[Equipment] P's fun with FFM

[PaulaO2]

So instead of getting the Quattro Mirage I ordered, I got a Quattro Air for Her instead. (insert cussin' and rantin' about idiotic DME staff)

I had a bad night and only got a few hours sleep. I went to pick up the mask at the post office, brought it home, and figured out how to fit it and all that (you can read about that here). And yes, I remembered to change the setting on the S9 to Full Face. I later decided I might as well take a nap. I got in about 3 hrs more in the nap.

Using SleepyHead, I removed the night's data and looked at just the nap. The leak rate max was 42L but the 95% was 28.8L so I think that's good. AHI is 2.9, pressure 95% was 17.82, max was 18.66. Nothing really leaps out as being out of the ordinary for me so all is good.

I was able to tolerate the FFM well, which was my biggest concern. As I have said, my experience with the Liberty hybrid mask was not a good one. Other than blowing my mouth open and getting very dried out, my nap was a decent. I woke up a few times but that's to be expected with a new mask.

The problem came at the end and the reason I woke up. I woke up with an awful stomach cramp and realized I had swallowed air. I sat up quickly and leaned forward in hopes of pushing it out as a belch but realized it was lower than that (TMI, right?). Then my POTS kicked in and I almost passed out. Narrow vision, stars, the works. I laid down and put my feet up. I hope that the air swallowing is not going to happen again. I chose a FFM so I could ditch the chin strap! I am going to try to sleep laying down at less of an angle and see if that helps.

Any advice?

[Galactus]

I have advice, and I know you are going to love it, I apologize in advance, I find it odd that RG has yet to give you any similar advice....

Stop playing with those other masks and get a P10, resistance is futile, you will be assimilated.

[PaulaO2]

Sigh. I tried the P10. I actually did a review of it. But the P10, even if they woke up and fixed all the many, many, many problems with it, would not fix the lip leaking problems I have. Which is why I am moving to a FFM.

Keep up. Read this.

[Galactus]

I know all that, have seen it, read it, and even understand it. Still say you will get a P10 sooner or later and learn to love it. Resistance is futile.

Nah really I wish you all the best, just can't help myself. ((((hug)))

[DeepBreathing]

Well I've just got a P10 and the first two nights were disastrous. I thought it might overcome the leaks from my FFM but I got much worse leaks, sore nose and higher AHI. I don't know what you guys are smoking, but it seems to have impaired your judgement and the recommendations you give.

[PaulaO2]

I just laughed so loud, I scared my dogs.

Aaaaanyway, leak rate on my first full night was good.

Sleeping on my back with this thing though is almost impossible. It just will not settle. I finally lay on my side and slept a very long time straight through. I kinda remember waking up to close my very dry mouth once but that's it. And I slept a total of, get this, 11.5hrs. I was exhausted when I went to bed. I've had several nights of insomnia, fractured sleep even when I did get it, etc. I expected to not sleep well with this new mask.

The biggest problem I have right now is I have tender spots on my cheeks, below my eyes, where the mask has pressed in from me having to keep it so tight. If I loosen it enough so it isn't pressed in, it leaks and farts at my eyes. I think some of it is from me sleeping on my side and the pillow pressing it, I'm not sure. There's no red spots on my face, though.

[PaulaO2]

I am giving up on the Quattro Air. The Dipwads at the DME are doing inventory and the lady answering the phone had no clue what I was talking about so she took my information. Yay.

My cheeks are tender and killing me from the pressure of the mask. And I didn't even have it that tight last night! I tried to make it as loose as possible while still not leaking into my eyes. I cannot maintain even a seal while on my back and have to sleep on my side, propping the mask on the pillow. While on my back, and even on my side, if I tilt my head back, the seal improves. Without anything else moving, with the hose being in the same place. Why?

Anyway, getting very frustrated. Until the Quattro Mirage arrives, I'll go back to the Nuance and chinstrap or PAPcap. I just hope the Mirage doesn't have the same problems with my cheeks as the Air did. I can use Mac's ear plugs or some sort of liner to help with leaks but I've been up for 6hrs and my cheeks still hurt. No red marks though. Very weird.

[PaytonA]

The mask tightens up as you tilt your head back because the lower straps are on your neck which does not tilt with your head. That stretches the lower straps and makes the mask tighter. I try to keep my lower strap as high as I can to avoid this. I can't avoid it altogether without running the lower strap across my ears and the headgear is not made for this anyway.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

[PaulaO2]

Yeah, that lower strap is right across my left ear lobe. Not the right. (Yes, I'm weird. We've established this fact.) I'll try to angle it more.

I've got some teeth issues which is causing sinus issues which may be making the tenderness in the cheeks feel worse than they are. Especially since there are no marks on my face. With as much pain as I am in, you'd think I would have red pressure marks or something! And I have such sensitive skin, you would think there would be marks. (I just checked with The Boss who can't see any either)

How different is the headgear on the Mirage? I need to go look that up. I knew this wouldn't be easy nor fun. Mask hunting never is.

[Peter_C]

I seem to be revolving between the mirage quattro, with a break every now and again using the 'F10'.