I have been trying out MPV over the last week and I want to share my initial impressions.
Firstly, I should explain my usual use of ventilation during the day. Normally, I use a face mask connected to my NIV machine during the day when I need a bit of help with breathing. This is around 2 to 3 hours per day, mostly after meals when I feel a bit full and need a boost.
With MPV, I’m using a small straw to take in air instead. When I suck the straw, it activates the machine which pushes in more air and gives me a bigger breath. The small size of the straw helps to increase the pressure of the air going in, increasing the volume to give me a bigger breath. The NHS has provided me a Philips Respironics Trilogy, which is quite a new product.
So far, I have found MPV to be very good at giving me deeper breaths. It works better than the face mask even though it takes a little more effort to activate the NIV. It feels that I get just as much relief and comfort from the straw, and I have been able to adapt to using a mouth-piece very easily. Not having to wear a face mask is definitely a plus because I can keep talking without sounding muffled or quiet. Furthermore, it also made a positive impact in terms of my breathing. I had a blood gases test after four days using the MPV which showed a decrease in CO2 retention and very high oxygen saturation.
Additionally, there is an option to attach the machine to my wheelchair so it would be portable and I could get the benefits of the NIV when going out and about. Hopefully, there will be a practical solution because I think it would be great to have.
DMD and Me 