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I haven't had a chance to read this entire thread so I apologize if this has already been talked about... but, why have you not told this woman to jump in the lake? There are other DME people out there who would be more than happy to have your business!

ems wrote:..... but, why have you not told this woman to jump in the lake? There are other DME people out there who would be more than happy to have your business!

Angela,
Thanks for giving me the name of your DME. However, after much thought, I've fired them. Well, I never hired them, but if I had, I would have fired them. Earl

retrodave15 wrote: Here is two shots of me, sorry no funny picks of me as my wife says I am funny looking already.
Full face mask, padacheek liner, and my custom hose hanger.

Oh dave, you do not look comfortable! In fact in that first photo you look kinda scared!

That doesn't look like it fits right. I don't wear that type but it looks too tight around the cheeks and pressing into your nose.

Is it possible to use a larger pillow size and make it a bit looser?

-karl

AbbyNormal wrote:Dave, yours also makes me feel antsy looking at it. The hook on the wall makes it seem as if you can't roll over or do anything at all without the mask being yanked off. I have no clue how you do it, but I'm glad you're able to tolerate it!

it is hard to see but on the hook are two of the retractable name badge reels - the hose moves with me all night long. I have never had an issue with this set-up yet. You can buy a commercial version of this, but as my dear wife tells me all the time that I am a "cheap bastard", I even have a travel setup with a 3M Command Hook, but the new "fancy" wall finishes in some hotels make it difficult to use.

kaiasgram wrote: Oh dave, you do not look comfortable! In fact in that first photo you look kinda scared!

Just a bad picture - I am rather comfy in bed.

retrodave15 wrote: Dave, I'm glad to hear your comfortable and can move around. That's part of why I wanted to see pictures, so I could get an idea of what everybody else has, how they use it, how they like it... what do they think about it and what do their partners think about it?? And no, the boyfriend and I still haven't slept in the same room again yet. It's been many months now. (He's a light sleeper with a high stress job and just doesn't function without 8 hours of sleep. He gets physically sick if he doesn't get enough rest.)

It took me 3 months to find the "right" mask, my mask progression was Swift LT, Swift LT with chinstrap, Mirage FX with Chinstrap, Quattro FX, Mirage Quattro. Fortunately I have a good DME who has a liberal mask exchange program. They believe that patient comfort = compliance. I tried the nasal pillow with the chin strap and found it was to much on my face. The full face mask actual feels like much less on my face, however I need the forehead support as I move around a lot in my sleep. I am almost up for a new mask and I am thinking about trying the new Amara mask from PR, but what I would really like to see would be for Resmed to make a lightweight full face mask taking some of the ideas from Mirage FX Nasal mask.

AbbyNormal

You should really try the Sleepweaver Soft Nasal Mask if you can afford the Benjamin. You get 30 days to try it out with a full refund if you send it backwithin 30 days.

Notice that in my picture I am wearing a hat and sunglasses with my mask on. If you are claustaphobic this is a minimalist mask that may be right for you.

Basically it is a nylon (like backpack tent material) balloon with a hose on one side and a hole for your nose on the other. When the air comes on the balloon fills up and the air pressure seals around your nose. So the straps don't have to be very tight. No strap lines on your face in the morning. And you can actually scratch your nose through the material while it is on. Pretty cool. One other advantage is that since it is soft cloth and not hard plastic, it is quieter than the other mask I have tried.

The only bad reviews I have read on it is that some people have had difficulty getting it to seal. But that has not been problem for me and I even have a mustache. But I don't have a machine with leak reporting yet so I may be fooling myself about not having leaks.

You can check it out here.
http://www.cpapxchange.com/sleepweaver- ... -mask.html

AbbyNormal...... Check your PM.

MrPresident wrote:... But I don't have a machine with leak reporting yet so I may be fooling myself about not having leaks.

Your profile lists you as having an s9 Autoset. That is a full data capable machine. Do you have SleepyHead software?
-tino

I changed my machine in my profile from S8 Escape (compliance reporting only) to the S9 Autoset yesterday because I checked the shipping tracking number and it said it would arrive yesterday. But they left in the leasing office for my Apartment building which was closed by the time I got home. Grrrrrrr......

I will have the S9 up and running tonight.

Thanks for checking me though.

Here is little old me...

AbbyNormal wrote: My DME only carries SEVEN masks I found out yesterday. She said all the others were being returned and these were the only seven to consistently be used without a high return rate.

Interesting - My DME told me that they are not charged for returned masks due to the agreement they have with the suppliers. This may be due to the fact that they are part of a large hospital system and there is enough volume to toss the returns since they are all single pt use items, or they are just eating the cost. Having worked in a hospital years ago, most of these products are distributed my a middleman distributor - Like Cardinal Health, I call them out as I drive by their "Palace Corporate HQ" at least once a week. Recently I have also noticed that my filters and hoses that I am getting from the DME are a "generic" Carefusion brand and not the OEM products. My brother in law works for Cardinal and he told me Carefusion is one of their "brands." I guess the generics are cheaper, but I have not notices a difference in quality.