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Tom's Support

Distinguished member
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
201
Reason
CALS
Diagnosis
08/2000
Country
CA
State
ON
City
Leaskdale
When Tom was going through the sampling of various masks for the bipap machine, I was watching his face.
His eyes were expressing the same distress he had with the pneumonia and his inability to get rid of the phlegm in his bronchial tubes.
I studied what the machine was doing and watched his face and it dawned on me!

I asked him: Tom is this machine like facing into a gale force wind and trying to catch your breath?
He nodded: YES

I get it now, I don't like the struggle to catch your breath when the wind is busy whipping the air by you so fast that you cannot pull the air in. Our instinct is to turn away from the wind, and the mask is pushing it straight at you.
This sensation is very unique, but with practice, practice, practice I think (hope) that breathing in the breeze will become less distressing for him, it is the only thing we can do to keep him going. Training the body to get over instinct is not easy. SCUBA -- breathing under water when your mind is saying HOLD YOUR BREATH, YOU ARE UNDER WATER

Yep, I totally get this.
 
I have actually tried wearing the mask with relatively high bipap settings, just to see how I would cope. Getting into the rhythm and relaxing is the key. D
 
Sitting up in a chair or bed with mask on and watching something light on TV helps some get used to it.

AL.
 
I will not let anyone put my bipap on me if it's turned on I just can't handle that air until I have my mask on my face.
 
My husband had nasal pillows. He would absolutely lose it if I put it on without turning it on or turned it off before taking it off.
 
All really good things to know, thank you so much.
I liked the way Larry at Sunnybrook did the hookup. He put the chin holder on, the mask on without connection and fitted it to Tom's head.
Then, he turned the machine on and connected it to the mask.

All very gently done and his level of care much appreciated. I think he was a good teacher, and I the good student and these steps will be repeated like a machine.


Thanks for the TV tip. I am sure distraction will help.

What a ride.
 
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