Seattle Area Folks - Workshop

Teri! You're still awake!!!

Hey, I THINK I LOVE THE NASAL AIRE! I may be wrong. I have to give it a night or two. But I'm liking it so far! I jerryrigged it all up, and laid down with the it and hooked it up to the machine and it seems a go.

Oops! Teri just called me on my cell to ask why I'm not live chatting...

MUST RUN!
B.

Babette wrote:JUNE 2 SWEDISH SLEEP CENTER WORKSHOP REPORT:.... Discovered that Gasp is more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and we really need to schedule some summer fun events on the east side. Anyone wanna go to Camlaan Faire?

I think you confused me with you - you're the one that is lively and more fun than a barrel of monkeys : ) Such a pleasure meeting you.

You did a fabulous recap! I also wish they would have presented on the metabolic syndrome as scheduled. We'll just have to do our own research here on the forum - for now : )

Workshop Learnings:

- Use tiny dabs of lanolin along the seal of the mask where it will touch your face to reduce leaks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanolin

- Lay down to fit mask and only tighten to the point a seal has been achieved. Over-tightening can "work against you" according to the moderator by creating more leaks. Once your Velcro is in place, try to take the mask off and on without going through the Velcro fitting process each time - utilizing clips or other fastening devices provided on some masks.

- When I asked Babette (who I've come to know since joining this forum as an accomplished mask tweaker) if she had any ideas for making the lower strap on the Comfort Gel mask stretchy. She promptly whipped out a piece of black elastic! I now know what to look for in a fabric department to make my own. Thanks Babette!

- There was a Swedish Sleep Medicine Institute employee present, JoAnne Yadao who is a Respiratory Care Practitioner. She had a backup battery there that looked black and sleak, very portable. However, it was $300! She said there are two models with the other being around $420 but that both provided many hours of use - sorry I forgot how many - I think 3 days for the big one. If you are interested, give her a call at: (205)215-3894 for more information. I promptly lost appeal for the batteries when my husband said (after reviewing the specs) that he will make me one for around $30 using our UPS batteries and an old 12 volt laptop power supply he has in a box of his 'might need someday' goodies. Needless to say, I opted for his solution. His will provide me with about 8 days of power. We've never lost power for more than 5. So glad he went with me.

- I learned that people who attend these events are very willing to talk about their personal experiences and more than ready to help. Babette, case in point: she demonstrated her own mask so that someone in the audience could see how it worked! IBTeri brought her masks so that others could try them and was so nice in talking to me about my experience.

- The Respironics rep said that the new v.1.8 software is Vista compatible. He is checking to let me know if it and the card reader will work with a 64 bit environment (most people run 32 bit - I'm a geek and have a 64 bit).

There was more, but the above is the highlights.

It was great meeting you Babette and IBTeri too! I'm sorry I missed PaulB. Maybe another time. Also sorry I missed the after event. We had to leave a touch early.

By the way, another fun event in this area is the Highland Games in Everett. http://www.sshga.org/association/ourHistory.htm

Gasp,
When your husband gets your battery back up running, would you please post a picture of it? I know a geek who might be able to put one together for me and would like to show him what I'm talking about.

Thanks!
Connie

gasp wrote:By the way, another fun event in this area is the Highland Games in Everett. http://www.sshga.org/association/ourHistory.htm

Now one thing is true. If it's an excuse to play my bagpipes, I'll go lots of places.

Will you quit making me all hot and sweaty, please? Blarg, don't tell me you play bagpipes TOO??? And in a kilt???? (Babette swoons)

Okay, anyone wanna go to the Highland Games? There's a slightly closer one in Enumclaw.

http://www.sshga.org/home.htm

Closer to me and to Blarg, I mean. May not be closer to Gasp!

And they let you camp out in the parking lot. I did that one year. Party party party!!!

LOL,
B.

Teri and Babette, I enjoyed meeting you both and it was a lot of fun, and the supplied lunch was fantastic, catered by Gretchen's, a local high quality Seattle food caterer. You're welcome for the fitting Babette, and I really hope you stay with the Aura(Twilight NP), if you can adjust to it, as it has made a big difference in my overall satisfaction with my sleep experience. I like to sleep on my side and back, which eliminates the Swift and the Breeze, and I like the NP interface with minimal face contact.

As mentioned, the sales reps from Resmed, Respironics, and Puritan-Bennett were in attendance, along with others, and the Puritan-Bennett rep mentioned to me that they would be coming out with a new version of the Breeze in about 6 months further refining that interface. I tried it on and it seemed like a good alternative to the Aura, although I'll stick to what works well for me, which is the Aura for now.

The seminar was well worth my time, and I'm glad I went. We had a Dr. speak to us, Joe Buchman, a retired cardiologist from New Haven Ct. , who volunteers his time pro bono to further the health of those with sleep problems and solicited 30 of us to become a test group for what he calls metabolic syndrome, which are 5 factors leading to premature death. I applied for the test group and we'll see what happens. Basically, they will monitor for adequate exercise, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, overweight, and high cholesterol.

Babette, I sent you a PM.

Paul

Oh that waswhat I signed up for? lol They told me to fill out a card so I did. I didn't know what I was doing. But am interested.

CRAP! I WANTED TO DO THAT!!! Shoot, okay, well, I missed it. Running my mouth, as usual.

Whimper,
B.

Did any of the sales reps discuss or hint at future product plans or new features/functions?

Is there any Comdex-like trade shows for CPAP vendors?

The Comdex type show is called Med-trade, and I think it is held twice a year, alternating between East and West coasts.

I think Respironics said that they are coming out with 4 new masks in the upcoming year. No one mentioned other trade shows.

Cheers,
B.