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I just noticed that I have been using CPAP for 10 years - and it has been a great story.
I had been falling asleep evenings – sometimes in the middle of a conversation. More worrying was the number of times I was finding myself drifting off on the motorway. When I met a new partner she told me (later) that when I slept over the house shook. Luckily she was a speech and language therapist and, once we were sharing a bed (with ear plugs on her part) she recognised that there was a problem and suggested I got myself checked out. Smart lady – I had OSA. We are now married and she loves my CPAP machine almost as much as I do.
I was (I suppose I still am) a private patient and my specialist suggested that I waited for the first of the Remstar Auto machines that were just about to come on the market. He believed that, with one of those, no further medical support would be needed, except for maintenance of the machine, as the auto would take care of itself (and me). I did check in with him last year because it seemed like a long time - "Is everything OK?" - "I guess so" - " Then carry on as you are". And maintenance of the machines turned out to be no problem.
I am on my third Respironics Machine – a series M Auto. small, light and convenient. It has been round the world three times, though it did have to go back for repair once. I will probably replace it later this year, before the next big trip. Number two Remstar Auto is in the top of the wardrobe as a spare. Number one did give up the ghost – but it was bought at a time when expected life of the machines was 2 or 3 years – and it lasted 5.
I tried a nasal pillow mask at the beginning but got bleeding and discomfort so I switched to the Profile Lite. I have mostly used that mask ever since. ‘Breaking in’ a new mask is quite painful the initial discomfort does pass. The life of the mask was short originally – either the silicon cushions failed or, more frequently, a part of the mask body or the clip for the forehead cushion (a weak point in the design) cracked. And the straps used to stretch to twice the size. But they have improved and my current one shows no sign of giving up – which is great because it is as comfortable as an old slipper and as quiet as a mouse – amazingly quiet, in fact.
I tried a SleepWeaver last year but though it was comfortable it is noisy and comparatively leaky. But it is so small and light that I throw it in the kit when I travel as a spare in case of disaster (Ok – in case I sit on the other one). The worst mask I have ever had was the Comfort Curve – a total disaster in performance that, after a couple of weeks, left me with a major skin problem on my face because of the large cheek pads. And I have tried a few others – but the next Profile Lite is in the cupboard, ready to go when needed.
I have not been using a humidifier, though I may try it when I buy the next machine as one of the medicines I am using now does cause a reduction in saliva – but it isn’t a big problem for me yet.
One of my gripes is that hotels seem to be adopting a standard design in which all the electrical sockets are by the desk, on the opposite side of the room to the bed. I carry an extension lead in the car in the UK and for travel in the USA I have now got a lightweight cable that doesn’t add too much to the weight of my hand luggage. I have, incidentally, got used to my machine being swabbed for explosives at the airport – but the security staff do, at least, know what it is nowadays (Well, not in Laos).
It is great to see the improvements in design: much smaller and lighter machines with better algorithms. More choices in masks – but it is possible to make an expensive mistake and you can’t try them beforehand. I don’t count the SleepWeaver in that category – it is a great idea and if they adopted a silent port on the infeed tube, rather rely on diffusion through the material it could be much quieter.
So, it has been a life-changing experience – things might have got very dull without it. I’m looking forward to many years of CPAP use to come. It isn’t cheap, if you are buying your own kit – but my wife reminds me that the quality of life that CPAP has given us is priceless.
I had been falling asleep evenings – sometimes in the middle of a conversation. More worrying was the number of times I was finding myself drifting off on the motorway. When I met a new partner she told me (later) that when I slept over the house shook. Luckily she was a speech and language therapist and, once we were sharing a bed (with ear plugs on her part) she recognised that there was a problem and suggested I got myself checked out. Smart lady – I had OSA. We are now married and she loves my CPAP machine almost as much as I do.
I was (I suppose I still am) a private patient and my specialist suggested that I waited for the first of the Remstar Auto machines that were just about to come on the market. He believed that, with one of those, no further medical support would be needed, except for maintenance of the machine, as the auto would take care of itself (and me). I did check in with him last year because it seemed like a long time - "Is everything OK?" - "I guess so" - " Then carry on as you are". And maintenance of the machines turned out to be no problem.
I am on my third Respironics Machine – a series M Auto. small, light and convenient. It has been round the world three times, though it did have to go back for repair once. I will probably replace it later this year, before the next big trip. Number two Remstar Auto is in the top of the wardrobe as a spare. Number one did give up the ghost – but it was bought at a time when expected life of the machines was 2 or 3 years – and it lasted 5.
I tried a nasal pillow mask at the beginning but got bleeding and discomfort so I switched to the Profile Lite. I have mostly used that mask ever since. ‘Breaking in’ a new mask is quite painful the initial discomfort does pass. The life of the mask was short originally – either the silicon cushions failed or, more frequently, a part of the mask body or the clip for the forehead cushion (a weak point in the design) cracked. And the straps used to stretch to twice the size. But they have improved and my current one shows no sign of giving up – which is great because it is as comfortable as an old slipper and as quiet as a mouse – amazingly quiet, in fact.
I tried a SleepWeaver last year but though it was comfortable it is noisy and comparatively leaky. But it is so small and light that I throw it in the kit when I travel as a spare in case of disaster (Ok – in case I sit on the other one). The worst mask I have ever had was the Comfort Curve – a total disaster in performance that, after a couple of weeks, left me with a major skin problem on my face because of the large cheek pads. And I have tried a few others – but the next Profile Lite is in the cupboard, ready to go when needed.
I have not been using a humidifier, though I may try it when I buy the next machine as one of the medicines I am using now does cause a reduction in saliva – but it isn’t a big problem for me yet.
One of my gripes is that hotels seem to be adopting a standard design in which all the electrical sockets are by the desk, on the opposite side of the room to the bed. I carry an extension lead in the car in the UK and for travel in the USA I have now got a lightweight cable that doesn’t add too much to the weight of my hand luggage. I have, incidentally, got used to my machine being swabbed for explosives at the airport – but the security staff do, at least, know what it is nowadays (Well, not in Laos).
It is great to see the improvements in design: much smaller and lighter machines with better algorithms. More choices in masks – but it is possible to make an expensive mistake and you can’t try them beforehand. I don’t count the SleepWeaver in that category – it is a great idea and if they adopted a silent port on the infeed tube, rather rely on diffusion through the material it could be much quieter.
So, it has been a life-changing experience – things might have got very dull without it. I’m looking forward to many years of CPAP use to come. It isn’t cheap, if you are buying your own kit – but my wife reminds me that the quality of life that CPAP has given us is priceless.