New to Forum - BiPAP Res PRO2 CFLEX - 1st night!

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Sleepless on LI
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Post by Sleepless on LI » Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:20 pm

OldSeaRock writes:
Hey, there are people starving, innocent people being blown up by idiot zealots, all kinds of atrocities...... man, we've got it made, we're blessed
Exactly!!! You think the way I do. We are so fortunate and we need to hold on to that every day. Count your blessings, I always say. Thank the Big Guy upstairs that what we have is treatable and makes our lives so much better than before once we have it under control. Keep up that great attitude, OSR. There's no way you will fail as long as you do.

Let me know how you do with the new mask tonight .
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rested gal
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Post by rested gal » Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:13 pm

I thought this (BiPAP) would be easy.
The machines are. It's the masks that aren't easy.

Lori, you are so right about OldSeaRock's calm, steady posts...and the perspective he offered. He's a "good 'un". So are you and so many others who keep helping people in so many ways.

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Post by Sleepless on LI » Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:33 pm

Restedgal writes:
Lori, you are so right about OldSeaRock's calm, steady posts...and the perspective he offered. He's a "good 'un". So are you and so many others who keep helping people in so many ways.
Well, let's talk about being an inspiration to others. You, RG, are one of the most helpful, knowledgable and caring people on this site. So when you give a compliment, it means the world. Thank you so much for your kind words!

PS: Old Sea Rock is a reall good one, I agree...
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WAFlowers
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Post by WAFlowers » Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:33 am

OldSeaRock wrote:Thank you for the compliment, Lori! Hey, there are people starving, innocent people being blown up by idiot zealots, all kinds of atrocities...... man, we've got it made, we're blessed
Indeed! And there are unfortunates who have undiagnosed OSA whose health is deteriorating and whose quality of life is going down the toilet.

Despite sore nares, lines on our faces, miserable DME's, copays and everything else we have to deal with, we are the lucky ones!

The CPAPer formerly known as WAFlowers

Sleepless on LI
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Post by Sleepless on LI » Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:39 am

WAFlowers writes:
And there are unfortunates who have undiagnosed OSA whose health is deteriorating and whose quality of life is going down the toilet.
Despite sore nares, lines on our faces, miserable DME's, copays and everything else we have to deal with, we are the lucky ones!
Amen to that.

So how is the therapy going? Any more nasal showers? Is the Swift still behaving? Did you read the new posts by Yawn (Amy) and myself who both think we have figured out a way to fix the swoosh strap marks? Keep us posted!!!

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WAFlowers
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Post by WAFlowers » Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:20 am

Lori, with the humidifier turned down slightly I'm avoiding drowning via rainout, and the Swift is really behaving well. I decided to give the large pillows one last try but gave up after waking up an hour or so later with a lot of pain. In the dark I changed out for the medium size (it was on my night stand, just in case) and immediately fell back into a comfortable sleep.

I woke up a bit more tired this morning that previous mornings since starting my treatment but it isn't the mind-numbing fatigues of a week ago. Just like anyone I guess I can expect to have some nights that aren't as good as others.

Daily I can see that symptoms of my problem are fading, and that is all I need to keep me 100% compliant!

Yes, I've been following the thread about the swoosh mark fix. However starting on the 2nd night I've had the straps looser and the marks have been faint and fade quickly. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who have a head and face shape well suited for the Swift's straps.

BTW, I'm still working on my poem (now renamed "The Titration of Bill The Geek") and have written a bit more. You and some of the other regulars have a verse in there too !

Last edited by WAFlowers-Deleted on Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The CPAPer formerly known as WAFlowers

Sleepless on LI
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Post by Sleepless on LI » Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:59 am

WAFlowers writes:
I woke up a bit more tired this morning that previous mornings since starting my treatment but it isn't the mind-numbing fatigues of a week ago. Just like anyone I guess I can expect to have some nights that aren't as good as others.
Exactly, on the money, great realization and perfect attitude. Boy, do you catch on to everything this fast and well???
Daily I can see that symptoms of my problem are fading, and that is all I need to keep me 100% compliant!
I could not be happier for you, honestly. Now you can see why I say I'm addicted to this therapy? Once you start to feel so much better and watch your "disabilities" fade one by one, you realize what a beautiful thing this can really be. I thank God every day that I had something that could not only be helped, but actually improved my quality of life.

And LOL about your swapping out the large pillow sleeve for the medium in the dark and going back to sleep. I had to do that once, but it was by the light of the TV, so virtually, at my age, no light at all. You get good at things when you have to be (something about necessities being the mothers of invention-no, not Frank Zappa).

Oh, I figured out how to get smilies to always work for you. You MUST have at least one character after them (no, not Scooby-Doo), like a period, an exclamation point or anything at all from the keyboard. Then they will always appear as smilies. Finally figured that out. Saw what was supposed to be a green smilie in your post come out in letters...thought I'd recommend that advice.

I am thrilled that you seemed to have taken to this like a frog to a river bed. Keep up the great attitude and feel well.
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WAFlowers
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Post by WAFlowers » Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:55 pm

Thanks for the advice about the smilies; it looks like a bug in this board's software.

I had a weird dejavu event happen today. I was working on some code and stumbled across a bug . Then I realized that I'd found that same bug 3 previous times (that I could remember) in the past 7 months. Each time I remember thinking it was the first time I'd found the bug! Then each time I appear to have forgotten about it before figuring out what was wrong.

This time I not only found the bug, but figured out what was wrong and fixed it.

