Newbie with questions

[dir1944]

penuel...i don't understand your comment. i'm brand new to this forum.

cheers
david

[paradoiley]

For what it's worth, I started with a Wisp and changed to the Nuance Pro after about three months. I prefer the pillows to the nasal mask, but it took me about 2 weeks to become accustomed to them.

The Nuance is loud when it blows on the sheets or the comforter. The vent directs the air down, while the wisp was up. My wife complains about it every once in a while. She also thinks that it blows on her.

I don't know. Maybe we all hate the first mask we were given.

[dir1944]

paradoily...so i think we are using the same mask, the Nuance Pro gel. since i'm permitted to get one other mask within the first 30 days, i figure i might as well try a nose mask and then i'll have a basis of comparison and i'll have two masks also. how long have you been on cpap? are you sleeping through the night? last night i started the cpap at 8pm, while watching tv, and then i woke up around 2am. i couldn't go back to sleep until 3am but i did put the cpap on again and woke up at 6:30am. that's a record for me so perhaps i'm getting close to sleeping the whole night.

cheers
david

[jwerley]

David.....Good for you! You are getting used to wearing the mask...and rather quickly IMO. It will just keep getting easier and easier if you keep sticking with it. I have been on cpap for 9 years and have tried many different masks over the years. The full face mask just did not work for me at all because of leaks....but now even those can be tamed with mask liners from "Pad-a-Cheek or Remzzes. I personally like the nasal masks, not nasal pillows. I found that nasal pillows started making my nares too sore. Right now I am using the Wisp, (nasal mask) but I do have to use some mole skin on the bridge of my nose with it. Masks are a tough discussion as they are so personal as everyone's face is so different. A mask that one person thinks is the best ever can be your most hated mask. So once you find the one that you think is fabulous you will have overcome one of the biggest hurdles in getting used to cpap.

One of the most helpful things you can do is to keep reading the information on this forum. Just go up to "search" at the top of the forum page and ask a question for anything that you have a question about and the topic will come up on an old thread. If your question is not answered then of course come back and start a new thread.

Hope some of this helps!

Janice

[dir1944]

janice...what a positive response to my posting. thank you so very much! i mean it!
a couple of questions: 1. it seems like there are different wisp models. can you tell me the one you use please?
2. do people tend to buy a lot of masks? it seems that way to me.
3. here's the deal with me. mayo clinic is my healthcare provider. the sleep nurse practicioner had me take the sleep
tests and then i saw the respiratory supervisor at mayo. he wrote the prescription for me and he has apnea too.
he wrote the prescription for the machine and nasal pillow mask that he uses so that's how i got what i use. i think
the machine is very good. never realized there were so many different types of machines. so, now i got my
machine and mask from a company called apria. they are a large, national company with branches all over the
country. they explained to me that i have 30 days to get another mask so that's why i think i'd like to try another one.
4. do you stay with your original dme or did you just find someplace to buy equipment and replacement parts?

thanks again for your splendid reply.

cheers
david (in phoenix)

[paradoiley]

I've been on since May. The first week was horrible. I was in denial that the problem even needed to be treated. My sleep test said my overall AHI was 10 but on my back was 85. So they told me overall it was mild. I hardly slept much at all the first week. After the first week I had to go back for my titration, and when I was complained to the sleep tech that I didn't even need to be on it, he told me I was an idiot and that 85 was not mild. I got about 2 hours of sleep during the titration study so I was exhausted the next day. That night I went to sleep and I've been sleeping fairly well ever since. Part of it was the exhaustion, and part was the acceptance of what the Sleep tech was telling me.

The difference for me is night and day. I was going to bed at 11 and tossing and turning until my wife came to bed around 12:30. If I was lucky I would fall asleep then. If not, I would toss and turn until about 3 when my middle son came in to use the washroom, and then I would fall asleep after putting him to bed. This would happen 2 out of three nights. I'd wake up and tell myself I only had to make it to 1 when I could use the nap room at work. After the nap room I'd tell myself I only had to make it to 11 when I could go to bed.

I still don't sleep through the night. I generally go to bed around 11:30, wake around 3-3:30, but then I go back to sleep and sleep until 6:30. My children still get up and need to be put back to bed, but now instead of me hearing them before they open the door to my bedroom, I'm awakened by my wife coming back to bed

The system has become my security blanket. I put it on and I *know* I'm going to sleep well. In fact 2 weeks ago when the power was out I was panicking with the thought of sleeping without the machine. Luckily for me the power came back on and I didn't have to find out.

