CPAPtalk.com

Hi Everyone,

I'm seriously thinking of trying the Aura ~ still seeking the perfect mask.

Being that I'm 73 years young, I don't know if I'll have the patience to "tweak" the Aura. Is it possible that bending it this way and that could get it messed up and out of shape? I'm awfully tempted to give it a try. So many of you really seem to enjoy using it.

I'm currently using the Breeze with small pillows. When I want to give my nares a rest, I switch to Respironics ComfortGel. I just ordered a replacement Gel from CPAP. It's all worn out. My DME just carries Respironics nasal masks and Breas CPAP machines. They also refuse to order parts. I had to twist several arms to get an auto Breas CPAP. As for my DME, the less said, the better.

Thank goodness I just have a mild case of sleep apnea. I'm a side sleeper and the more I hear about the Aura, the more I'm tempted to give it a try. Thanks again for all your help. You're all terrific and I love your sense of humor.

There are others here with a lot more experience than I. However, I can vouch for the fact that it works out of the box sometimes (occasionally we get lucky!). My tweaking consisted of finding the right spot for the plastic lockbox to rest on my head and the right setting for the pillows, a little tightening of the straps after the first night, and some miniscule bending of the wires to position the pillows closer to my face. I also had to wrap the short tube and pillow loop because of condensation. Nothing major, and it only took the third night to get it right. So, it isn't a given that major effort will be needed for this to work for you. On the other hand, you don't know till you try. But I wouldn't be put off by all our talk about "tweaks" as this is a lot less than I had to do to get the Swift or the Activa right.... still working on both of those! Good luck - it's great for side (and back) sleeping once you get it set.

klady,

I am a huge advocate of the Aura. It is truly the only mask I've had no complaints about so far out of the box. I liked the Swift a lot, too, but in hindsight, it doesn't compare to the Aura FOR ME! We always say, what works for one person may not work for another, so there are no guarantees, as I'm sure you know, with these masks working for everyone. But if you go to CPAP FAQ at the top of this page and click on the link for Aura Nasal Pillow Mask, there is a writeup from me on details about my perfect night with this interface on night 1. There are also others opinions, too, under that link which might help you decide.

I love it. Will you? No one can say. The tweaking is not hard to do. It's bending the wire, positioning the lockbox and adjusting the straps. Not anything crazy. And if all else fails, there is always Rested Gals bag of tricks to make this work for you.

Do I recommend it? Yes. Will it work for you? I don't know. Wish I could be more conclusive than that, but no one can.

Let us know what you decide. If you do order it, when you get it, we're all here to help if you need us. Hopefully you won't.

Rock and Roll writes:

Only one band that I know of and it is the one on the top of the head. It just slides off.

Okay. I went and looked at the Aura and I'm still not sure which one on the top of the head you mean. This are two sides straps that go up to the lockbox, one set that adjusts and one set that is rubber and not adjustable. Then there is the strap that goes behind the head that is velcro, too.

Also, which way are we sliding off, from the back forward or from the forward back? Details, my good man...

Hello Again,

Thanks for the encouraging words and suggestions. I will have to wait a while before I order one ~ hopefully it won't be too long. There are no guarantees in life, but it sure sounds like a pretty good and worthwhile gamble.

When I finally get one, I'll let you know. Thanks again.

And if, for some reason, it doesn't work for you, let me know! I'd gladly make you an offer so I could have a spare!

ProfessorSleep wrote:And if, for some reason, it doesn't work for you, let me know! I'd gladly make you an offer so I could have a spare!

We'll have to have an auction with it going to the highest bidder. I would love to get a spare and try RG's deconstruction just to see how that would work, but don't want to spend another $109 to do it if it doesn't work out well for me. Hey, I don't want to spend another $109 regardless. My insurance company would pay for a new interface right now, but it has to be through one of their approved DME's and none of them carry the Aura right now. So I'm stuck holding the bag. They won't even pick up a partial payment, from what I understand...

Lori, I have my Aura in my hands. There is only one strap that goes around the hback of the head. It brancehes into two to go to the lockbox. The strap works it's way up to the top of my head and the pillows break the seal at my nose.

But there are so many adjustments you can make with this thing, I can adjust for weeks before I decide if I like it or not.

I can adjust for weeks before I decide if I like it or not.

pssst... pantyhose tights leg. *snicker*

RG, I may try that or...something similiar. But only after I exhaust all the adjustments.

rock and roll wrote:Lori, I have my Aura in my hands. There is only one strap that goes around the hback of the head. It brancehes into two to go to the lockbox. The strap works it's way up to the top of my head and the pillows break the seal at my nose.

Okay. I guess I'm still being thick or just not getting it here. There is still no strap that I know of that is on top of your head other than the ones that the lockbox sit on, but they can't slide off your head but sideways MAYBE. There is the ones on the sides that branch into TWO that go to that top strap on both sides, one adjustable and one non-adjustable. And then, of course, the one I'm thinking of, which you're not describing it as, which would be the most likely to slide off is the one in the back of the head.


So which strap slides off? Maybe you can use my wording so I'll know which one you're talking about. And does it slide forward off your head or backward off your head?

By the way, how did you do last night?

RnR wrote:

There is only one strap that goes around the hback of the head.

The strap RnR is talking about is the one at the back of his head. It slides straight up the back of his head:


If tweaks to the regular adjustments don't eventually make the Aura behave....

The fix is a homemade strap at eyebrow level:


Or a strap at the nasal pillows area:


Or both:


Or...none of the above.

Okay, RG. How did you get "the strap on top of my head keeps sliding off" to mean the one behind the head in the back? You were far better than I was at figuring that out. When someone says "on top of my head," I don't think they mean the back. I need to take some lessons on how to interpret what people are saying because I missed one that by a mile...

Great photos/illustrations, by the way.

I'm so glad I saw your diagrams, r.g.!!!! Have been wondering what mask to wear on Christmas. This is IT!!

There is only one strap that goes around the hback of the head.

Sorry, Lori...I didn't have time to edit my post before you had replied.

neversleeps - ROTFL!! yup.