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Sunday, November 19, 2023

Nablopomo post no. 18 - Deb vs. CPAP round 2 (I might hate this thing.)

 I got to bed late because the day was just bananas. I put on my CPAP mask and lay down to sleep. Trouble started first thing. I couldn't get a good seal around my mouth at first and I had to adjust the mask. The seal around my nose was uncomfortable but I hate having my nose covered with anything. It just wakes up an atavistic fear of drowning. Why, I have no idea, probably due to some unresolved trauma from my childhood or something.

So, I go to sleep for an hour. I wake up with a super dry mouth and a powerful thirst. I turn the CPAP machine off, finangle the mask off my head (which is hard because it is fitted tightly to keep those seals tight), and get a drink of water. I come back and check my stats only to discover the machine is leaking air. 16 liters of air per hour. I check all the hose connections, I inspect the mask and the mouth piece, and everything looks ok. I hope and pray that this isn't a sign of a problem, and I wriggle the mask back on, almost poking myself in the eye in the process.

At 0400, the confounded machine turns off. The power didn't go out. It was still plugged in. It was supposed to still be working but it wasn't. Every time I tried to reboot it, I watched it turn itself off. Fortunately, I got my mandatory 4 hours of sleep minimum for insurance purposes. But, now I have to call tech support before I throw it out a window in frustration.

To make matters even worse, I can not sleep in a comfortable position with out disrupting the airflow of the machine or breaking the seal of the face mask. If I yawn too much, it breaks the seal. It's maddening. I dislike sleeping on my back, it makes me feel vulnerable. That triggers bad dreams. And I can't use my big fluffy pillow that I just purchased last month because it messes with the CPAP's airflow through the mask.

I think I might hate this thing and it's only been a week (feels like a month, though.).

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