Ack! I hate that mask! Hateithateithateit! Besides that, I really don’t like it that much.
I tried out the Mirage Liberty from ResMed. It is a cool concept in mask design. It doesn’t cover the nose but goes slightly inside with what are called “nasal pillows”. But it also covers the mouth. This way, if a person rolls onto their back and their mouth opens, they are still benefiting from the treatment. This is called a “full face mask” because it includes both the nose and the mouth. There are only two that I know of that use nasal pillows to do this. The other is called the Hybrid. Users give the Hybrid more “stars” than they do the Liberty but the place I get my stuff from doesn’t carry it. I may ask them to get one anyway, just so I can tell if there is a difference.
I used it Friday through, oh, Tuesday I think. I gave it a good try, really I did. Usually I give a mask a lot of chances because they are all different with different headgear etc.
First problem: the nasal pillows come out of my nose. It got to where I’d fall asleep with my fingers holding the damn things in place
Second problem: when I laid on my back? damn mask leaked all over the place! Chin, cheek, nose. No matter how tight or loose I made the straps, it still leaked.
Third problem: I needed a degree in rope-ology to figure out how to untangle the head gear. What a pain in the, er, head! Every night, I had to figure out how it all went. The clips only went in one way but they came back out far too easily.
Fourth problem: this is probably a full mask problem and not limited to the Liberty but…my lips got awfully chapped. I mean as in bleeding each morning. Yes, the humidifier was on. As the pressure rose (it ramps from 6 or so to the max of 12 over a period of about 30 minutes or so), the air blew my mouth open. You know those idiots that jump from airplanes (skydivers)? You know how their face wiggles in the air and if they open their mouth, it looks like they were just hooked up to an air pump? That’s what my face did. When I got up in the morning, my skin was loose and my mouth was in a deep frown. Having semi-stretchy skin isn’t always a good thing.
So back it will go. If they don’t deal in the Hybrid and won’t/can’t order it, I’ll just stick with the ComfortLite 2. I’ll ask if there’s any others she’d recommend.
Lin wears a mask. She seems OK with it. If you want I’ll find out what kind it is or have her give you a call.
I forget she’s a Hose Head too.
I’ve been through a lot of masks over the years. We’ve never found one that fits over my nose which is why I stick with the nasal pillows. The best one I’ve used, they stop making. Ain’t that the way it goes?