Kate's Therapy

I wasted one port last night myself...Somehow or other it got stuck on the nose with a huge wrinkle in it and I learned a while back that those wrinkles are tunnels for air to sneak through and when I removed it to get the wrinkle out I messed it up even worse. By then I knew the chances of it sticking all night were slim and none so I just got a new port out.

The reason I asked so specifically was because Stuart had asked me specifically how you were doing with the Bleep...I told him what I thought your feelings were about the Bleep but I just wanted to confirm things. We know your sleep is fragile...just wanted to make sure that there wasn't something going on with the Bleep that made your sleep more fragile that maybe needed a bit of fine tuning.

katestyles wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:58 pm

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:06 am

I suspect the tape started to fail and come loose a bit as the night wore on...so a bit of mouth breathing happened.

How did you sleep in general?

Yeah - I think the tape got damp.

I slept OK. I'm getting closer, and I know I don't want to get obsessed with a unicorn score. I would like to feel rested. I'm not there yet.

How are you doing with the min pressure of 17? Is that bothering you in any way? PAP therapy isn't supposed to be uncomfortable. Your pressure line looks great in the latest chart. Nice and smooth. You may have some room to drop the minimum.

djams wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 3:03 pm

How are you doing with the min pressure of 17? Is that bothering you in any way? PAP therapy isn't supposed to be uncomfortable. Your pressure line looks great in the latest chart. Nice and smooth. You may have some room to drop the minimum.

Raising the min pressure to 17 has got my AHI down much lower - I don't really have a problem sleeping through it.

palerider wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:48 pm

But you're such a fascinating test subject!

Last night your friends (I am generously assuming you are not actually part of the team) disconnected my hose at the machine just after 11.10 to see if I would notice.

In my memory, I woke at around 6, and removed the Bleep for a short PAP-free nap.

I have a headache.

Oh how they must be laughing now!

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 23, 2019 6:04 am

palerider wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:48 pm

But you're such a fascinating test subject!

Last night your friends (I am generously assuming you are not actually part of the team) disconnected my hose at the machine just after 11.10 to see if I would notice.

In my memory, I woke at around 6, and removed the Bleep for a short PAP-free nap.

I have a headache.

Oh how they must be laughing now!

*makes notes on evaluation chart*

Hey, "disconnect hose" wasn't on the schedule... I suspect one of your pets.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 23, 2019 12:39 pm

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 23, 2019 6:04 am

palerider wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:48 pm

But you're such a fascinating test subject!

Last night your friends (I am generously assuming you are not actually part of the team) disconnected my hose at the machine just after 11.10 to see if I would notice.

In my memory, I woke at around 6, and removed the Bleep for a short PAP-free nap.

I have a headache.

Oh how they must be laughing now!

*makes notes on evaluation chart*

Hey, "disconnect hose" wasn't on the schedule... I suspect one of your pets.

do the pets cause leaks too? Are you sure I dont have to tape my ears?
(gap is when I woke - hubby woke when the large leaks began)
how do I get the DST to work? all my times are off by an hour.

There is a clock on your machine that you can set to reflect the new clock time with DST. You have to change it manually if the clock times being off an hour bug you.
The clock and date are down in the area where the run hours and software version is on the LCD screen.

I'm assuming that this is mouth leak? Here are the different tapes that I've tried - just to give you some ideas.

SomniFit - really comfortable, not really meant for PAP, has a breathing hole that I taped over.
3M durapore - high density cloth tape, more comfortable than micropore
3M micropore - paper tape, least comfortable but works the best for me - be careful removing, it will pull skin off

And a couple of tips:
Purse your lips when applying the tape. This makes a world of difference for me.
Add extra support strips. I use 3, one at each end, and a short one below the tape on my lips - be happy to post a pic if you like
Wear a scunci over the tape. I think this helps in 2 ways. Prevents me from loosening the ends of the tape when side sleeping, and muffles the effects of the leaks when the tape fails. Hubbyhead will appreciate this too.

