Leaking Mask

Is your mask leaking air during the night? How old is your mask? Never occurred to me til yesterday. I went to get a new forehead pad for my mask. The supply place didn't carry them anymore (told me this AFTER I got there) but they gave me one for free and told me when I went in for my new sleep study, to have the doc write a prescription for it and have the insurance pay for it then. Soooo nice of them! I didn't realize til I talked to her that I might need a new mask. I mean, I know they say get one every six months, but I was without insurance for a while and ignored that. Well apparently the silicone on the mask stretches and gets wrecked, and leaks. Duh! Never occurred to me! My stuff is all 2 1/2 years old! So now i have a nice new mask and no leaks! Waiting for new hoses til I get a new machine. See I'm going to get surgery somehow, but not through insurance. They don't think I need it, and it's excluded. Soooooo...heh heh heh....I think I'm due for a new sleep study....and CPAP....and hoses.....and maybe I should get checked for diabetes....heh heh heh. Anyway, get yourself a new mask at least once a year. Mine would only have been $42, that's not too bad. Hey, the stupid gel forehead pad would have been $29 by itself!!

I just got my cpap yesterday and I had tryed a mask like your talking about in the Hospital they gave me a choice of 4 yesterday I picked a smaller one that don't have that thing on your forehead just fits around your nose and its great .have you had WLS ? I was just wanting to know about how long after surgery do you have to stay on the cpap thanks.. Shelly

I got my machine 2 1/2 years ago, and was never given any options for the mask other than size. Now I know better, when I get my new machine I plan to shop around first for a better mask. There are a couple of good styles I plan to check out, way better than mine. But in the mean time, the new mask seems to be helping me sleep a lot better. I was so surprised at the improvement. It has seemed like I haven't been sleeping quite as well on it for the last six months to a year, and I know i've been snoring. I'll have to ask my husband if I'm still snoring now. No, I'm not post op, unfortunately, still trying to get the money for the band. I've heard for a lot of people it's a few months, maybe 4-6? I'm sure it depends on your weight, and varies for the individual. I was around 210, at 5'4" when I got married, and that's when my husband told me I was stopping breathing at night. Before that I don't know how long I had it, no one was there to tell me. I know I snored most of my life, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. My whole family does. But I'm hoping once I get into one-derland I'll be rid of the CPAP. I'll keep using it til I'm sure I don't need it. I have three little kids, I don't get enough sleep as it is!! But I can't wait to kiss my co-morbidities goodbye! It's so funny...anyone who says WLS isn't "medically necessary" clearly hasn't slept with a hose hooked up to their face!

Some insurance companies replace your mask, tubes, etc every 3 months. I will definitely take advantage of this. Ericka