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+--- Thread: [CPAP] A catch up post..having been around much (/Thread-CPAP-A-catch-up-post-having-been-around-much)
A catch up post..having been around much - djjwilly - 08-22-2013
Hi Everyone; I haven't posted much because I was having the most awful time getting used to cpap and didn't want to be a negative on the board. I've learned a few things now and thought I should share to be of help to others. I'm on Medicare due to occupational disease. I tried every imaginable mask available when I was starting out. I have TMJ syndrome from a dislocated jaw, so I had complications there. My provider was very helpful trying to get me situated. I did eventually figure out that many of the mask trials that I did were failures because the cushions were old and flat in many of the full face masks I tried. Yes, they looked fine to the inexperienced cpaper like me, but since Medicare replaces them once a month, I slowly realized the trial cushions were a joke and many trials were doomed to failure because I had to tighten the daylights out of the mask to prevent leaks. That's what happens when the mask is over a month old, yes ONE month old. Hard to believe and I still don't sometimes, but it's true.
I also ended up using two types of masks instead of one. I can't handle one mask every night. The full face is too big and the nasal has no air flow I can feel, so I ended up buying out of pocket whatever I had to in order to start out with two new masks, the Quattro Air <newest on market, very light> and FX Swift for Ladies. I'm a bit miffed that I had to figure out on my own that an older cushion would have such devastating effects on a trial, but that was the case. If you are using a full face cushion right now that you have to tighten so tight it's uncomfortable, it's too old and that's why. Replace your cushion and get back to being comfortable! It ends leaks. The mask should sort of float on your face, not be lashed down like a rope on a gangplank. I'm actually to the point now where I'd rather use a mask than not. I know that I can change whenever I need to, even in the middle of the night, which happens, and that takes alot of pressure off. I can't handle having anything on my face really, but this approach makes it doable. There's new research now that sleep apnea and glaucoma are related; having sleep apnea can be a factor in developing glaucoma. It figures really. A lack of oxygen to the brain would definitely affect the health of the optic nerves. So I hope to retain as much of my sight as possible now that I'm being treated for my apnea. I hope this info can be useful to someone here.
RE: A catch up post..having been around much - trish6hundred - 08-22-2013
Hi djjwilly,
It's good to see you back on the board again. I'm sorry you have had to go through so many problems in getting used to CPAP therapy and that your DME wasn't very attentive to your needs, unfortunately, an all too common occurance. It sounds like you have made lemonade out of lemons though and that's great.
Thank you for posting your findings, I'm sure they will be very helpful to others.
Good luck and just keep hanging in there.