Misadventures in Plague

[Webmommy]

I hope you all heal well!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Not doing too bad, discovered yesterday while shuttling the groceries from the car to the fridge that I get out of breath easily (Set up a contactless pickup with Sam's so the wife drove down and one of the folks loaded up the car). Today finally seem to have some relief from the persistent headache. Still feeling a bit worn out but all things considered I'm doing really well.

Something my kid didn’t list...a CPAP or BiPAP machine. If someone in your family has sleep apnea, you can use that equipment…although you DO need a mask that fits. It can somewhat gently “force” you to breathe deeply even while you are asleep. We got mine out of the storage area, cleaned it up up and got it ready just in case.

Get well.

 

[DonRobbie]

I still have a CPAP machine from preop that I've thought about breaking out but I'm worried about aerosolizing the virus. Wife sleeps in the next room and the window air conditioner blows over me. We keep the bedroom door open to keep the living room habitable. My current theory was to try it this weekend (I ought to not be contagious by that point). It'll take some trial and error to find the right pressure now. As I was losing weight it became impossible to keep up adjusting the pressure (blew my guts up like a balloon, would wake up in pain and then spend an hour or so letting it rip to lower the pressure).

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I still have a CPAP machine from preop that I've thought about breaking out but I'm worried about aerosolizing the virus. Wife sleeps in the next room and the window air conditioner blows over me. We keep the bedroom door open to keep the living room habitable. My current theory was to try it this weekend (I ought to not be contagious by that point). It'll take some trial and error to find the right pressure now. As I was losing weight it became impossible to keep up adjusting the pressure (blew my guts up like a balloon, would wake up in pain and then spend an hour or so letting it rip to lower the pressure).

Yes. I went from CPAP (lots of pressure all the time), to BiPaP (and my settings were like 8 and 15…different for inhaling and exhaling), to an Auto-Adjusting CPAP thing (that was able to adjust itself).

If you still have eligibility for that equipment, there are better solutions than the original CPAP.

 

[DianaCox]

Good to know. Dad got a fancy-ish new CPAP (whatever Medicare pays for), and we had his old machine reset for a backup. If any of us get sick, I assume we can break out his old machine and use it?

(My Charles refuses to submit to CPAP even though he was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea several years ago. I’d like a way to get him to try it. Next time he gets any sort of URI, I’m going to press him to use Dad’s old machine.)

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Good to know. Dad got a fancy-ish new CPAP (whatever Medicare pays for), and we had his old machine reset for a backup. If any of us get sick, I assume we can break out his old machine and use it?

(My Charles refuses to submit to CPAP even though he was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea several years ago. I’d like a way to get him to try it. Next time he gets any sort of URI, I’m going to press him to use Dad’s old machine.)

Unless the old mask is a good fit for him, you will get resistance. (More than average Charles-level resistance.)

 

[DianaCox]

We have at least 3 different types of masks, all large (Charles might be XL though). One is just under the nose which should be easiest to get him to try. But I doubt it will ever happen.

 

[DonRobbie]

On my mask it came with 3 different sizes of nose pads, getting those right was really more important comfort and function than the mask itself (since the headgear straps are pretty adjustable).

 

[JackieOnLine]

We have at least 3 different types of masks, all large (Charles might be XL though). One is just under the nose which should be easiest to get him to try. But I doubt it will ever happen.

this is a pity because treating sleep apnea is one of those things that can make a HUGE improvement not only in how someone feels but in how they perform cognitively.
sleep apnea is a killer, just mostly in slow motion.

 

[Georgepds]

Unless the old mask is a good fit for him, you will get resistance. (More than average Charles-level resistance.)

I had trouble when I started to use one ~2007. The trick for me was to get the software that allowed you to see the apnea events during the night. You can get a pointer to it from the helpful members of cpaptalk dot com forum.


The manufacturers keep a tight hold on the software and reserve it for the DMD companies. The copy I had was reverse engineered from the data on the smart card


I've long since lost my copy, the machine is now a sign to go to sleep. I really don't need CPAP since the weight loss


That said, if the user is data driven there is motivation to put on the mask to get more data


Might help, YMMV
~~~


Looks like the open source OSCAR is the software people use these days

http://cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t179460/OSCAR-v111-is-Released.html

OSCAR - Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter

OSCAR is PC software for reviewing and exploring data produced by CPAP and related machines used in sleep apnea treatment

www.sleepfiles.com

 

[DianaCox]

Thank you - he lost weight with the cirrhosis (mostly muscle). He doesn’t snore as much now. But I wish he would get tested again.