Cpap died while traveling

Suevv · Post by **Suevv** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:25 am

Help! My husband's CPAP died last night. To make things worse - he's traveling (at a conference in Anaheim) this weekend. We are in a panic but can't think of anything that could help. Do you guys have any ideas? Thanks for any help you could offer.

Stormynights · Post by **Stormynights** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:46 am

Craig's List?

LSAT · Post by **LSAT** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:51 am

Onj a weekend in an unfamiliar city he is most likely out of luck. He should try sleeping elevated. If the unit is under warranty e can bring it to his DME when he comes home and they should give him a loaner or replace the unit. If it is an older unit...find out what kind he has and look on your local Craigslist for any deals. Otherwise check on line for new and used units on line.

secondwindcpap.com ..... for used units
cpap.com ..... for new units

squid13 · Post by **squid13** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:55 am

This is why it's a good idea to have a backup machine, he would then have a machine when he comes home to use while getting his primary machine fixed or replaced.

Leadhead · Post by **Leadhead** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:01 am

If you have a backup, take it to Fedex and overnight it. If you have a local DME call them...they should overnight him a replacement...mine did. My machine went out on me once in Las Vegas and once in Italy...I always wondered if the reduced air pressure in an airplane caused that.

kaiasgram · Post by **kaiasgram** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 12:59 pm

If you have a copy of his prescription at home, can you get it to him (email as attachment, fax...) -- he could then go online and make a purchase from a reputable dealer like cpap.com or secondwindcpap.com. You can probably pay an extra charge for expedited shipping.

If by chance he bought his machine from one of these online sellers then they have his prescription on file and he can just contact them. Also I think cpap.com still has a loaner program, something else to inquire about (I think you have to have bought your machine from them to use their loaner program, not positive about this).

Private craigslist sellers wouldn't ask for a copy of the prescription. If he can get a machine this way, we can direct you to the clinical manual for the machine (unless it's some obscure model) so he can set the machine to his prescribed settings.

kaiasgram · Post by **kaiasgram** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:14 pm

Another thought -- Change the title of your first post here to something specific like "Emergency loaner cpap needed in Anaheim, CA" -- we might have a forum member nearby who has a backup/extra machine and is willing to help your hubby. Admittedly a longshot but we've seen stuff like this work out on occasion. I'm not sure if you need to register for the forum before being able to change the title but you should register anyway so someone can private message you if they have something to offer.

Suevv · Post by **Suevv** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:17 pm

Guys - thanks for the quick responses. He actually already got a brand new unit off Craigslist from a guy whose girlfriend wouldn't put up with the noise. Horrible for the guy but so lucky for us. Fingers crossed but looking good. You guys are the best. I hope we can help out like this in the future since now we will have a "loaner" of somebody has an emergency in the Bay Area.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:24 pm

Suevv wrote:Help! My husband's CPAP died last night. To make things worse - he's traveling (at a conference in Anaheim) this weekend. We are in a panic but can't think of anything that could help. Do you guys have any ideas? Thanks for any help you could offer.

I found by experience that during business hours local DMEs will go out of the way to get you a loaner or sell you a new machine. This goes for DMEs that you have not done business with also.

But the weekend is a problem. Best I can recommend is to avoid backsleeping like the plague until he can get a machine. Sleep on sides or stomach. Also, go to a drugstore and buy one of these:

This is a soft foam spinal collar ($10 about) and helps to keep the airway in the best position for breathing.

These two together may still not do much for him and he might have a very rough couple of nights. Monday morning first thing he should call a local DME and get them working on a loaner or a new purchase to use Monday night.

So sorry for his plight and I will pray for him.

(If he can sleep upright in a recliner, it also may help some. He should wear the collar in either case.)

ChicagoGramps

Lambeau · Post by **Lambeau** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 1:34 pm

Maybe I'm being naive, and if so I'll accept any criticism to my comment.

I don't quite see this as some sort of life or death emergency. Most of us had sleep apnea for years and years before we ever had a sleep study, were diagnosed, and put on CPAP therapy. Millions more of us have apnea and don't know it, or do know it and have never thought to address it, or chose not to for any number of reasons. A broken leg or a bad case of the flu could also keep one from attending a weekend conference away from home. For that matter, the machine "dying" at home would typically have similar problems were it on a weekend or holiday.....or in the middle of the night at home in bed for that matter.

Surely, a night or two away from home without one's CPAP machine is not going to be that big of a deal. Just pretend you had not yet had your study and were not even aware that you had sleep apnea. A night or two without a machine is not going to cause any serious or long term consequences for 99+% of CPAP users. On the other hand, excessive worry over it just might cause you more harm than just rolling with it and go about your business. If you are convinced that this is putting him in such extreme peril, skip the conference and get yourself into an emergency room at a hospital to have them keep you from perishing from an anxiety attack or heart attack.

Again, maybe I'm being naive, but this is my read on the situation.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 2:53 pm

I don't quite see this as some sort of life or death emergency.

I now have two deceased friends who skipped their CPAP for one night. The latest was this spring. He was fifty years old. His friends in the next room heard him snoring loudly all night. They woke about 4:30 and the storing had stopped. They went in to check on him and found his lifeless body.

I can tell you one night without CPAP could do me in. But then one night with CPAP at my advanced age could do me in.

ChicagoGramps

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 4:12 pm

the older machines had a habit of leaking water from the chamber if not emptied before traveling
not knowing which model this was i have no idea if this was the cause but know it is the cause of most failures while traveling
not emptying the water before packing bc we are not used to that and under stress to catch a flight etc.

in any case as you found out craigslist is the way to go when away from home or for a backup

and for the non-believers once your body has acclimated to cpap one night without can be the final fatal stressor as pointed out

Cereal Killer · Post by **Cereal Killer** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 4:57 pm

ChicagoGranny wrote: I can tell you one night without CPAP could do me in.

ChicagoGramps

Guest wrote:and for the non-believers once your body has acclimated to cpap one night without can be the final fatal stressor as pointed out

Most of us went many years or even decades with sleep apnea before we were diagnosed and started treatment. We noticed something after we had a successful treatment going for some time. That something is skipping one night of cpap will make us feel much worse than we felt before we were diagnosed and treated. We wondered why we would now feel worse when skipping one night. Before we were treated our hemocrit levels may have been abnormally high and after some time of good cpap therapy our hemocrit levels return to normal. With normal hemocrit levels one night without cpap is more damaging that nights with high hemocrit levels.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 5:19 pm

Let's just hope this cpap was not checked in the gorilla baggage handlers.

suevv · Post by **suevv** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:23 pm

"I don't quite see this as some sort of life or death emergency."

Well - i feel like somebody just had cranky pants on. But still I feel compelled to respond. I didn't say it was a life or death emergency (although others have made a pretty good case that it could be). As it happens, however, this is an extremely important conference, not some weekend junket. It's an investment of scarce time and money for our family, and the whole darned thing could have been a wipe-out if hubby couldn't get any darned sleep. I'm sure you all recall the Jekyll/Hyde thing that can happen when a CPAP-er is denied decent, machine-assisted sleep.

Anyway, I'm grateful to those who didn't brush off our situation as frivolous. I honestly never would have thought of Craigslist, and it all worked out so well.

Kind regards,
Sue
PS - No baggage handlers, always hand carried. And yes - we are very glad now to have a backup and will always keep it handy. Phew!

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