Yay, I'm getting a concentrator

[Inamoment]

Just spent the afternoon at the hospital having an oxygen assessment. The oximeter said 90%, arterial blood 7.2. That's a tad low and was after I'd say on a chair for half an hour or so. Ambulatory oxygen is not enough. They left me on 1 l/min for half an hour an remeasured. The oximeter was 98 and arterial 9.4. I felt much perkier too. So it's a concentrator for 15 hours a day

[joyce74]

You will soon get used to it though dragging the tubing around can be cumbersome. I regard it as another type of meds that help protect my organs. Keep well

[mistymim in reply to joyce74]

Ye, Joyce dragging the tubing around can be cumbersome especially with others living in the house, I am so afraid they may trip over, but, we need it so we just have to be a bit more careful where we put our feet....

[Inamoment]

I assumed I would get a portable machine but I'm not so sure now, I shall ring dolby

[Hacienda]

I went on Oxygen nearly 4 years ago with Concentrator "Plumbed" in to each room, Yes the Tubing can be a Pain, but it is a Life Line & a Medication, 16 hours a day. I also have a Mobile Pack, upgraded from the "Cylinders" which were too bulky. This one is battery charged and can be recharged in the car, it is just like a Shoulder Bag. My Respiratory Nurse at PR ordered it for me. I go to Rehab so it is easier to carry whilst exercising or doing any other tasks.. Good Luck Hun. XXX

[Hidden in reply to Hacienda]

Hi you mentioned a mobile pack which was upgraded from cylinders are you referring to liquid oxygen then ?? I have just been written a new supply of liquid oxygen from my original supply of cylinders but had no safe place for it to be stored so it got taken away.. I really struggle with the mobile cylinders as just too bulky and the amount I need if out, though I am very grateful for the oxygen of course I'm just trying to make it as easy as possible for me to carry whilst out 😊

[Hacienda in reply to Hidden]

Hi Kem,

I have "Air Liquide" as my Supplier, but you have to be Referred, it was my Rehab Respitary nurse that contacted them with the Prescription to change to my InogenOne pack, which is light weight and holds enough hours to suit you. Off to Rehab Now. Good Luck kem. xxx

[Hidden in reply to Hacienda]

Yep I'm with Air Liquid too but what is inogenone pack ? Is it liquid oxygen that has to be filled from a big drum stored in garage or a shed ??As this is what they changed my prescription too but then I couldn't have it due to not having a safe secure place to store it . So back to lugging my cylinders again ...😊

[mrsmummy in reply to Hidden]

The Inogen One is a portable concentrator which is relatively easy to carry about and runs on batteries. The manufacturer is Inogen. Try Google.

[Hidden in reply to mrsmummy]

Thankyou ...I will look now ..I can't understand why they haven't offered me it then ?, as the liquid oxygen is not suitable for my property ..thanks for letting me know 😊

[sarcoid1234 in reply to Hacienda]

Can I ask how manoxygen litres a minute you are on. I am on 4L/min when walking around and don't think I would be allowed a portable oxygen concentrator that is small enough to carry like a shoulder bag

[Inamoment in reply to sarcoid1234]

I shall be on one. That is enough to get my oximeter to 97/98 and arterial to 9 point something from 7.2 . My consultant arranged it after a particularly rubbish did minute walk, just 275m.

[Inamoment in reply to sarcoid1234]

I don't think the portables could do 4 litres and I think the battery only manages 40 minutes

[davidh2308 in reply to Inamoment]

Mi inogen g3 gives me up the 5 litres and the 16 cell battery gives me 8 hours at 2 litres

[Johnem in reply to sarcoid1234]

The Inogen G3 givee up to 4ltrs/min with the standard 8 cell battery lasting 2hrs when fully charged, but a 16 cell battery will give twice that, or in my case, they happily provided a spare 8 cell battery for a long use at 1or2ltrs/min. It weighs approx 5lb and I have a trolley also provided which is great for most purposes. My supplier is Baywater Healthcare.

I also have a fixed free flow upstairs.

I imagine the supplier is careful with a standard battery costing a customer £300 vat free, so not cheap.

Best wishes,

John.

[Inamoment in reply to Johnem]

Oh right, I shall see what turns up. I did see someone with a concentrator like a small handbag on a shoulder strap

[Hacienda in reply to sarcoid1234]

Hi. I am on 3 lts, for walking and exercise. Lots of advise being given here. The best way to gain the correct information for you is to contact your Respiratory Nurse. We are all different with different needs to our different levels of Lung Disease. Good Luck x

[Inamoment]

I rang dolb y and they were going to give me a big fixed one. I rang the hospital to ask about a portable. They rang dolb y and I shall get one, at least for now. Pleased, it should be more convenient

[leakeadea]

Inamoment,

Love your online name!

Unfortunately it will depend on your local oxygen supplier, as to which type of concentrator you receive. I'm with Dolby too and have a portable oxygen concentrator for ambulatory use around the house and when I go out, so during all physical activity basically.

My portable concentrator is called Simply Go but its much bigger and heavier than the Imogen, which was the one I was really hoping I'd get.

Even though its supposed to be portable it provides me with less than 1 hours use at 2 litres continous flow, which obviously is pretty rubbish if you're going out! Even around the house I have to put it on charge after using it for getting up, washed and dressed etc and finally into my living room. If I have it on pulse setting it will last much longer but I don't find its enough oxygen as I'm getting breathless with it on pulse, so I have to switch back to continous flow.

That said I much prefer having a concentrator to pulling the cylinders around the house, they were so cumbersome and heavy and I was always getting the wheels caught on everything! Also I kept having to order the cylinders as they don't like you keeping very many in the house, with my concentrator I don't have to worry about running out of oxygen. I also have small children size cylinders for using in my garden because I have a lot of steps and my concentrator is too heavy for me to carry around the garden.

I would think that you will get a permanent concentrator if you need oxygen while at rest too, which does mean that you will be tethered to the tubing but I'm sure that will be easier than dragging a trolley around the house.

Finally getting put on oxygen was like getting the life back into my body again! I knew I needed oxygen as far back as July 2016 but I didn't get prescribed any until just before Christmas day 2017, so ended up completely house bound and even bed bound during that one and a half year period because I was constantly on the verge of collapse simply walking the few steps even within my own home!

Within a day and a half of using oxygen I felt like a different person, like I'd been given a Magical Tonic! I could literally feel the life coming back into my limbs, my body and my brain and I was finally able to think clearly again! The longer I've used it, the better I've felt, so it's definitely worth putting up with the tubing, or pulling a trolley around!

I hope Dolby get your oxygen sorted out for you and that you too feel the life coming back into your body!

Claire 😀

[ethanyoung]

reddit has an interesting thread about the concentrator reddit.com/r/CysticFibrosis...

[Inamoment in reply to ethanyoung]

Yes that is interesting. My co2 hadn't up at all on the second artery test which is good

[Inamoment]

This is now they work oxygenconcentratorstore.com...

And this is the stuff that does the filtering en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeo...

i always like to know how things work