I call my CPAP my new roommate.
I have lived alone for years, had no clue that I had sleep apnea. After knee replacement surgery last year, the staff in the recovery room spotted my halting breathing and recommended that I have a sleep study. Diagnosis: Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I stopped breathing an average of 38 times per hour.
My Kaiser/Medicare coverage provided the equipment, which I received a year ago. I told them that I had to have a machine which would run on 12V. They provided one, but I had to buy the 12V cord to match the machine because the 110 cord was standard. If your machine has this feature and your health care folks do not provide the equipment, you might try
cpap.com I got great service from them, even when I had to return the first 12V cord because I had ordered an incorrect one. If I had watched the videos on their website first, I would have made the correct choice.
Do I like using CPAP? NO. Do I use it? Yes, nearly 100 percent of my sleep time. Sometimes I take short naps without it. Sometimes I have a bad night, when the hose feels like it is attacking me or the mask just won't stay on and I finally rip it off at 4 AM and go back to sleep. I probably had sleep apnea for a long time before I got this machine and I am not dead yet, so I figure an hour or so here and there without won't kill me.
I sleep on the couch bed in the Tiger and the CPAP sits on the floor underneath. At home I designed a headboard with two small nightstands spanned by a precut laminate shelf from the home supply store. The shelf level is a bit lower than the mattress. Since it is between the bed and the wall, the machine cannot get pulled off onto the floor if I toss and turn.
As to 12V power when camping: my Tiger has neither generator nor solar, so I beefed up the battery bank. I have two Lifeline 6V AGMs for a total of about 220 amp hours; they recharge quickly when I drive. Backup plans might be a portable power unit or going to a place with hookups. I could also spend some $$$ and add solar, but since I rarely stay in one place more than a couple of nights it has not been a problem to have adequate power. Not using the humidifier would make the stored power last longer, but this can really dry out your respiratory system and I do not recommend do without for this reason.
My officemate has had his CPAP for about 20 years, as have some other folks I know. There is life after a sleep apnea diagnosis.
Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea and not everyone with sleep apnea snores.
Some hints and info links:
Use distilled water.
Clean is the word. Wash your face thoroughly before you put on your mask. Disassemble and wash your mask and hose daily whether at home or in your RV. I use diluted baby shampoo for mine. Don't used a fragranced product. Wash your headgear and the machine's filters, although I do those weekly and not daily.
CPAP.com has a link to CPAPTalk in the community column at the bottom of the page. This site was very helpful to me at the beginning, as were the folks here at RV.net. You do not have to register for CPAPTalk in order to search their files. Since it is all CPAP there, just search for RV or for camping. Lots of help, hints, even detailed electrical info. One guy describes his setup for tent camping while elk hunting out in the boonies!
CPAP.com has great videos on how to use your equipment.
For reputable medical info links, whether for yourself or to provide some info for your curious friends, go to the National Library of Medicine's site,
Medlineplus.gov This site has very high standards for the links which it includes. Sure, there is some good info to be located via Google or Yahoo, but it is often buried in the garbage info.
Sorry for the long post. I hope it helps.
