Eulogy for a REMstar

This is only my second or third post to an OSA forum in all the time I've been actively treating my apnea. I felt I had to post it.

Two nights ago my beyond-trusty REMstar LX finally gave up the ghost after 12 years of daily use. I started using it after my first sleep study in 1999 and never looked back. It changed my life overnight.

It was with me in Las Vegas when I met my first post-diagnosis girlfriend (I remember being so worried that there was no way a guy in his 20's was ever going to find love again with a hose sticking out of his face), it travelled with me to Toronto to visit her, and it was with me in San Diego when we broke up.

We didn't break up because of the CPAP. She couldn't have cared less. No one's ever cared... with the exception of knowing that the guy they're with is guaranteed snore-free. If you're reading this and you're new, know this: This therapy isn't going to hold you back. If your numbers are as bad as mine were -- if you feel as bad as I did -- it's going to set you free.

That REMstar got dropped, knocked, security-swabbed, and shoved under more hotel beds than housekeeping's vacuum. It never failed, until now. Most insane of all, I was bad about turning it off -- really bad. There was probably one day a week at most that it got a break. That puts it at close to 90,000 hours of operation.

Thanks to that non-humidified, non-adjusting ugly battle tank of a CPAP, those were 90,000 hours that I got to live and learn and travel and finally -- after years of torture -- to sleep again.

********************

So tonight, after a 48-hour foray into sleep-deprivation for old-time's sake, I will have my first night with super-slick CPAP 2.0. Humidity. Varying pressure. Downloadable metrics. It's almost too much. I'm dizzy with excitement... or from two nights of no treatment. Either way... life moves forward.

Chris

I love it!!
Hope you get many hours of happiness (and good sleep!) out of your new sleep partner!!

Best of luck with your shiny new S9.... doubt it will last as long as your trusty first machine. Built-in obsolescence and cheaply made parts these days makes it almost a given.

Have fun with all the new bells and whistles......

Loved your story! Good luck with your new adventure. Keep us posted on your new machine and any new girlfriend.

Your post made me giddy. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing!

high five, i enjoyed reading that !!
thank you *

I too am still using the REMstar LX I got in 2001, and every single night since. There is no software, readouts or buttons, beyond on/off and ramp. It still runs like a champ, despite abuse, such as running for months at a time with no filters, and running in remote areas with questionable electric power quality. My only complaint is that the darn thing is big and heavy, and not made for traveling. I'm thinking about getting a smaller lightweight unit, at least for traveling, but it seems kind of wasteful to get rid of my old machine that has seen me through thick and thin.

By the way, this thing is so old, I can't show it in 'my equipment' because its not on the list.

Old post...but...this should be in the CPAP museum

I have one of these that I got back in 2001. I've taken it all over the planet.

They are really easy to fix. In mine, there have been two simple failures- failure 1 involved the blower motor screws which loosen in time and prevent the fan from turning- a simple tightening of the screws frees up the motor.

Failure 2 was more obscure- I finally wore out the carbon coating on the power off switch. A dab of conductive ink (the type they have in auto parts stores to fix rear window defrosters) over the button contacts converted the button to one that is being continually pressed so as soon as I plug in the unit it starts up. It is useful as a backup or for taking on trips to really disgusting places where I would expect to have my luggage stolen or damaged.

That being said, the newer units are a lot nicer to use....and smaller

For you in a nostalgia mode, here is a link to the user manual for the Respironics RemStar LX CPAP machine.

RemStar LX User Guide

Back to your 48 hours without one that's why I keep a backup one complete with extra hose and mask
as well as a battery backup power supply.