On Oxygen... Guy

[stevelomako]

Guy Manges, Howdy;

I do use O2, they have me at 4 liters/min. As much as I can I leave the tank and canula
at my chair and shoot. Sometimes I go back to the chair for a 'hit' but usually when the
opponent is shooting. Much to my Pulmonary Doc's chagrin I try to NOT use it 24/7as it
(to ME), feels like the more you use it the more you end up needing it. What I do is what
I do FOR ME as we are ALL different it may or may NOT work for you. Only trial and error
will help you figure it out. Best of luck, get back to the table and give it a go. You won't
know what works for you until you try.

hank

You should buy a PulseOx and check your O2sat levels when you go back and sit after not using the O2. You might be surprised.

4 LPM is kinda high to be on so your O2 levels must be kind of low.

I’ll bet if you have the PulseOx and you check it often your levels are a lot lower than you think they are.

Self diagnosis isn’t always the best thing. It’s good to have equipment to confirm or deny what you think.

When I was in the medical equipment field in the 90’s the new finger tip pulse ox that came out was over $900.00.

You can get them now for 10-25 dollars.

They are a steal and should be a part of any household medical kit along with a thermometer and BP cuff.

 

[TheBasics]

Hank, the most I've got out of my portable bottles is about 1 hour time, I've got a big bottle emergency back up on wheels but have never used it. I to get my air from the VA via contractor. I've got my big unit for home that I use a lot... I hope to find someone on form that has or used one of small light weight battery units that can tell me all the info. ... Guy

Guy, Howdy;

You need to talk with your supplier to get some tanks that fit your needs. I live in an RV as that's
what fits my needs. They wanted to load me up with a load of bottles and I told'em that I refused
to be responsible for them as I'd have to store them outside and whatever the weather or my
neighbors might do to/with them as I had nowhere indoors to store them. chuckle. That's how I
got the compressor and the refillable units. They (VA & Contractors), are there to help and support
your needs, not to dictate to you what is convenient to them.

hank

 

[TheBasics]

You should buy a PulseOx and check your O2sat levels when you go back and sit after not using the O2. You might be surprised.

4 LPM is kinda high to be on so your O2 levels must be kind of low.

I’ll bet if you have the PulseOx and you check it often your levels are a lot lower than you think they are.

Self diagnosis isn’t always the best thing. It’s good to have equipment to confirm or deny what you think.

When I was in the medical equipment field in the 90’s the new finger tip pulse ox that came out was over $900.00.

You can get them now for 10-25 dollars.

They are a steal and should be a part of any household medical kit along with a thermometer and BP cuff.

steve, Howdy;

Yup, have all the equipment you mentioned. Good to know your background is in the equipment side of the business.
Yes 4 L/min is a bit stiff I'll agree. Have been at that level since 2012. I am what is known as an Co chaser. My "normal"
O2 level is in the 80's. Scares the crap out of a new respiratory therapist. When my O2 level gets into the 90's where
everyone else is I need to be careful due to Hypercapnia. However, bear in mind that I live at 4,550' ASL. I do 3L/min
when sleeping as respiratory rate slower as well as the heart rate and demand is absolutely minimal. All approved
by my Pulmonary Specialist. We have great conversations about my condition as there ain't many that have my set
of circumstances.
Right now yup, I am wearing the cannula @4 L/min O2 (%SpO2),was 86 & PRbpm was 56.

Thanks for your thoughts and concerns.

hank

 

[skiergd011013]

People with all kinds of handicaps or aids (walker/wheelchair/artificial limbs) find a way to play. Does it change the game. They seem to find a way.

I used to play with a guy who was paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair. He had a telescopic bridge that he used for every shot that wasnt on the rail (he could use his hand to bridge from the rail). He was called safety bob, because he was famous for his lock up safes. I like seeing people with handicaps that love the game so much, they do what they need to make it work. There is also a forum member on here who has severe shakes and he made a wooden hand bridge that enables a solid bridge for people with tremors.

 

[Guy Manges]

Guy, Howdy;

You need to talk with your supplier to get some tanks that fit your needs. I live in an RV as that's
what fits my needs. They wanted to load me up with a load of bottles and I told'em that I refused
to be responsible for them as I'd have to store them outside and whatever the weather or my
neighbors might do to/with them as I had nowhere indoors to store them. chuckle. That's how I
got the compressor and the refillable units. They (VA & Contractors), are there to help and support
your needs, not to dictate to you what is convenient to them.

hank

Hank as far as I know my supplier only has one size of portable tank, in my ten or so years of wearing all the others ( portable oxygen bottles ) I've seen are the same as mine...

 

[Guy Manges]

steve, Howdy;

Yup, have all the equipment you mentioned. Good to know your background is in the equipment side of the business.
Yes 4 L/min is a bit stiff I'll agree. Have been at that level since 2012. I am what is known as an Co chaser. My "normal"
O2 level is in the 80's. Scares the crap out of a new respiratory therapist. When my O2 level gets into the 90's where
everyone else is I need to be careful due to Hypercapnia. However, bear in mind that I live at 4,550' ASL. I do 3L/min
when sleeping as respiratory rate slower as well as the heart rate and demand is absolutely minimal. All approved
by my Pulmonary Specialist. We have great conversations about my condition as there ain't many that have my set
of circumstances.
Right now yup, I am wearing the cannula @4 L/min O2 (%SpO2),was 86 & PRbpm was 56.

