Oxygen 15/24

[Difficul]

Hello fellow lung sufferers. I am getting closer to being prescribed oxygen 15/24. Can users please help me with their experience of this? Do you feel any different? Are there things you can no longer do? Any particular hints or tips will be appreciated. Many thanks.

[Caspiana]

Hello there. I was on oxygen for a number of years. It does not help with breathlessness but it does protect your organs from being starved of oxygen. I think it gave me more energy. The important thing is to keep moving although the tanks and hose can be cumbersome. Get yourself a good trolley if you prefer that to carrying it on your back. Although if you have small tanks a backpack is also very convenient just heavy. And importantly do not stop walking. That is very, very important.

Cas 👋😊

[Loopylorre]

Just to say ditto what Caspiana has said, good luck to you when it starts xx 💐

[Vespa1950]

hi, I am indeed on oxygen 15/24, and yes I suppose the big picture it’s keeping my organs supplied. I have a static oxygen concentrator for use at home and a portable one for when I’m out and about,hopefully I will improve as the weather gets better!the worst part about it is not being able to fly,I tried with the fit to fly scheme but gave up in the end!

I’m now looking at cruising from Southampton!

[Biker88]

A friend of mine went onto oxygen last year, she has a large oxygen concentrator in her home and a 25 foot tube to connect her to the machine. When out she has the small tanks but they only last a couple of hours so has to take two. She is thinking about a portable battery powered concentrator which can give a few hours on a full charge. She has to avoid any naked flames so gas cookers , open fires log burners etc are off limits, but as she has the oxygen cylinders at home she had a fire brigade inspection and advice.

[PaulineHM]

Hello Difficul,

I have been using oxygen for 7 years now, slowly slowly the prescription has increased. I started with a portable concentrator and now on liquid oxygen from flasks filled from a large unit and a large concentrator with several metres of tubing. Still on ambulatory oxygen after all these years ! Whoop !

In many ways it has helped the quality of my life. I am still very active, still involved in life and living. It does slightly help with my breathlessness though generally my breathlessness is mostly helped by a really good level of fitness. (2-3 classes a week ) and I meditate as often as I can.

I miss being able to travel to warm climes in the winter, I miss being able to stay away from home easily for just one night. I drive still and hop out to do shopping or just have a change of scene.

The future I don’t think about very much, just go day by day. Suffice to say though I have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place and my will is complete as well.

Each day I am grateful for what I have.

I wish you well, oxygen therapy is not the end of the world. A good quality of life is still possible.

Go well.

Pauline

[MoosterMoo]

Hi difficul,

I've been on oxygen 15/24 now for just over 6 months. It helps me a lot as I'm able to do more around the house and I have a very long tube so I can get out into the garden. My oxygen need happened quite suddenly and I admit, was a shock to the system. My tanks only last about an hour outside so if we go out for the day I take a mobility scooter. At first I hated that idea but I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I need to use it if I want to get out. I still drive and I'm constantly on the go at home which means I'm probably more 19/24. Try to exercise, even just walking, as much as possible.

[Difficul in reply to MoosterMoo]

Thank you all for your various comments. Still wondering if/how those using oxygen 15/24 can really do domestic and personal maintenance tasks while connected. Also how noisy is the equipment - does it keep you awake at night? Apart from my concerns about how the 15/24 may further limit what I can manage to do, my OH tends to drag his foot so I am a bit worried about him tripping over the oxygen tube. I don't want to carry ambulatory cylinders around due to the arthritis in my pelvis and try but do find dragging a trolley a bit of a challenge. So not sure how I will cope with a long tube.

[MoosterMoo]

Hi difficul,There are 5 of us in my house and it's very rare anyone trips on my tube. The worse thing for me is when they accidentally stand on it and it almost rips my ears off 😂 some very strong language is used. This also includes my dog. I don't have the long tube out all the time. I wrap it around the machine and just unwrap what I need. You soon get used to how much you need. I use a different cannula whilst showering so I can hang it up to dry. I admit, it was tough to begin with, having to change how you do a lot of things, but you do quickly get used to it. The machine is quite noisy but you do get used to it. I also wear earplugs at night which help.

[Difficul in reply to MoosterMoo]

Thank you all and MoosterMoo. Are you doing things like laundry, housework or gardening still? And how do you make sure you are using the O2 for at least 15 hours? I've managed to avoid it for another few months, though am quite breathless now.

[MoosterMoo]

I still do everything I used to do, just at a slower pace which can be frustrating. I obviously can't use my gas hob while on oxygen but I bought a wheeled stool for the kitchen so I can leave my oxygen off and still move around. If you're on 15/24 you'll possibly need it at night so a lot of the hours will hopefully be used up then. As soon as I sit, my oxygen is off 🤣 x

[Difficul in reply to MoosterMoo]

That's very helpful, thanks again. I would also still welcome any comments from others.

[warwickstag]

Been on oxygen since 2008 and I know it has prolonged my life. Initially it was great as I was only on 2 litres/minute and the portable cylinders enabled me to get out and about. Over the years my prescription has increased and I am now on 8 litres/minute and no longer able to carry the cylinders so am housebound. The concentrator is quite noisy, but as someone suggested ear plugs are useful at night. My biggest problem with it is the fact it gives out a significant amount of heat, which is fine in winter, but murder in the summer. Some people have said the portable cylinders don't last long but if that is a problem talk to your oxygen supplier and ask him for a conserver which triples the time a cylinder lasts. There are 2 types, a manual one or a battery powered one. I've used both and settled on the manual one as I kept forgetting to take extra batteries with me when I ventured out. With respect to health and safety, the risks are somewhat exaggerated. In my experience the 2 main hazards are naked flames and smoking. I happily cooked using an electric oven and ceramic hob whilst wearing my oxygen cannula. Please don't be fearful of the unknown, if oxygen has been prescribed it is because it will help you. Good luck.

[Difficul]

Thank you again for helpful replies. I'm still not hearing much in the way of clear advantages...