Before I go to sleep tonight

Raise a glass with me.... the cpap and mask arrived today! Woohoo!!

And now, to the questions. Unit is a ResMed Vantage S8. I have set things via the clinician's menu, but I am puzzled by a couple of settings.

1. I am going to start with a Breeze, and there is no mask setting for that...should I use the Swift setting? or Standard?

2. Do I put the data card in now? or when?

3. What is the setting "Auto Appear"? (heeheehee, does this thing dematerialize during the daytime?)

4. What is the setting (advanced mode) that says "Cust"? Customer?

I know I will have more, but for now, I am just really pleased that I can finally get started with all this.

As always, thanks to all the great people here and their generous help!

Congrats on your new S8 Vantage. I like mine a lot.

Now, to your questions:

1) I don't know which mask to set on the menu, but you'll need to choose one that has the closest "bias" rate (or the rate that leak is built in for venting purposes) as your Breeze. Call the DME supplier for advice.

2) AutoAppear will enable a screen that comes up when therapy starts each night in AutoSet mode that will tell you what pressure its blowing both with a number (X.X) as well as with a series of dashes, each of which is equal to 2 cmH2O. It'll give you a real time display of what its blowing at any given moment. If you say the magic words, it'll also materialize anyone you want in bed next to ya.

3) Put in the SmartCard anytime that you want to download data from the S8 to it. Similarly, your doc can change settings by loading them onto the SmartCard, which will then upload to your S8 every time that you insert the card.

4) Cust allows you to load your own name, so that when it flashes reminders to you that you (or your doc/dme) have set (like time for a new mask, or time to come in for a check-up), it won't be rude and address you as "Hey, YOU!!!"

ENJOY IT!!!! Its a good, little APAP.

Chuck

so how did it go? inquiring minds wanna know, lol, i hope you did ok.

I was really keyed up and not all that sleepy, so I stayed up a while longer than usual. Got all rigged up (I look like the Borg and sound like Darth Vader), and lay down.

Nada.

Now I usually fall asleep in two minutes or less (bugs the HELL out of a lot of people...."It's not FAIR!!!" ) I don't sleep well, but I get off to sleep really fast. After an hour, I still wasn't asleep. I had to tape my mouth shut since at full pressure I was mouth breathing and choking. I removed the tape (ow), drank a lot of water, and cranked up the humidifier and tried again. I guess I did sleep, and the AHI index *was* down from my sleep test numbers, but after 5 hours I took the Breeze off and shut down the cpap. I rolled over and dropped off the sleep in a couple of minutes. Boy, are my nostrils SORE, even after the two hours of careful fitting.

So, I was on therapy for 5 hours. I have a full face mask which I will be trying either this afternoon or tonight. With the beard, I have to cinch it down a bit to get a decent seal, but I doubt I'd make it all night with the Breeze, nostrils are still sore. Hopefully, they will toughen up some. Next up....'mask face', the ruts the full face mask will leave in my face and beard.

I *have* to make this work somehow. And I know its only the first night, and will take getting used to.

Last night (second night), similar results with the full face mask. AHI was down a bit (19.5 last night, 27.3 night before). I did manage to keep the mask on for 6 hours, though, and no sore nose. I will be using the full face maske again tonight, and upping the pressure from 10...I'll try 11 and see if the AHI is down some more.

BTW, the 'CUST' setting only offers the option of setting a date. A date for what?

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): breeze, humidifier, CPAP, AHI, seal

which full face do you have?

Hang in there bookbear!

Just curious... do you have the S8 set in Auto Mode or CPAP mode? Auto might take some of the guesswork out of it for you. I seem to need different pressures depending on my sleep position.

Birdybabie:

I originally set the unit for CPAP, because the EPR feature only works in the CPAP mode, and I had problems with exhaling against the pressure (not sure what the pressure was at that point) in the sleep study. Last night I set it at AUTO and gave it a range of 7-14. My sleep study and prescription indicate a pressure of 10.


Modest success!! I was able to keep the mask on all night (7.5 hours), and my AHI was 6.3, down from 19.5 and 27.3 the two previous nights! I did not have the constant feeling that I was fighting machine pressure. I actually slept!

I still am having mask issues (VERY sore forehead this morning with the UMFF) but I have devised a pad with I hope will ease that. I really want the Breeze to work, but unless I can overcome mouth breathing, I guess it will have to bee the full face mask. A chin strap didn't work, I just opened my lips even though they has cinched my jaw shut during the sleep study.

I will be giving the Breeze another try tonight with the unit set to AUTO. Perhaps I won't need to open my mouth to gasp for air. Fingers crossed!

[quote="GoofyUT"]
2) AutoAppear will enable a screen that comes up when therapy starts each night in AutoSet mode that will tell you what pressure its blowing both with a number (X.X) as well as with a series of dashes, each of which is equal to 2 cmH2O. It'll give you a real time display of what its blowing at any given moment. If you say the magic words, it'll also materialize anyone you want in bed next to ya.

Woohoo!! An "undocumented feature"!!!

Have fun!!!! Let your imagination RUN WILD!!!!!!!

Chuck

P.S. Don't tell ANYONE about our little secret......