

Gerry

harry33 · Post by **harry33** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 3:29 pm

good advice, sadly many dont bother to try masks of different brands, some dont even bother to measure the face to give the correct size

KatieW · Post by **KatieW** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:38 pm

How wonderful that you found your perfect mask! Sweet dreams tonight.

GaryG · Post by **GaryG** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:19 pm

Congrats for finding your mask. Never easy, not trivial, and I'm sure it will be worth it in the long run.

Komodo · Post by **Komodo** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:51 pm

Thank's guys!
Right now I'm worse than a little kid on Christmas morning!

I can't wait until I go to bed and try it out for the first time. Something tells me I'm going to be sleeping late tomorrow morning!

Ms.Snuffleupagus · Post by **Ms.Snuffleupagus** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:38 pm

Hey good for you Komodo! The quattro is a great mask and surprisingly comfortable. Zero leak rate. I keep searching for a tinier mask but keep coming back to the quattro. Enjoy

SleepingUgly · Post by **SleepingUgly** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:23 pm

How did you get the DME to provide you with all those masks to try? My DME stocks 1 or 2 full face masks, and that's it. Every place that I have access to stocks 1 or 2, and one of them is always the Quattro, so that basically I have no avenue for trying much more than that. Also, even if I could read about one online that was of interest to me (and besides others' reviews, I wouldn't know how to know which would interest me), since I've gotten a mask in the past 3 months, my insurance wouldn't cover it, so why would my DME order one for me to try (assuming they even do such a thing)? I would like to try more, so any tips would be appreciated.

Muse-Inc · Post by **Muse-Inc** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:04 pm

Congrats Komodo! I know how much of a struggle this adventure has been. Amazing how the 'right' mask just makes it all come together!

sleepywolverine · Post by **sleepywolverine** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:10 pm

I did recently too. I got the comfortgel full because my Quattro was leaking into my eyes. It felt great when we tried it on but when I slept that night- horrible. I can't get a good seal for anything. I'm so happy that she let me keep my Quattro. I would have really wanted to quit using my machine if I'd have been given the comfortgel first. Hopefully I can find a way to make it work though so I'll have a back up I'm going to try the silicone plug stuff to help with the leaks around my eyes (or order a small here as I think that may be the problem).

Grats on finding your HG!

JohnBFisher · Post by **JohnBFisher** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:24 am

Komodo wrote:... Took me about 15 seconds for a perfect fit. Then he tells me I'm wearing the mask too high and pulls it down lower on my face, where it leaks like a sive. I pull it back to where I had it (where I would normally wear it) and the leaks were gone. ...

Good advice to keep on trying to find a mask that works well. And while obvious you are absolutely right ... What works for me may not work for you.

As you note, the important thing is to heed how you feel. You know what works for your. It's a very good observation that once you are accustomed to using a mask you will learn what works for you. I don't have problems with the bridge of my nose (as you do), but I do with my sinuses beside my nose. So, I position the mask to minimize the stress across that area. And BINGO! It's a comfortable fit and the leaks are minimized for me. Too tight in that area and I can not breathe easily. Go figure, but that's the way it works for me.

So, thanks for sharing. You are right that we should keep on trying until we find what works for each of us.

Komodo · Post by **Komodo** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:10 am

I OVER SLEPT!(yea!!!!)

First night with my new Quattro, and I have mixed results. My "numbers" flat out SUCK! Leak: 0.45 AHI: 11.8 AI: 2.8 HI: 9.0

I woke up several times, and had to tighten the headgear. Not so much because of leaks, but the mask was sliding all over my face, poking me in the eye at one point! The final "tightening", left the mask digging into my cheeks. When I woke up, it was no longer digging into me, no marks on my face,and seemed to fit perfectly once again.

I'm a little concerned with the high AHI (my highest to date I think) and will have to keep an eye on that.

Otherwise, WOW! I had a GREAT night's sleep!!!!

Komodo · Post by **Komodo** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:28 am

SleepingUgly wrote:How did you get the DME to provide you with all those masks to try? My DME stocks 1 or 2 full face masks, and that's it. Every place that I have access to stocks 1 or 2, and one of them is always the Quattro, so that basically I have no avenue for trying much more than that. Also, even if I could read about one online that was of interest to me (and besides others' reviews, I wouldn't know how to know which would interest me), since I've gotten a mask in the past 3 months, my insurance wouldn't cover it, so why would my DME order one for me to try (assuming they even do such a thing)? I would like to try more, so any tips would be appreciated.

It's pure luck, that my DME has so many masks to choose from. I didn't expect them to have so many.
Prior to having them come over, I checked to see what OTHER DME's were covered under my insurance, There were'nt any near me. SO.....I looked in the phone book and located about a dozen DME's in my area. I had planned to call them up, and LIE to them, saying I wanted to buy a new mask and wanted to TRY IT ON first. Figured I'd find one I liked, then go to MY DME and have them order it for me. I know that's sneaky, buy hey, we gotta do what we gotta do!

Since your insurance won't cover the cost of a new mask, buy it from our forum host https://www.cpap.com or try your luck at the auction cpapaution.com. You might even pay less than your insurace co-pay!

GaryG · Post by **GaryG** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:44 pm

First order of business is to find a mask that fits comfortably.
Next is to minimize leakage.
Then is to optimize treatment.

You've got the first one down. Now, you didn't mention anything about leakage. What is your reported leakage?

I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)

Re: I Got A New Mask! :-) :-) :-) :-)