Insurance Frustrations + CPAP purchase

[Fizzled]

I have a 560 on hand (but no mask).

Now to get a mask, anything I should do with it before that comes in? Resets, etc.

[jdm2857]

You'll want to into the Clinical Menu, choose Info, and then Clear Data. It will
then prompt you to confirm the deletion. I missed the confirmation step and wound
up with the previous owner's data stored by SleepyHead. It took a bunch of
trial-and-error gyrations to get that data out of SleepyHead.

To get into the Clinical Menu, set the User Menu screen to Settings, and then hold
down the wheel button and the ramp button until the unit beeps.

[Pugsy]

Check your private message box....I sent you a link for the clinical/provider manual for the 560 machine and it explains how to reset to zero the therapy data that is belonging to previous user.
Don't forget to erase the SD card too.

Masks....what mask did you want to try?

[Fizzled]

thanks jdm and pugsy, I got have the machine/SD card all reset.

Pugsy, per the PM I was thinking to try this one.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/comfor ... onics.html

But yeah, looking at piecing that together part by part it becomes rather cost prohibitive as far as I can tell. If that's what I have to do I'll do it, but If avoidable let me know.

[Pugsy]

Get with me tomorrow....I have 2 boxes of masks in various stages of use...some nearly new and some on death's door.
Let me see what I can maybe come up with that either is complete or missing maybe a cushion.

It's late now and I am tired. I will sort through the masks to see what nasal mask might be there.

[Fizzled]

I've been playing with the machine for a bit and reading the user and clinician manual, so now that I've seen it I may have the capacity to ask intelligent questions.

The machine supports an Auto-Trial mode (which documentation seems to be sparse on in the clinician manual). I can set a range from 3-30 days. So, I'm thinking I'll try initially an arbitrary range of 5-15, in auto trial mode for 3 days. After these 3 days, does the machine automatically flip to APAP mode? Or do I have to go back in and set it to APAP and it'll automatically populate the values?

Does the machine have the ability to detect if the humidifier runs dry? I was screwing with it turned on without water and it definitely heated up. Can it get hot enough to ruin the water tray?

[Pugsy]

So, I'm thinking I'll try initially an arbitrary range of 5-15, in auto trial mode for 3 days. After these 3 days, does the machine automatically flip to APAP mode? Or do I have to go back in and set it to APAP and it'll automatically populate the values?

I don't think the auto trial mode works that way. I believe that after whatever trial period is set that the machine reverts to fixed cpap mode at whatever fixed pressure it deems optimal. Then periodically adjusts the pressure (I think every 30 days).

APAP mode itself won't be able to access what the apap trial mode did/found. So you will again need to manually set the pressures but it is relatively easy to come up with suitable settings. We've done it for many years in APAP mode without the machine doing the apap trial mode thing.

Does the machine have the ability to detect if the humidifier runs dry?

No, it does not.

I was screwing with it turned on without water and it definitely heated up. Can it get hot enough to ruin the water tray?

Unlikely that it will get hot enough to damage anything permanently but it sure will smell pretty bad. Been there and done that when I forgot to add water to the tank and it went dry during the night.
Your brief testing wouldn't have been long enough to damage things and even if it does heat all night without water in it most of the time the smell is so bad you don't do that very long.

Did you get the heated hose with your machine? On the 60 series the heated hose has a black end that attaches to the swivel connector on the humidifier. If no black end...no heated hose.

[123.Shawn T.W.]

thanks jdm and pugsy, I got have the machine/SD card all reset.

Pugsy, per the PM I was thinking to try this one.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/comfor ... onics.html

But yeah, looking at piecing that together part by part it becomes rather cost prohibitive as far as I can tell. If that's what I have to do I'll do it, but If avoidable let me know.

I have one similar to that ... Mine is a TrueBlue, I wore it about two weeks ... Size LARGE, plus I have a NEW - EXTRA cushion for it ... $40 shipped! https://www.cpap.com/productpage/TrueBl ... dgear.html

PLEASE Let me know ASAP ... I'm leaving out on the road for another two weeks later this morning!

BTW My APAP is sold ...

[Fizzled]

Shawn, thanks for the offer but I'm not sure if it'd be the right size for me. I wouldn't be able to use the cut out sizing guide until later this evening.

[123.Shawn T.W.]

Shawn, thanks for the offer but I'm not sure if it'd be the right size for me. I wouldn't be able to use the cut out sizing guide until later this evening.

Alright, it is in a box ... If you really want it ... let me know, I'll twist my wife's arm, and have her sent it out ...

[Fizzled]

I found someone selling a brand new comfortgel mask for$25, but it's a small. It looks like the the hard clear plastic part comes in two sizes, medium and large, and the specific 'nose sizes' are accomodated by various cushions.

Is this accurate? If so I'll buy this and pick up a cushion.

[Fizzled]

Whelp, picked up the 25 dollar ComfortGel Mask from Craigslist. The Gel is a Small but the fit doesn't seem that bad, I have a medium Gel coming in from Amazon. Thanks to pugsy who's sending me a few other models to try out.

So far the mask doesn't seem so unpleasant. I've arbitrarily set my machine at 8 - 15, I don't find breathing through that unpleasant at all (for the 5 minutes that I tried. I can't wear my glasses and the mask at the same time... didn't account for that.)

I've arbitrarily set humidifier/heated tube settings on the lowest allowed. Can't tell if there are any leaks, but I would expect to hear/feel it?

I have sleepyhead on my computer, so hopefully I'll have some good data from tonight to review tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for their help and input! I'm months ahead of Kaiser already!

[123.Shawn T.W.]

A leak will be noisy, and kinda like somebody blowing through a straw into your face!

When the mask is on, and the machine running, just pull the mask slightly away from your face ...

Good luck!

[Fizzled]

Thanks!

Just did 30 minutes. Pressure doesn't really bother me at all so far. The exhale vent on the mask's wooshing noises are distracting but the machine and everything else is OK.

I figured I had to anchor the mask on pretty tight to get it to work, but it seams to seal pretty well just barely tightened above the weight of the mask.

Is it normal to be able to open my mouth without any pressure escaping? If I try I can 'break the seal' and have pressure escape out of my mouth but I have to labor pretty hard for that.

[jdm2857]

If the tongue is placed against the roof of the mouth with the tip
resting just behind the upper teeth,the mouth can be sealed off from the
rest of the airway. The mouth can then be opened while the is machine
running without allowing air to escape.

It sounds as if your tongue naturally went to the right position. That's
a good thing.