Just had my first follow-up, please help

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:09 am

Well...last night didn't go so well. I wasn't able to tape AND use polygrip, because the polygrip kept the tape from sticking. Since I already had the polygrip on, I just went with that. I also set max pressure to 9. No alcohol, drugs/medicine, caffeine, etc. Just regular ass sleep (my poor version of it, anyway).

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:20 am

Did you spend much time awake with mask and machine on?
Especially at the beginning and ending of the night?

Let's try plain tape ...nothing else tonight so that you can tell if tape is loose in the AM to account for the leaks or not.

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:45 am

Pugsy wrote:Did you spend much time awake with mask and machine on?
Especially at the beginning and ending of the night? No, I didn't. I was asleep within 5 minutes or less of putting the mask on, woke up once, went right back to sleep, woke up a short time later, turned the machine off, and got up.

I also woke up once later in my sleep because air was coming out of my lips (right in the center). I closed them and went right back to sleep.

Let's try plain tape ...nothing else tonight so that you can tell if tape is loose in the AM to account for the leaks or not. The main reason the tape isn't working is because of my beard. I guess I'm just gonna have to shave it. Whether it's for the tape or the new mask, it seems like it's gonna have to go.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:02 am

Can you just trim the beard a little...like around the lips??
The tape only needs to cover the lips enough to seal the lips. If it is loose on a few hairs it isn't that big of a deal as long as it sticks on lips.
If you could manage just cover the lips...that's enough.

I bet last night you were blowing through the polygrip paste.

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:19 am

Pugsy wrote:Can you just trim the beard a little...like around the lips??
The tape only needs to cover the lips enough to seal the lips. If it is loose on a few hairs it isn't that big of a deal as long as it sticks on lips.
If you could manage just cover the lips...that's enough. The problem is that I'd have to cut the tape to fit my lips exactly. That's almost impossible to do. I'd still have to shave it anyway to use the Mirage Liberty, right?

I bet last night you were blowing through the polygrip paste. That's definitely what happened. And, that was with decreasing my max pressure to 9. Should I ramp that back up to where it was initially set (18)?

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:42 am

No, don't increase the max past 9.
It most likely would have happened even without the machine...The paste doesn't keep the seal all that good...it's too easily messed up with saliva.
The strips might have been the better choice even though they cost more in your situation because your mouth really wants to come open. Even with the strips the mouth might still win.

Shaving...
Actually..no..you may not have to shave the beard with the Liberty. Men use full face masks all the time and have beards.
It's not without its challenges though but a lot is going to depend on length, condition, thickness, etc.
If you have a Duck Dynasty beard...that might be a big problem
My husband has the type of goatee that would be right where the Liberty would fall if he were on cpap...and his facial hair with a little conditioner I suspect at its length which isn't long but not real short either...he could probably get and maintain a good seal with his facial hair and his goatee is fairly thick. If he let his beard grow...he would have a Duck Dyansty beard in no time at all.
So it can be done without shaving but it will create some extra challenges.

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 12:56 pm

I actually just went and bought the strips. I'll give the polygrip to my grandmother.

Regarding the beard, I'm not sure it'd work with the mask. I posted a pic of it a page or two back. If I keep it, I'm just going to let it keep growing out. Otherwise, I'd rather be clean shaven. I'll try the mask with the beard when I first get it, but if it doesn't work, the beard will have no choice but to find a new home.

I really need to get this taken care of before the next semester of school starts, so the beard can go if that's what it takes.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 1:05 pm

Ahhh...Duck Dynasty beard and mustache. LOTS of conditioner
That one would be a big challenge. Maybe the guys with similar beards (found the picture on page 2 of this thread I think it was) can offer hints. It's not an impossible undertaking though.

If the beard has to find a new home...it isn't the end of the world and since you can normally breathe through your nose just fine then maybe with time and practice with tape (later) the mouth will learn to stay shut better. You could then get yourself a new beard.
Sometimes the mouth breathing is just habit from gasping for breath so much because of the apneas and of course with the number of apneas you have been having...lots of potential gasping there. With proper therapy maybe there won't be such a need to gasp.
That's what the bulk of my initial mouth breathing was...just plain habit. I quit taping after about 2 months because I wasn't having anymore massive prolonged big leaks. I still do it occasionally now but never for very long and rarely even hit large leak territory so I don't worry about it now.

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Wed Dec 18, 2013 1:58 pm

Until the new mask comes in (should be any day now), I'll just try out the polygrip strips. I'll head on over to that beard thread I saw recently, and see if I can't get some good tips.

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 12:45 pm

Well, here are the results form last night, using the polygrip strips. It looks MUCH better than previous nights, but the leaks are still too much. This might have just been one of those random "good number" nights. I didn't feel any different after waking up than I normally do - I still have the mental fog and heavy eyelids. I'm just hoping that I'll feel a little extra energy today. We'll see.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:41 pm

Keep using the polygrip..I am not going to jinx things by saying anything about last night just yet.
Try not to expect to see immediate improvement with one decent report...unless you are very lucky it doesn't often work that way and the way your luck is running.....
We need a couple of weeks of good reports then we can maybe hope to see a change in how you feel. Right now..it's way too soon and the reports aren't anywhere good enough. Heck...just those leaks are enough to mess with sleep quality big time even if everything else was in good shape.

I will be away from the computer for a while starting tomorrow. Going on a little trip to see grandson and my daughter. I will try to check in here every so often but I can't guarantee anything. So if you don't hear from me for a little while...that's why. I won't be home until Friday evening the 27th.

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Thu Dec 19, 2013 6:06 pm

I'm actually gonna be out of town starting Sunday, and returning the 28th, and will be without internet (at least on my laptop), so I won't be posting any results until after that anyway. I'm actually hoping to get my new mask in the mail before I leave. I'm really looking forward to the mask, and hope it helps.

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Sat Jan 11, 2014 4:01 am

Well, I finally got my new mask and machine in. Still having problems.
I started a new post for it.

digitalepiphany · Post by **digitalepiphany** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 8:55 pm

I've been using my VPAP ST now for a few weeks and the Hybrid mask for about a week, maybe a little longer. I just wanted to post my results from the last few nights and maybe get some input. The machine works, as far as the CAs and AHI (my highest AHI has been 15) are concerned. In fact, I haven't had a CA since I started using it. I mean zero.

I'm still trying to get the Hybrid to not leak. I never had leaks from the pillows on the LIberty, but the mouth part would leak. On the Hybrid, the mouth part doesn't leak, but the pillows do. I wish I could combine the two. It almost seems like I need an XL pillow for the Hybrid. The damn thing leaks right at the tip of either the front or the back. Really annoying.

Anyway, I know my leaks are still out of control (not as bad as when using the Swift FX though), but otherwise, I think the data looks pretty good. Any tips on anything that pops out at you?

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:09 pm

Does anyone know if the S9 VPAP ST works like the S9 Adapt in terms of central flagging?
Meaning that any centrals that occur don't get a separate flag but instead get dumped into the apnea index basket?
If so, that would account for the zero centrals....but if your AI itself is acceptable then it doesn't really matter because the AI is low anyway.
I am thinking it does because of the green apnea flag instead of OA or Central.

I assume that you already have read Rooster's little trick for stabilizing the nasal pillows with pantyhose or tights when you were struggling with the Liberty?

How is the sleep quality in general?

Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help

Re: Just had my first follow-up, please help