First night split between two new masks

The clinician from my DME stopped by yesterday with a nice little surprise. Instead of just the Swift Nasal Pillow System I was expecting, he also brought a Mirage Vista mask and headgear for me to try. Both are to supplement (or replace) the Mirage Activa mask that originally came with my CPAP about a month ago.

I was eager to try the Swift and put it on even before I was ready to go to sleep, in hopes of adjusting to it while I was reading in bed. What a nice feature to be able to see clearly, rather than trying to peer around the sides of the Activa!

Unfortunately, I was never able to get as comfortable as I would have liked, especially with the amount of pressure (I'm at 11) giving me difficulty exhaling. So, part way through the night, rather than lay there and suffer (not one of my strong points) I got up and switched to the Vista.

Despite the similarity in overall design to the Activa, I was very pleased with the smaller "footprint" of the Vista and the comfortable fit. I did have some issues adjusting it so that it wouldn't leak, but I woke up for the first time in a very long time to the sound of my alarm clock. Normally, I'm wide awake long before it goes off!

To allay the fears of many of you, I will go back and try the Swift again, perhaps over the weekend when a solid sleep is less vital, and would appreciate any tips or hints you guys can provide for both the Swift and the Vista.

Also, do you think it's possible and/or unreasonable of me to request one of the CPAPs that adjusts for ease of exhalations? Not sure what they're called, but as some of you may remember, I'm a professional opera singer, so my inhalation/exhalation is fairly forceful and extended, even when I'm sleeping, so the change in pressure during the exhalation might be a big plus. Before the first 3 months are up and I actually "own" this machine, is it something I should discuss with the prescribing physician.

Thanks in advance for your good advice!

Kurtchan

Sorry folks, but the inquiry above is from me! Kurtchan