Overwhelmed Newbie

Raj wrote:Bunkit, as a flight attendent, you spend far more hours breathing dry and unhealthy air than most of us. This has got to negatively affect your sinuses, nasal tissues, and throat. I imagine that any tendency you have toward OSA would be exacerbated by this unescapable aspect of your job, and I'd think that in your case, a humidifier is an absolute must in a xPap unit. The system Sleeplessinaz recommends above (Resmed Elite II and Swift LT mask) seems ideal for your needs, but you'll also have to carry some distilled water with you for the humidifier (mineral deposits will build up with even filtered tapwater, and the unfiltered kind is brimming with stuff you don't want to inhale all night). Once you get your basic system, you'll probably find you need some add-ons such as a hose cover and some way to keep your lips sealed; but getting a machine that collects data and allows you to access it is a crucial first step. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Thank you so much! This is why I thought it imperative to come here. I would have never thought of any of that. I most appreciative of everyone's responses. Truly I am. You've been most insightful.

I see someone mentioned that you might be sleeping at different altitudes so you might want a machine that will automatically adjust to that. Also, do you sleep in different countries? You would also want to make sure your machine will work with different power and plugs in various places around the world.

Guest wrote:I see someone mentioned that you might be sleeping at different altitudes so you might want a machine that will automatically adjust to that. Also, do you sleep in different countries? You would also want to make sure your machine will work with different power and plugs in various places around the world.

I'm pretty much domestic. I'm a widowed mom with kids at home. I don't like to fly too far from them in case anything happens. I do fly to Canada and Mexico and have noticed different elevations in parts of Mexico but I avoid going there if at all possible. Thank you!

Hi and welcome! I'm just going to quickly say that I personally am not bothered *at all* by my full face mask. When I was brand new here, I read someone's thread saying that they relate to their CPAP setup as their "security blanket" - because with it, they are guaranteed a good night's sleep!

I decided that's how I would relate to my setup, mask and all, as well. I didn't spend any time getting acclimated to my mask - I just put it on and went to sleep. It seems like I have a really well-fitting mask: I don't have any leaks, I don't spend any time adjusting it, and I don't even wake up at night except perhaps to turn over.

I went from an AHI of over 90 to less than 3 with my machine and mask (I can check my stats every morning with my machine). I'm really happy with the quality of my new life. I just wrote thank you letters to the specialist and nurse who recommended my sleep study and started me on this path - I broke down in tears while I was writing them because I am so filled with gratitude at this second chance at life.

I hope your results are equally good.

MoneyGal wrote:I broke down in tears while I was writing them because I am so filled with gratitude at this second chance at life.

I hope your results are equally good.

Now that's what I'm looking forward to. Thank you and thanks for the welcome.

I agree with the comments that it's a very personal choice. A lot depends on your own individual needs.

Since I travel often for work, I wanted a smaller machine. But I also wanted a quiet one so that my sweetie isn't disturbed more than necessary. I initially chose the ResMed S8 Autolite II: so quiet I couldn't tell it was on. So small, it barely took up any room on the end table. Unfortunately, I couldn't tolerate the way the algorithm is setup for breathing.

By contrast, the Respironics M-Series with Aflex is noisier (tho tolerable) yet I respond quite well to its algorithm. And now I'm starting to get more restful sleep than I've had in years.

I also was attracted to the nasal pillows, but didn't take to it at all. I'm much better suited to the FP 407 nasal mask, tho it is more imposing on the face...

ps- I really liked the small size of the Intellipap -- it's super compact for travel -- but haven't had an opportunity to test drive.