[dir1944]

paradoily....your first week sounds like my first week. and i also was in denial and didn't think i even had this problem. after my sleep clinic evaluation, they told me i had a mild case but the sleep clinic supervisor said some of my rem readings were more than mild. thank you for sharing your experiences with me. i really appreciate the support i'm getting from this website. i am not going to give up because i know this is what i need.

i'm an old fart! (age 69) i get into bed around 8pm, watch tv for a 1/2 hour or most likely an hour and then go to sleep at 9. my habit has been to wake up between 12:30 and 3am. i would usually stay up for an hour and then be so tired, i could fall asleep again, most of the time but not all the time.

so, last night was a breakthrough for me. the first four nights, i would just shut the machine down after i woke up which was usually around 4 to 4 1/2 hours. but last night, i fell asleep faster and didn't wake up until just after 2am. i thought this was terrific. i got out of bed and did some computer things (this is very bad they have told me because of the light from the screen). then i got back into bed around three and i put the mask back on. i did fall asleep and woke up around 6:30am. wow! my regular wake up time is between 5 and 5:30 so now i have more confidence in the cpap and i can't wait to go to sleep tonight and see what happens. even if i don't sleep the whole night, i will put the cpap back on to finish out the night after i wake up. i'm thinking that i'm making progress.

cheers
david in phoenix

[jwerley]

janice...what a positive response to my posting. thank you so very much! i mean it!
a couple of questions: 1. it seems like there are different wisp models. can you tell me the one you use please?
2. do people tend to buy a lot of masks? it seems that way to me.
3. here's the deal with me. mayo clinic is my healthcare provider. the sleep nurse practicioner had me take the sleep
tests and then i saw the respiratory supervisor at mayo. he wrote the prescription for me and he has apnea too.
he wrote the prescription for the machine and nasal pillow mask that he uses so that's how i got what i use. i think
the machine is very good. never realized there were so many different types of machines. so, now i got my
machine and mask from a company called apria. they are a large, national company with branches all over the
country. they explained to me that i have 30 days to get another mask so that's why i think i'd like to try another one.
4. do you stay with your original dme or did you just find someplace to buy equipment and replacement parts?

thanks again for your splendid reply.

cheers
david (in phoenix)

Hi David

#1The Wisp comes in two types, one with a silicone headgear and one with a cloth headgear. I have the cloth one, as it is more comfortable.
#2 People generally keep trying to find that one mask they they will simply fall in love with. They tend to try new ones when they first come out or if the one they were given to begin with is just not doable (sp?). There are many other reasons, some people like to have a spare full face mask for when they have a cold or are sick....I could go on and on. Then again some people find a mask they like and just stick with it...it is just so personal with each person that it is very hard to comment on. #3 Definitely take them up on their offer to try another mask! #4 You can choose any DME that you want if you have Ins. that works with that particular DME. I don't know how old you are, but Medicare has a new rule this year. You have to go with a DME who is contracted with them in a particular area.

I have to run to an appointment....but if you have any other questions or if I didn't give you all the answers you need, I will check in later this afternoon.

Good luck,
Janice

[dir1944]

janice...once again you have been fabulous with your advice! thank you so much.
yes, i am 69 and on medicare. my medicare supplementary insurance is with humana. humana can give me a list of dme's in my area but you are saying that not all dmes are compatible with medicare, right? well, i'm not unhappy with apria, my dme, but that time might come. i don't want to make any waves until i get my new mask which i'll do in the next week or two thanks for the information about the wisp mask headgear. here's a question: is the headgear a separate piece of euipment from the mask? when i go in for the new mask, will they give me the headgear with the mask or is the mask i use with the nuance gel nasal pillows be used for the new mask? i can see why people have more than one mask from your explanation.

one more question, if you don't mind? i notice that most people list ther machine type and mask type at the bottom of their posts. it's probably set in the profile, right? how do i get that on my profile please?

cheers
david

[Lazer1234]

one more question, if you don't mind? i notice that most people list ther machine type and mask type at the bottom of their posts. it's probably set in the profile, right? how do i get that on my profile please?

cheers
david

Klick here: https://www.cpaptalk.com/ucp.php?i=prof ... pment_info

[dir1944]

lazer 1234....thank you for providing me the link.

cheers
david

[violetpro]

Dir1944--Here's a link for locating the Medicare contracted DME's:
http://www.medicare.gov/supplierdirectory/search.html
Type in your ZIP and search to see if you live in a competitive bidding area. If so, select CPAP devices and search again. This should take you to a page where you can select "show all results." CPAP Care Club in TN, which is on the list, has been mentioned on this forum as a reliable supplier that will send your items to you if you aren't satisfied with a DME close to you.

[dir1944]

violetpro...thank you so much for the link to medicare dmes. yes, i found about 28 in the greater phoenix area so i won't have trouble finding one.

thank you again,
cheers
david

[Julie]

Go to User Ctl Panel and make changes in your profile about what notifications you get and what you don't want.

[dir1944]

julie...thank you for your advice. i appreciate it.
cheers
david