Thanks for your thoughts and concerns.

hank

Hank thank you for your info , I to live in my RV at a high altitude level, small world, Good luck to you... Guy

 

[TheBasics]

Hank as far as I know my supplier only has one size of portable tank, in my ten or so years of wearing all the others ( portable oxygen bottles ) I've seen are the same as mine...

Guy, Howdy;

If your O2 supplier is Rotech then they can fix you up like I am.
Where are you? I got this set-up from the Utah folks first and
had it transferred to NM where I've been since 2011.

hank

 

[skiergd011013]

You should buy a PulseOx and check your O2sat levels when you go back and sit after not using the O2. You might be surprised.

4 LPM is kinda high to be on so your O2 levels must be kind of low.

I’ll bet if you have the PulseOx and you check it often your levels are a lot lower than you think they are.

Self diagnosis isn’t always the best thing. It’s good to have equipment to confirm or deny what you think.

When I was in the medical equipment field in the 90’s the new finger tip pulse ox that came out was over $900.00.

You can get them now for 10-25 dollars.

They are a steal and should be a part of any household medical kit along with a thermometer and BP cuff.

you just have to be careful with those about getting false readings, which in turn can make you very anxious thinking you have a problem when you dont. Things like Bright ambient light and nail polish can throw them off and give you a low reading, at least with the one i have. Mine also always reads a bit low when first turned on, and then it goes up and stabilizes after 20 secs or so.....so i dont even look at it until after that amount of time. Just sharing my experience.

 

[TheBasics]

you just have to be careful with those about getting false readings, which in turn can make you very anxious thinking you have a problem when you dont. Things like Bright ambient light and nail polish can throw them off and give you a low reading, at least with the one i have. Mine also always reads a bit low when first turned on, and then it goes up and stabilizes after 20 secs or so.....so i dont even look at it until after that amount of time. Just sharing my experience.

skiergd011013, Howdy;

just going to refer to you as "skier" from now on.
Yea, have those just in normal days no nail paint, regular daylight.
Always give it a minute (60 sec.), to stabilize.

hank

 

[stevelomako]

steve, Howdy;

Yup, have all the equipment you mentioned. Good to know your background is in the equipment side of the business.
Yes 4 L/min is a bit stiff I'll agree. Have been at that level since 2012. I am what is known as an Co chaser. My "normal"
O2 level is in the 80's. Scares the crap out of a new respiratory therapist. When my O2 level gets into the 90's where
everyone else is I need to be careful due to Hypercapnia. However, bear in mind that I live at 4,550' ASL. I do 3L/min
when sleeping as respiratory rate slower as well as the heart rate and demand is absolutely minimal. All approved
by my Pulmonary Specialist. We have great conversations about my condition as there ain't many that have my set
of circumstances.
Right now yup, I am wearing the cannula @4 L/min O2 (%SpO2),was 86 & PRbpm was 56.

Thanks for your thoughts and concerns.

hank

Well you’re in quite a catch-22 situation.

You need to be at and above 90 for sure, which is why an RT would be concerned about you at 4lpm and you have a level in the mid 80’s at rest.

Good pulse rate so I’ll bet you were pretty active and in decent shape most of your life

It complicates things at your higher altitude for sure.

I’d be interested in seeing about a 30 day record of what your O2 sat is at when you wake up.

Do you use Albuterol or similar?

 

[stevelomako]

FYI

Any decent medical equipment company will get you what you need to be able to have as normal a lifestyle as you’ve always had.

If they don’t accommodate…find another.

Seriously.


The company I was with was family and they were the Rolls Royce of medical equipment in Michigan when I worked for them. Wasn’t anyone better than them.

You got what you needed/wanted.

They sold to a national chain in the late 90’s for a ton. It went down hill after that. Corporations.

 

[Guy Manges]

Guy, Howdy;

If your O2 supplier is Rotech then they can fix you up like I am.
Where are you? I got this set-up from the Utah folks first and
had it transferred to NM where I've been since 2011.

hank

Hank, yea rotech, I'm in west Texas. But we are going in the wrong direction here... what I am trying to find is someone with a bettery pack portable and see which one is best for me, no more bottles... Guy

 

[TheBasics]

Hank, yea rotech, I'm in west Texas. But we are going in the wrong direction here... what I am trying to find is someone with a bettery pack portable and see which one is best for me, no more bottles... Guy

Guy, Howdy;

I'm between T or C and Hatch just west of ya in NM. Being stuck with Rotec/VA has it's
drawbacks. However, you should be able to talk to the folks at Rotec as they do a lot of
Non-VA stuff. Get on the phone or stop by and have a talk with them. Get on your local
VA oxygen coordinator to see if an exception can be made for your situation. Never hurts
to ask.

hank