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rkr4cds Jul 26, 2008

I need some liquid latex, the type used for theatrical purposes of applying parts to your skin.

I'm really pressed for time but desperately need some: yesterday I located a costume rental shop 25 miles away in Chicago. Drove in, bought 3 different brands of 1 oz bottles (total cost was under $10) only to find tonight that they are all old stock and all of it 'cured' in the bottles. Pitched them out. It would cost more in gas to return it than to throw it out.

I really do need this; I hate to say it's a life or death thing, but it sort of is. It goes with my sleep apnea: I've finally found a nose mask that doesn't blister my face, but it doesn't cover my mouth, which defeats the purpose. Unless you can seal your lips shut (no, chin straps do NOT work!) the air just rushes right out your mouth, carrying with it some of your own breath, making you tireder than ever the next day. I now know what my son and you other fibro fog sufferers deal with daily...

So, I've nailed it down to sealing my mouth but some tapes rip off my skin and some are whistling air around within an hour of falling asleep.  Yes, I could mail order some; there are lots listed online, but I have no way of checking that these too aren't also old stocks. And there's the wait of up to 2 - 3 weeks.

I've been playing with this for 8 weeks now; on my 5th mask and I'm exhausted. In the next 2 weeks we're traveling to OH with Leo & Berta Hesen-Minten & then hosting workshops here at home. So much to do yet - I'm dragging....

I am SOOO in need of sleep at night and will have to try to seal my lips with bandaids and tape as best I can but am turning to my last resort source - my friends who always manage to come through for me!

I need some liquid latex, that has the viscosity of rubber cement and can be actually seen in your local area (in person) by you to check this out so as to not waste your time & my $$. Don't think me critical, I just feel as if I'm slipping from that knot they say to tie when you reach the end of your rope.... my eyelids keep rolling shut at the Most inopportune moments!

Does anyone live near a theatrical supply house that carries this stuff and wouldn't mind making a call for me and checking it out in person?

TIA! I appreciate it more than you'll even know!!

Bobbie

lapousmor Jul 26, 2008

Oh, Bobbie, i wish I could help you...

I had a colleague at school suffering from sleep apnea. As he got tired of that, he finally decided to have surgery : his jaws were both moved, to allow air to follow the right route. the inconvenient is that it changes the face shape, but the BIG advantage is that it works great. Our colleague visited us at school after his surgery, and said that he suffered a little during the first week after surgery but then was okay and had no apnea anymore and even better : he was no noisy anymore while sleeping. His wife is so relieved that she will not have to worry anymore every night.

Maybe you should inquire about this surgery in your country if you think it could be a better solution than struggling to make masks all life.

Just my two cents about it, Bobbie.

:hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:  :hug:

Beary hugs,
Sophie.

fredbear Jul 26, 2008

Bobbie,
I was wondering about you. I cannot help with what you need.
I do thou have a deaf customer who told me that when she had her stroke, it affected her one eye, which refused to close. She tried everything, even having her eye stitched closed. Nothing worked so they then placed a small weight in the eyelid. When she get tired, the eye automatically droops and the weight keeps it closed.

You can hardly notice it, even when she pointed it out to me I could not notice it.

Lynette

rkr4cds Jul 26, 2008

Thx Sophie, we do have many surgical options here to. I didn't want to get into them. Some are pretty gruesome, as you describe.

Don used to stop breathing for, 10, 15, 20, 21, 22......seconds before snorting and then turning over, only to start again the cycle of breathing shallower & shallower until he'd again stop...and I'd count. I never knew whether to poke him or to count - to see how long it took. I was on the verge of recording him 15 years ago when our ABC TV program 20/20 had one of the first segments I'd ever seen on it; at least I now had a name for it and finally convinced him to see an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat Dr) who did a 'laser burn' on the back of his throat to tighten the muscles. Fortunately it's a very recognized illness now and recognized as life-threatening.

That has worked as he has never stopped breathing again, just snores some as other muscles soften w/aging. His lack of deep sleep was akin to the fibro fog of no REM sleep of fibromyalgia ppl (or youngest son) and 15 years ago he was so exhausted he didn't see how he was going to be able to work until retirement—not that he ever told this to me, tho... noit until long after he'd been treated! MEN!!!!

I went to this DR as a set of back of ears for Don and the area of the brain that they work with is also related to sleep studies  so Don had a follow-up and he told the Dr that I snore terribly. (Yes, I do, I've even woken mySELF up hearing it!) But I wasn't tired during the day, so "Fine, as long as he's coming, I'll take the other Room."

Report:
Don - Moderate
Bobbie - Severe
"What? Who? ME? SEVERE?"
No mouth apparatus, not CPAP (which is an almost-silent constant air-flow machine Don has) I needed BiPAP, which are different air rate flows during inhalation and exhalation.

So, that's a whole lot more than all of you ever wanted to know about my life between 11PM and 7 AM, but many of you are undiagnosed apnea ppl and if this helps just one more person take a Sleep Study...

And you can see why, with the hundreds of different types of face masks available, (business competition keeps the world markets string...) getting just one to fit each person's face without leaking is one set of problems and if one uses one of the nasal 'pillows or masks, keeping the mouth/lips closed presents new problems.

They supply a worthless one. I sewed 3 of my own in the last 2 months, filled with darts and tucks, but they all allow the jaw to drop a bit, the lips to part and the air to escape. It truly sounds like a hedge clippers running suddenly—a jump start for your bed partner or yourself! Now I've been sealing my lips with a variety of things and thought about theatrical applications, all of the facial features that get 'glued' on for the movies and plays....

I thought perhaps someone may pass a shop like this every day but never have had a reason to stop, or know of one in the next town over... I'll pay, gas, postage, time, product, even your Lunch if you run out on your lunch hour to get it for me!

Thx for reading, and Thx again for your help Sophie! After my 3 surgeries in 2 years, I'm letting these 3 heal completely before doing any more non-essential (or fixable by other ways) treatments!

HUGE hggzzz
Bobbie

Swan Valley Bears Jul 26, 2008

Bobbie, I sent you a PM.