Brandy
I also us the Hybrid and had trouble with the nasal pillows staying in place, I came up with a fix using a rubber band and hair elastics and plastic twist tie things, it is a simple fix that holds the nasal pillows in place and firmly in the nose with out undo pressure.   I have jpegs, is there any way I could just post them  in this forum so who ever wants to try it can? I already have sent  Jeff (jla930)  the jpegs  it is a very simple but effective fix.  White Beard

White Beard, That would be great if you could get the pictures posted, I really love the Hybrid and want to make it work, I am just about ready now to try the tape to see if I can make them stay in place, like someone earlier suggested.

If there is  no way they can be posted, maybe you could email them to me so I could see them and try it, it sounds like a great fix. Creative minds can solve many problems.  Thanks for yours.

I am a mouth breather too - and thought at first that I would not be able to breath through my nose.
Last night was my FIRST night with a CPAP machine (REMstarPro M Series) and the "mask" I chose was the Respironics OptiLife.  After a few minutes I had a rhythm of breathing going and I think I fell asleep in about 10 minutes!  At first it feels like you are not getting enough oxygen and you take big breaths.  I slept 6.5 hours straight! (Call Guiness!).
The only thing I noticed is that my lips were sort of dry and pasty when I woke up.  I just rinsed them with water.  That is a small price to pay for a good sleep.
Good luck finding the right mask!
ps...I just knew I could not have anything too big and obtrusive or I'd feel claustrophobic!

Hi Sleepy if you have a humidifier you might try turning it up little by little and see if it helps with the dry pasty mouth.  Or if you don't have a humidifier, you might need one.  Myself, I don't use a humidifier and normally don't have problems, once in a while that dry pasty feeling with my lips stuck together.  If it happens during the night and wakes me up, I have a small water mister bottle next to my bed, a couple of quick sprays and I'm back to sleep (I bought the bottle at drug store, it's about the size of a travel-size pump hairspray bottle).

Blessings,
--pseudonym

Thanks pseudonym
I do have a humidifier and had it on last night - but may have to turn it up like you said.  I guess it is all trial and error at first.
I was actually pleasently surprised for my first night - I am determined to sleep well
Jeanne

White Beard wrote:

Brandy
I also us the Hybrid and had trouble with the nasal pillows staying in place, I came up with a fix using a rubber band and hair elastics and plastic twist tie things, it is a simple fix that holds the nasal pillows in place and firmly in the nose with out undo pressure.   I have jpegs, is there any way I could just post them  in this forum so who ever wants to try it can? I already have sent  Jeff (jla930)  the jpegs  it is a very simple but effective fix.  White Beard

I received White Beard's jpegs.  Let me just say that his method is both simple and genius.  "Necessity is the mother of invention," to quote Aesop.  I tip my hat to White Beard for being inventive.  I have been using adhesive tape, and it works to keep the nasal pillows in place, but then the tape irritates the skin on my nose.  White Beard's method is a lot more "wholesome".

Please, if anyone knows how White Beard can post his images, please advise.  There are a lot of people who can benefit.

Jeff

Thanks for the nice compliments on my mask fix Jeff and I especially want to Thank Brandy for helping me get instructions on how to post the jpeg pictures. And Linda for the instructions. Anyway if you go to this url you can see my fix [http://whitebeardrnmsgtretired.spaces.live.com/default.aspxm] I cut apart the nasal pillows and connected them with interconnected small hair elastics, by doing this you can rotate the nasal pillows to align with your nostils and still keep the nasal pillows together. I also now put a folded piece of 4x4 gauge on my forehead under the rubber band to keep from making a mark on my head. The hard green plastic twisty tie things are old christmas light/decoration tie downs. I am sure they still make them and with christmas coming up you should be able to find them in stores soon.  anyway the amount of tension pulling up on the nasal pillows will depend on the size and type of rubber band you use. I have been using this configuration for several weeks now, and the Pillows stay firmly and snuggly in place. with little or no discomfort. I also swap each nostil with Ayr saline Nasal Gel before putting on my mask. Currently I am using a BiPAP machine setting 16/12 with heated humidifier and Oxygen at 2LMP.  I hope this can be of some help, for anybody that has problems with the Hybrid nasal pillows. I would aso like to thank the ASAA for having this forum please Remstar Heated humidifier recall.  WhiteBeard[/img]

Hi Whitebeard, that link doesn't work for me I get this error message:

Space Not Available  
This space is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.
To find other spaces that interest you, go to Windows Live Spaces.

I'm not familiar with Live Space, so I don't know what could be wrong.

Blessings,
--pseudonym

Sorry everyone I really am not all that computer literate. But  as  luck would have it Linda came to the rescue and saved the day! I E-mailed her the pictures and she said she would post them for mel  Thanks Linda I can't tell you how long I have spent trying to get these pictures posted. Thank again White Beard

White Beard's photos (he'll have to do the explaining).  

Try as I could, I couldn't get the first two photos smaller, but it's a better view of those thingymajigs.....

Pretty nifty invention you got there!

  



  

Hey, nice beard!!!


Linda



Last edited by Linda on Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:13 pm; edited 2 times in total

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW

Now THAT *is* clever!!!!

Kudos to Linda I don't know how you did that, but a big THANKS to you! When I took these pictures I never dreamed I would ever show them let alone post them on a forum. But the bottom line is that it works and resolved a major problem for me. and who knows maybe others can benefit from seeing these pictures. In the first picture the figure eight thing are two small hair elastics looped together. after cutting the nasal pillows apart, I used these interconnected hair elastics to hold the pillows together, by using this you can rotate the individual pillow so it will align with each nostril individually. The green twisty ties fit loosely on the nasal pillows so they don't crimp them, but they suppy the leverage point  not only to pull the pillows up into the nose, but also to tilt and pull them in from the side when the large hair elastic is looped around them. It is hard to explain but the pictures pretty well tell the story. I haven't had any trouble with it shifing or moving out of place.As I mentioned before I do put a folded piece of gauge under the rubber band on my head to keep from having an indented line. As a side not last January I had a full Santa Beard, that went down to the middle of my chest , I have had it for quite a few years, The Doc said what was more important "my beard or my life if you have to shave it or trim it to get a mask to work you do it!" Well much to my dismay I did it!  Hope these pics can help.  White Beard

The photos explain it nicely.  

Santa beard, eh?  Bet you were popular at Christmas!


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Great, the pictures are up, thanks Linda.

I am still amazed at how creative you were, to come up with a solution such as this, if you find a place that sells those green thingys please let us know.

Yes your beard is gorgeous  

Oops, I forgot a photo.   I added it in.

Glad to help.


Linda


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