And speaking of hubbyhead - glad to hear he's back so we can start getting some reliable information again!

djams wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:42 am

I'm assuming that this is mouth leak? Here are the different tapes that I've tried - just to give you some ideas.
...
Wear a scunci over the tape. I think this helps in 2 ways. Prevents me from loosening the ends of the tape when side sleeping, and muffles the effects of the leaks when the tape fails. Hubbyhead will appreciate this too.

More of you with the scunci! What is this? OK, OK. I got as far as buying them!

I have been taping with waterproof tape in a cross at the center of my mouth, then some kind of cloth tape, about an inch wide, across my mouth.

djams wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:42 am

And speaking of hubbyhead - glad to hear he's back so we can start getting some reliable information again!

I'm glad he is back too, and not just for the data.

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:50 am

More of you with the scunci! What is this? OK, OK. I got as far as buying them!

Sorry, but there's no escaping the scunci patrol! Thing is, it's a cheap solution that really works. Sorta genius, really

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:50 am

I have been taping with waterproof tape in a cross at the center of my mouth, then some kind of cloth tape, about an inch wide, across my mouth.

I put the micorpore tape directly on my pursed lips. The lip pursing will prevent any moisture from escaping your mouth, and turning the tape into a slimy mess. Been there. The micropore tape is also really cheap. I got 12 rolls with dispensers for just over $12 at amazon. It's super thin, which helps too, I think.

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:50 am

djams wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:42 am

And speaking of hubbyhead - glad to hear he's back so we can start getting some reliable information again!

I'm glad he is back too, and not just for the data.

Thanks for this - made me smile I also have a great appreciation for my wife. We've been married for 37 years now.

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:50 am

More of you with the scunci! What is this? OK, OK. I got as far as buying them!

if you DO try the scuncis, would you please report your experience? they work great for me. but i've been here long enough to know that what works for me may not work for thee.

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:50 am

I'm glad he is back too, and not just for the data.

PUH-lease! this a family forum, after all.

zonker wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 11:58 am

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:50 am

I'm glad he is back too, and not just for the data.

pearlclutch.gif


PUH-lease! this a family forum, after all.

......He makes my morning coffee for me.......What were YOU thinking Zonk?????

OK Bleep Report

Experiment 1

(Palerider - if the aliens can use this, thats ok. And can you ask them to turn down the volume on the morse code tinnitus device - its a little loud in the right ear)
At ramp pressure (9cms)
Right side seems noisier than left
leak is now into my right eye
Disconnecting right port
Twisted arms 180 degrees. Aha. Silent. So, there is a difference here
I can now hear a faint noise at the max up and max down when I waggle the tube up and down on inhale
Only at top on Exhale
OK. Going to try to exhale though mouth
Yeah. That isn’t happening!

Now to therapy pressure.
Its at 17(cms)
Hiss with head canted left- stops when I sit upright.
Trying that to right- Hiss is not noticeable.
Right leaning hiss is repeatable – and stops if I pinch the port and dreamway together
Leaning forward stressed the tube – got a hiss.
Manually pushing the dreamway reduced the hiss until I pushed harder
Pushing on vent reduced hiss
pushing on hose…creates hiss


I licked through the taping to see if I can mouth breath. Still no way!!!

One of those late on apneas was me snorting at a funny web joke

working very hard on a mouth leak with French horn trained lungs led to a leak into right eye
And now left

OK That’s enough!

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:17 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 11:58 am

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:50 am

I'm glad he is back too, and not just for the data.

pearlclutch.gif


PUH-lease! this a family forum, after all.

......He makes my morning coffee for me.......What were YOU thinking Zonk?????

grumble, grumble...data...grumble, grumble...input....

katestyles wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 12:24 pm

Disconnecting right port
Twisted arms 180 degrees. Aha. Silent. So, there is a difference here

As far as I can tell, there's no difference, keeping the little arms lined up with the guide bumps just makes it so that the plastic clips are less scratchy if they hit your lip...

I bet that if you'd just disconnected and reconnected, it'd have been silent... (at least, that's how it works for me).