? for SleeplessLI...swift lines

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 9:01 pm

R&R,

I don't know what brand it was, but it was $60. And I wasn't pleased with it for that price, although I wasn't on cpap yet. That was my "I'll try anything to sleep through the night" stage, before I knew I had something more than normal trouble sleeping.

I will go to Brookstone TOMORROW and see about their pillows. I know their standard sized one is $99. Thanks for the advice. In the meanwhile, I will look it up online and make sure, before I go, it's at least a 5 density. Now, that is different than 5" in height, if I remember correctly. Density is different from thickness, it's the rating per square inch, or something like that, that the foam is composed of. No?

So that photo is exactly what you do? Okay. Now I know where I'm going with this. I had the hose in line with the strap so it felt horrible under my face. You know, the more I think I know, the less I find out I really do.

I will stop bothering you now. That's enough for one day...Thanks for hanging in there with me. I wish I could return a favor for you, but there's probably nothing I can enlighten you with since you are so much more informed and experienced at this stuff than me. Just know you are considered one of my "sages" on this site.

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 9:18 pm

Sleepless,

You are not bothering me at all. Helping each other is what makes this forum so great. I came here as a novice and learned so much that helped me out, still learn stuff everyday. Returning advise back is part of the process. As we go along, you may help me with something yet, but if not me, you will help someone else and keep the chain of help going. I enjoy giving advise and aid to others in a world where there is less and less giving to each other. Cpap is such a hard thing to adjust to and so important to out well being. Certainly our doctors and DME's are not out to help us with it. So we help each other.

5 is density of foam and not inches. Tempurpedic brand will always be 5. Others are not always. Good luck and I hope you find a pillow that works. Again, it is still subjective but I sell thousands of them all the time and they are not cheap,so many do love them.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 9:30 pm

R&R,
I agree whole-heartedly, this site is all about people helping and supporting other people. It's like what I keep saying, that the only way to pay my debt back for all the help I was given when I first got here and knew absolutely nothing is to help those who are now in that same boat I was in when I first arrived. And if you can believe it, I have learned so much already that I am giving some of it back. It feels great to be able to make someone who is lost and totally confused feel better by giving them the answer to their question, or even just being that shoulder they need to lean on and get some comfort and support from. This is one of the best sites around for finding good people who are willing to be there for each other. I am blessed to have found it.

And as for you, my friend, you have always impressed me by your ability to cut to the chase and provide the perfect reply. And you're still doing it. I thank you for your help today and in the past.

I have looked at Brookstone's web site and they now even have a pillow with a special covering for $160, but their regular Tempur Pedic pillow is $125. You can get them cheaper on eBay, where I do a lot of my shopping, but things like this cause me to be a bit impatient and who wants to wait for shipping? I'll let you know if I end up buying tomorrow.

Have a great night's sleep and happy dreams. Thanks again, my friend.

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 9:47 pm

Sleepless on LI wrote:R&R:

This is the link to the photo I saw earlier where the woman sleeps with the tube to the front of her face on her side. Is this the opposite of what you do? Have you tried it this way???
http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep-dis ... _swift.htm

OH! I'm going to go try that right now (as soon as I finish reading).

G'night all y'all.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:04 pm

You people really make me want to try the swift again....
It was noisy - you mention newer noise solutions
It didn't sit right (I love sleeping on my side) - you made me aware of the cotribution a good pillow can have for that - I had another pillow when I tried it.
The hose handling annoyed me - you pointed out the hose loop in a picture I had looked at many time, and hadn't seen...

Great forum, and like R&R, I keep learning new things.

Now dear friends: Has anyoned solved the problem of the headgear trying to slice your ears off?

I need the tops of my ears absolutely safe because I wear perscription glasses - and the Swift's headgear was really hurting that very strategic place where the frame sits.

O

(edited wear for were...)
_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose, swift

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 7:48 am

Ozij writes:

Now dear friends: Has anyoned solved the problem of the headgear trying to slice your ears off?

Ozij, would I love the opportunity to, for once, be able to help you. I found what you're talking about once or twice so far, where those damn straps dig into the top of your ears. One night, I just placed the straps over the tops of my ears to stop that pain. But it's all in the adjustment of the straps. Someone in this thread recommended tightening the back one first and then the top one. If you try that, you may get a better fit whereby that one strap doesn't sit directly on your ears. Also, to wear the back strap lower.

I truly believe they should make the headgear/straps in different sizes. I found the Activa headgear to be huge for me and so is the Swift a bit. They make masks in all sizes and shapes, but the headgear is standard. We all have different sizes and shapes to our heads, too, so why not the headgear?. I don't get it.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:30 am

Thanks Lori - I'll think about the suggestion... maybe I can get a trial Swift again...

