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February 09, 2008
it's official: cpap masks are sexy
Today was "Super Doctor Friday" wherein I had four doctor appointments. I took the day off. Anyway, on the way to the third doctor I realized that I was going to be way early. Since I'd already read through my "NZ Let's Go" guide that morning, I needed something else to read. The thought of reading a magazine at the doctor's like "Geriatric Times" or "All Mother Stuff All The Time" made me ill. I decided to stop at a mini-mart and pick up something more to my liking: People magazine. That's _my_ kind of fluff. But they didn't have any. Even though it's not a magazine I usually read, I picked up Allure. Out of all the magazines there, I'm not sure why I picked it. Maybe it was it's allure. Yuk. Yuk. But I'm glad I did folks.
When I flipped the page to the start of an article about sleep problems, I saw it. But I didn't believe what I saw so I did a double (nay, triple) take. And then it hit me: I really was looking at a picture of a woman in lingerie, lying on a bed with a CPAP mask and tube artfully displayed next to her (nbh scanned the pictures for me so you can see what I'm talking about). *blink* How freakin' cool is that? Read the extended entry for my letter to the magazine and a little more insight into why I am so happy about it. Warning: Sappiness ensues.
Dear Allure,
I could kiss you. I think you accomplished a first in the history of mainstream beauty magazines (any mainstream magazine, actually). What would that be? You included a CPAP mask and hose in a picture with a lingerie model (“The Sleep Cure” February 2008). I have never seen this before. CPAP manufacturers don’t even show the masks on people in their ads, it’s mostly a pencil sketch of a head and the mask superimposed on it. Even they can’t get it to look human and normal. Thank you. And it means a lot to someone like me. One of the stigma’s of using a CPAP machine is the ugly face mask. The whole thing is ugly (I’ve asked the manufacturers to come out with designer CPAP machines and masks, but nobody is listening). I cried when I got my first mask and one of the main reasons I did was because I was scared that my husband wouldn’t continue to find me sexy. I shouldn’t have to pick between using a device that will save my life (literally) and feeling normal and sexy. It’s been two years and he still finds me sexy and I’m over the embarrassment of using it, but to see it in a picture with a beautiful lingerie model just made me feel so good. Thanks for making me feel normal, accepted and sexy. I’ve put the picture up in my house and have shown it to friends and family whenever possible. The only complaint I have about your article is that it doesn’t mention sleep apnea! What a great opportunity you had to get more awareness out about this disorder.
Warm regards,
XXXXXX
Posted by jennj at February 9, 2008 02:41 PM
Clue-ments:
Someone at Allure uses a cpap, for sure! What a great thing to show that the mask doesn't make your a pariah for needing sleep help. Let's hear it for sexy cpap masks and get on those manufacturers about designer ones as well! What does it take to make them prettier than they are now? This coming week, John and I have an apartment on the site of a large SCA event (Estrella War). We'll be sharing our space with 2 people who need the electricity for their cpap machines. -- Mom
Posted by: Mom at February 9, 2008 03:56 PM