Cats, menopause and CPAP

lazarus wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 12:23 pm

But let's not let KittyMom22 know we all cray-cray here just yet until we've got her completely and fully sworn in to the covenant of the mask.

Oooooh when does the swearing take place? Halloween night with a black flame candle and a silver knife?

zonker wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 12:28 pm

lazarus wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 12:23 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 11:06 am

men meowing their own way?

I believe Lindsey Buckingcat would call that "another lonely day."

But let's not let KittyMom22 know we all cray-cray here just yet until we've got her completely and fully sworn in to the covenant of the mask.

-quiet giggle- I love your replies guys.

KittyMom22 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 1:19 pm

lazarus wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 12:23 pm

But let's not let KittyMom22 know we all cray-cray here just yet until we've got her completely and fully sworn in to the covenant of the mask.

Oooooh when does the swearing take place? Halloween night with a black flame candle and a silver knife?

I thought it involved nudity, dancing and a full moon.
-runs off to check calendar-

lazarus wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 8:55 am

I think maybe 90% of the posters on this board are females of a certain age who are owned by cats.

Those of us who are men without cats (MwC), though, still usually feel mostly welcome here.

I resent that remark. I'm definitely a "female of a certain age" but two dogs own me!

Kittymom, this is hard, but make sure you don't make it harder than it has to be. Many people do just fine from the start, others struggle, and a few have a mighty struggle. I'm going to guess that as long as you don't shoot yourself in the foot you will fall somewhere in the middle. Eventually you will find it a great comfort and wonder how you ever slept without it. Whatever your husband went through, he didn't have the support of this group AND I'll venture to guess that the reasons he's your EX husband might include why he didn't do well with CPAP. You don't have to have the same experience just because he did.

And if you want to be around for the 20 years or so that cats live, while still being mobile enough to care for them, this is how you get there. You and your kitties will find ways to do this that work, if you make the effort. If you're only doing it to please some bean counters to get your compliance data, think of those kitties in 5, 10, 15 more years instead.

Janknitz wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 1:55 pm

I resent that remark.

Eh, you've forgiven me for worse in the past, I'm sure.

Oops, I mean, Sorry, Janknitz.

Janknitz wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 1:55 pm

to be around for the 20 years or so that cats live, while still being mobile enough to care for them, this is how you get there.

It could be thought of as a sort of "CPAP Safety Dance," like the Men Without Cats video that Zonker and I were in back in the 80s. (Zonker was the taller one.)

"We can PAP if we want to
We've got all your life and mine
As long as we use it, never gonna lose it
Everything'll work out right"

https://youtu.be/AjPau5QYtYs

And if you want to be around for the 20 years or so that cats live, while still being mobile enough to care for them, this is how you get there. You and your kitties will find ways to do this that work, if you make the effort. If you're only doing it to please some bean counters to get your compliance data, think of those kitties in 5, 10, 15 more years instead.

Wow. Thanks for the awesome motivation there. Super helpful.

Oh wow, finally got the darn thing and it's not bad at all. Super light and comfortable, except for the feeling I'm suffocating on the exhale but supposedly you get used to that. Maybe? I feel like I've got a plastic bag over my face, but at least it's just a bag and not a heavy diver's mask.

KittyMom22 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 2:41 pm

except for the feeling I'm suffocating on the exhale

As one of the regular posters here likes to remind us, 'it isn't even enough pressure to blow up a balloon.' That feeling becomes one of comfort for many, and you can even come to miss it and dread taking the mask off in the morning. Some comfort features can provide pressure relief on exhale, if needed.

KittyMom22 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 2:41 pm

Oh wow, finally got the darn thing and it's not bad at all. Super light and comfortable, except for the feeling I'm suffocating on the exhale but supposedly you get used to that. Maybe? I feel like I've got a plastic bag over my face, but at least it's just a bag and not a heavy diver's mask.

Rest assured you are NOT suffocating.

Did you try it while laying down or sitting up? Its a good idea to do both, especially before crunch time ie bedtime. Once you lay down you might have to adjust the mask slightly again.

So a few suggestions moving forward:

Please put your device name in your profile.
Please put your mask in your profile.

If your device came with an SD card, put that baby in there and make sure it is read by machine. I have the same machine as you. I put that card in and out more than I should. When I put it in, I know it is getting read when the blue light next to the SD card port (upper left side of machine) and blue light blinks repeatedly. If screen is blank before starting it takes a few seconds. I find it better to make sure SOMETHING is showing on the screen (tap it and it wakes) and THEN stick the card in and it will flash. The display will say reading sd card please wait blah blah or it will say error. Sometimes I dont notice the error. Not the end of the world.