As for this:

...so why not the headgear?. I don't get it.

Hmm, Isaac Asimov called one of his books "The Gods Themselves". The title comes from - I think - one of the German poets, who wrote "Against stupidity, the Gods themselves have no answer..." Too stupid?

Or...
Maybe its just early day in the development of the industry. Remember Henry Ford, from whom you could buy any color of car, as long as it was black?

...
O.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 12:16 pm

O,

Smart and logical...your parents raised you right. I think you have something there about being early in the industry. From what I've heard from others on this site who have had this condition far longer than myself, they have already come a long way and made some great strides. I guess it's a matter of time before they get to tweaking things instead of just inventing new ones.

Good luck if you give Swift a try again.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 12:51 pm

R&R:

If you view this message, I slept last night with the hose up like the photo and my swoosh marks were worse than ever and my AHI went up, along with my leakage. I guess either I did something wrong or it's just not right for me. Every time I turned over to the side with the hose, too, I woke up.

I did go out and buy the Comfort Tempur-Pedic standard pillow at Brookstone. I have 90 days to try it and see if it is to my liking. I think tonight I am going to up the size of the pillows to LG and I just readjusted the headgear in a way I never had it before so that the side straps are closer to my eyes and no where near my ears. I have never had the straps in the position before. Maybe that will help. I found last night that the way I had it all positioned, the medium pillows felt like they were being crammed into my nares this morning. It was not comfortable at all.

So tonight yet another attempt to eliminate the swoosh lines and stop leaks which obviously are occuring. I also was able to sleep through the night finally when I first got the Swift. But lately, that's not happening. Having a bit of a relapse, I guess. Oh, well. I'll just try harder.

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 4:03 pm

WAFlowers wrote:
Sleepless on LI wrote:R&R:

This is the link to the photo I saw earlier where the woman sleeps with the tube to the front of her face on her side.

This is how I have it rigged up and it worked GREAT last night!!
Amy

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 4:05 pm

It's all so very frustrating at times Sleepless.

I remember after I pinned it up that the mediums were uncomfortable for me as well. I think you are right to try the large. I also want to hear from you on the pillow. You may have to do as SG does and dramatically alter your straps to get it right for you. I might just be lucky.

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 6:06 pm

The Swoosh marks happen from the pressure of the pillow against the straps, not anything else, from what I've seen, so I replaced the straps headgear with a mesh cap. I've described the adaptation of the cap on several other threads. It also helped in the hair loss I was getting from the friction of the headgear.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 7:26 pm

R&R,

I switched to the large sleeve/pillows and actually made the straps in such a way that the headgear never fit like this before. The straps are actually closer to my eyes and higher up on the cheekbones, and the side straps are NOWHERE nears my ears, like they were. Then I took the hose, arc'd it like the photo and then secured it up top, by the buckle of the top strap. I am thinking this, with the new Tempur-Pedic pillow, may do it tonight. I am going to try it in this configuration, in any event. Maybe I'll get lucky???

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 7:27 pm

PS: Janelle, I don't understand how you got the barrel with the pillows on it to stay if you removed the straps. Can you give me few details or maybe a link of yours from the past? Thanks.

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 7:53 pm

Okay, the caps have two straps, mostly designed to be used with the regular nasal masks, one set at the top about eye level and the other about neck level. The straps on the cap I bought first are made of elastic with velcro end. I measured the distance on my original headgear and using scissors cut a vertical slit in the middle of the strap after folding the strap there, so this made an elliptical hole. For the side where I attach the hose I made another but about 3/4" away but toward the end of the strap. I removed the hose, folded the strap over so the holes lined up and slipped it on the end of the barrel. fastened the velcro back on the fuzzy part. this can then be moved a bit backward to loosen a little if you need to. At first I only made one slit on the other side and then folded the strap over the end of the plug, but later did it the same way as the other side. I then cut off the top straps and re-attached them pointing downward to the bottom straps, looped them under and on top of the bottom straps and velcroed them down. These can be adjusted tighter or looser too. I can slip the whole thing over my head just like the original headgear, but in the morning my hair is laying pretty flat instead of all over the place as it was with the original headgear. I have another "softcap" I bought from CPAP.com that I might try a similar but different configuration, but instead of putting the top straps completely vertical might put them more at an angle toward the barrel so they loop more on the horizontal strap closer to the barrel, or maybe through a longer, horizontal slit in the bottom straps.