The weird thing was it was as if these were unintegrated memories and were now being integrated. It was a very strange feeling!

Re-reading what I just wrote makes me sound rather crazy. But I really don't know how else to describe how weird I felt when I started recreating work I'd done before and then suddenly remembered those multiple previous times.

I wonder how many other surprises I'll have?
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Sleepless on LI
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Post by Sleepless on LI » Wed Aug 10, 2005 5:09 pm

WAFlowers writes:
I wonder how many other surprises I'll have?
My guess is many, many more. Your ability to think more clearly is re-emerging and I'll bet with that, you will experience and realize things that you either forgot you knew or are able to retain now and learn due to clarity. This therapy is a wonderful thing. You sound like the poster child for the benefits of CPAP therapy, lucky you!

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OldSeaRock
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Post by OldSeaRock » Wed Aug 10, 2005 6:43 pm

Gads, Bill.... That happens to me too, almost scary like I'm a alzheimers case waiting to happen. I was beginning to attribute it to "old timers" but after thinking.. I do feel "sharper" these last few days.

Funny - Got ready to go to bed last night and realized that the mask I'd gotten from the DME wasn't the one I wanted! So, went back to the DME today and got the one I wanted, again, no problem, no charge, just smiles and "yall come back now, you hear" .

TV dinner by the pool, I'm so glad I finished schoooool.... .

People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.

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Post by WAFlowers » Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:25 am

Rock, the memory problems and daytime "blanking" were what had me most worried before I was diagnosed. I was wondering if I was having seizures! Based on my experience I wouldn't be at all surprised if you find memory and thought processes working so much better, almost as if you've turned back the clock a decade or more!

Hmmm ... I know a lot of oldsters sleep poorly. I've heard it attributed to a decreased melatonin production. I wonder if they are suffering sleep deprivation which causes memory problems like you and I have experienced?

I've read that OSA and the resulting sleep deprivation has the same effect as premature aging on many parts of our systems. Now I really belive it! I'm just hoping that I can turn back the clock on my type 2 diabetes (which isn't severe) and hypertension.

I've been enjoying reading your experiences as well. You've been doing very well, similar to me. I know that not everyone has as good an adjustment as we've had.

While you were relaxing by the pool I was burning the midnight oil. I was at the office until 1AM chasing down a bug in some software written by a former employee who left no design notes. I finally went home feeling tired but not wasted like before. The bug was still lurking so I got 4 hours sleep, woke up with my son at 5:30 and came back into the office.

I can tell that my treatment is working. I only got a short sleep but it was restful. My mind is still working well and I don't feel like a zombie. I wouldn't want to surive on 4 hours sleep every night or even frequently, but I'll be able to do it occasionally now as needs arise which is something I couldn't have done even last week!

Oh, and I found and fixed the bug at 7:30AM before the people who needed to use the machine got here. Maybe, just maybe, this machine will be ready to crate and ship to the prospective customer (it is an evaluation system and an engineering prototype) at noon. Right after that happens I'm leaving for the day.
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OldSeaRock
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Post by OldSeaRock » Fri Aug 12, 2005 5:07 am

Bill,

The "TV dinner by the pool" was a bit of a ruse... that's a line from an old Frank Zappa song referencing the "Mother of Invention" quip that Lori made.. See, I am feeling better - I haven't thought of that song in years! (titled, "Brown Shoes Don't Make It", I believe)...


I'm rotating between the Breeze Nasal Pillows and the Activa. Life is good.

Glad to hear you're doing so well - and also, am thankful that I seem to be getting along pretty well with the new machine/masks. I believe you'll agree that we're in the very fortunate minority that seems to have adapted pretty well to these new tools .

People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.

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Post by Sleepless on LI » Fri Aug 12, 2005 6:09 am

OSR,

A man after my own heart, a Zappa fan from way back? His band was a case of either you loved them or couldn't stand 'em, don't you think?

Glad to hear you're taking to this therapy like a pro. Wonderful news. Keep up the great work.

Have a nice day .

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OldSeaRock
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Post by OldSeaRock » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:34 pm

Oh, yes indeed.. big on FZ and I sure do miss him. Not that I knew him or anything, just felt that he was a *bit* of a kindered spirit in some aspects of his political commentary - and sense of humor.

The verdict is in for me - Breeze w/nose pillows, rotating every other night with the Resmed Activa until I get that Breeze mastered. I aspire to be RG and WillSucceed!

I can't say enough about how much better I feel. I've got another question that I'm going to post - start a new thread. My initial questions and concerns have been well addressed by all - and I've come to terms with the limitations and expectations that I should have with this treatment. It's great - but it also has it's downsides. When you put it on the scale, however.... the good is seriously weightier than the bad!

You guys got me through the first week and I thank you again.

People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.

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Post by Sleepless on LI » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:39 pm

Old Sea Rock writes:
I aspire to be RG and WillSucceed!
As do we all. Very informative and giving people, those two. We are all better off having them as advisors.

So you could relate to FZ. Many people took him at appearance value and didn't realize how deep his waters ran. He was not what he appeared to be on the outside. I think his looks may have not only scared a lot of people, but caused people to prejudge him and think he was some long-haired, druggie weirdo. Not necessarily the case. That would have definitely been judging a book by its cover.

OSR, so glad you are feeling so well after such a short time. You are truly one of the blessed ones. I will repeat, your positive and calm attitude I believe had everything to do with it.
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