If you dont have an SD card (and a way to read it on a computer) then get one and get a reader also. Do not buy the cheapest walmart SD. They are shit and dead in a few weeks. Get a sandisk or basically anything but ONN from walmart. (spend the extra $2-4) I dont think you need a large storage one and would not recommend going over 16 or 32gb.

These items are cheap and will prove crucial to your success.....if you want our help.

Read the stickies. It looks like your mask has the same nasal cushion mine has. I use lanolin on my nose to help it form a seal. A teeny little bit goes a long way. (I believe this is listed in the newbies stickies). https://www.target.com/p/lansinoh-lanol ... lsrc=aw.ds It is worth every penny and will last a very long time. It is safe for an infant to suckle off of mama, and I can't say if it will pose a problem for kitties but I doubt it. You use very very teensy bit of it. Do not use vaseline-it will break down the silicone.

I can not speak to the rest of the mask because I have not used a full face mask. Someone else prob has tips.

I tried the "i" version of my mask and did not like the air coming along the sides of my head. I found it a little bit louder and irritating to my TMJ. However, you might have zero issues at all with it. The TMJ was the only reason I switched it as the noise wasnt too bothersome. I don't know if your DME told you they had a 30 days trial period on the masks. You might want to find this out for sure so that if you have an issue with the mask you might be able to trade it in for the same mask with slightly different headgear. Same mask, diff headgear-> https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... k-headgear Or something else altogether.

Let us help you. Keep coming back and keep asking questions.

PS Re: suffocating.....very soon we will be asking what settings you are using. Some of them might make that feel easier for you, if you let us help.

I'm still working. He was here for 30 minutes to set it up and left. So i just tried it on briefly sitting up.

KittyMom22 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 3:07 pm

I'm still working. He was here for 30 minutes to set it up and left. So i just tried it on briefly sitting up.

Great! Check that one off the list!

Mask and machine in profile. Check! Check!

You got this!

(I think you were close but no cigar on the mask that you have listed in your profile? The sponsor, cpap.com has a list to choose from when you are setting up your profile and you might have to look more closely at it to choose the proper mask.)

The F30i isn't listed. I looked.

I LOVE the F30i. I struggled for several years with not much support from my Doctor and ESPECIALLY not from my equipment supplier. I had watched my husband put his on, sleep all night the first night, and every other night for almost 15 years. I was sure I would be the same. I was also WRONG. I knew the mask was not right, I could not tolerate it(it was an old school style Full Face.) I sincerely tried for 6 months, but never was able to wear it all night. I begged for another mask. They first said no, and then told me they didn't carry the hybrid kind I was requesting. I stopped trying for 2 years. I knew I needed to try again. I asked for a hybrid mask, was told they didn't have them and they send a smaller version of the fighter pilot one I had tried first. Again, I really tried for months but again never slept a full night wearing it. I stopped again and felt a failure. Two years pass, and I repeatedly drifted off while driving home from work. I knew I had to do something. I did my research again. I found this board and read it incessantly. I ordered a mask from Ebay, a Dreamwear Full Face that fit under my nose. I put it on, slept all night and never looked back. I called my Dr., insisted she write an RX for that mask and I changed suppliers. After the recall, they replaced my machine with a Res Med Air Sense 11. While waiting, I researched ResMed masks and ordered the F30i on Amazon. When it was even BETTER than the Dreamwear, I requested the change from the supplier. They were happy to make the change for me.

All of this is to say, I am post menopausal, I keep the bedroom at 61 degrees (poor hubby sleeps in flannel and a hoodie year round!) My cats and grandbabies are not fazed at all by my mask. I am a side sleeper and the only time I hear noise from the F30i is when I pull the covers or pillow too close and the air bounces off of it. Simple fix, I turn my head a little bit.

This board has helped me with a number of little issues that have made the experience even better.

You can do this. And use the resources and wisdom available on this board. It will make the journey MUCH more pleasant.

KittyMom22 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 19, 2022 3:18 pm

The F30i isn't listed. I looked.

My humblest apology! So sorry!

I clicked on it to look more closely at it and I got a 404 error.

But its easy enough to figure out by searching for the F30i on the page when you get there.

Forgive me.