home oxygen hose tangle

[rmfields]

When I was first put on home oxygen three years ago, it was terrible. Everyone kept tripping over it and pulling my ears when they did. I swore I wasn’t going to have ears left. My husband is not the easiest going person and he complained constantly. I didn’t know what to do. My husband put the concentrator in the hall. He put one 20 ft. oxygen hose to my bedroom running along the baseboards of the wall. He used a swivel for the 4 ft. cannula hose. Then he did another 20tf.hose that reached to the front of the house. It is not ideal, but it is so much better than it was trying to drag 50ft. of hose around so I could get to the entire house I just unhook the one and hook up the other when I need to.

[stone-UK]

Hi

Speak to your respitory nurse, she can ask your provider to pipe the system around your home if suitable.

Then you only need a short pipe which plugs into wall sockets.

[Tatters]

Excuse me but I did have to laugh when I read your post, I have problems with my two 12 year old Border Collies, one in particular follows me around and often gets tangled up with the tubing. After having my ears almost pulled off several times I now hold onto the tube so that I feel the strain in my hand rather than my ears !!! lol. I sit in my chair only to find one of the dogs led on it, still it will be a sad day when they go. Best wishes, Tatters.

[SquirrelsHolt]

Such a clever idea. Where did you get the swivel attachment from? Thanks for your help.

[LadyoRockee in reply to SquirrelsHolt]

You get the swivel connecter from your oxygen provider. You have to have one to connect your cannula to your tubing, well in my case, anyway.

[Hidden]

I know the feeling all to well of having your ears bent when someone trips over the tubing!

[westielady1956]

I always find I get it twisted around my feet and end up standing on it and pulling the cannula off my ears lol.

[mich11020]

I can relate to all that you said but the most annoying I find is that the tubing is forever getting stuck umderneath doors - am tempted go open plan & do away with all the dam doors!

[Titchykath]

I just regularly swear at it 😂😂😂

[Ella52 in reply to Titchykath]

Hahaha when I'm keeping a bit better, which hasn't been for a while I can laugh off all the tangles, strangling & feeling like I have a snake round my leg. On the other hand when I'm really struggling I swear at it & wonder if it's worth all the annoyance lol. I'm in hospital & the tubing used in here is non tangling but does have the odd thicker bit dispersed. Oh the joys 😥

[Kathygwanny]

I reckon my hose often has days when it tries to murder me. My friends think I'm nuts when I say it's in a murderous mood.

[123098]

I have the same problem but as well my cat loves to bite and chew it I had to wrap masking tape at interval s around the tube and spray with cat away . But I did ask about having it put around the house but was put off as the man who came told me I was only allowed so much tube and to be honest it would not have suited me the way he described it. My son has come up with putting lengths of thin wood or the like attached to the ceilings in the middle of rooms so the tube is held off the floor and away from the cat but it would allow me to move around the room I think it's the way forward for us except I can just see the cat jumping high trying to reach it. It's all fun !

[Gwen46]

Hi,

I have been trailing my hose around for nearly 11 years now. I had trouble at first, but learnt to loop up the first few feet of tube which not only warns me if the tube gets caught under a chair or round an handle, but it also keeps it away from my feet so I avoid tripping up. I had a fall Xmas eve when I tripped over the hoover wire, and broke my wrist, but never fallen over my hose. I looked into having it put up on the walls, but they said they could not put a connector in my kitchen, which is where I spend much of my time. So decided it wasn't for me. But each to his own. What works for some won't work for everyone. Good luck.

[rmfields in reply to Gwen46]

11 years? Oh my. Do you have COPD? If you don't mind saying- How old are you? I ask because I am only a few years into this sickness and don't know how long someone might be able to live with it. I'm scared most of the time wondering if I will just keep getting worse. How many years I wonder. 2? 3? Foolish I know but I can't seem to help myself. They said I had a 50 percent chance of 4 years. That was two and a half years ago and I'm no worse than I was I don't think. Still on the 2lt. oxygen. Still the same meds. Still the same exercise tolerance. I don't know what to think. The doctor said, "don't worry about that, just stay on your oxygen." How can I now worry.

[Toci in reply to rmfields]

Please don't worry. They gave me 3 years, and that was nearly nine years ago and I am still here and I have no intention of going anywhere any time soon! I use oxygen and make sure I stay as fit as I can by taking regular exercise - which is the key to longevity with COPD.

[Gwen46 in reply to rmfields]

I have Bronchiectasis, which comes under the heading of COPD. I am almost 70. I know people like me who have had this disease for 60 plus and they leave a reasonable life. I am disabled anyway which makes life difficult. Without the oxygen my SAT's drop down quite quickly and if left my organs would be damaged and start to shut down as they need lots of oxygen to survive. If you are lucky, you may only need it for a short time. Be guided by your Doctor. I'm on 1 1/2 liters 24 hours a day, and to be honest after all this time it's as normal as washing your hands now. Checking my cannula and my portable cylinder are as normal to me as making sure my hair looks ok. You say you have a 50% chance of 4 years. 4 years of what? Being on 02 or getting better?? How old are you? I know of someone who got a lot better and I also know someone who is a lot worse, but who takes her dog out for a run a couple of times a day. You need to be positive about it. I am going on a coach trip for the day on Monday, on my own, with just my walker. And I am looking forward to it. You can't let yourself give in and keep thinking you are the only one. I belong to another group as well and we have 3,800 or so members from all over the world. WE ARE NOT ALONE. xx

[rmfields in reply to Gwen46]

Thank you. It means a lot to me to know I am not alone in this.

[5930]

Good idea

[john110865]

Sure makes one smile Happy Valentines!