I've actually managed to get out and about a few times with the portable LOX (liquid Oxygen) flask! This is after being hospitalised last month with pneumonia, it was a good two weeks before I felt able to venture out at all. The first time was just walking around the block with a lot of rests with one of the heavier first cylinders I was given strapped in a shopping trolley which was hard work but I felt triumphant at the achievement.
The next was with the lighter LOX flask but still in the trolley. I bussed to ASDA and wandered around for a lot longer but the unit iced up within the trolley as I was leaving and the flow stopped, I was straight home in a taxi but it was a tad alarming. Glad I had company. Obvious problem but I hadn't thought of it, no o2 in the trolley in future! I've been back to ASDA since with it on my back in the bag and that was fine, bit of icing up but no interruption in delivery. Wasn't as heavy as I expected either but I knew when I had to stop shopping. I'm on 4 lpm continuous when ambulatory, the flask should last 3 hours the book says. Yesterday I walked to the nearby barbers for a much needed haircut and beard trim which has made me feel tons better.
I find I don't need the 02 as badly in the early morning which is good. In general I feel less 'in bondage' to it than I did. Couldn't even get out of a chair without it at first.
The sleep saturation test wasn't any use as my sleep is so fragmented, they will do another abg in 6 weeks they say.
A Respiratory nurse comes round every week to do Pulmonary Rehab exercises with me for a while as I was deemed too ill to attend sessions. This also seems to be going well.
Hooray!
Written by
robevanz
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Glad to hear you are getting out and about with it Don't worry too much about it icing up - I usually find that the higher the flow I am on, the more of a 'frosting' I get. I tend to use 2lpm continuous for 'pottering' , 4lpm pulsed or constant, if I am on flat ground walking at a strolling or average pace, and 6lpm continuous for faster paced walks or when slowly carrying the shopping home - keeping in mind that I shop daily so as to keep the weight of the bags down!
Along the way I have many chats with curious strangers - often after they have stopped me to warn of the 'smoke' coming out of my backpack.
Once you are familiar with how long it lasts you on average at different settings, you may find yourself going further afield . I travelled here, there and everywhere on the train last summer. I would switch it off once on the train, and just have it on quite a high setting when walking around at my destination. That way I got to do really nice day trips to visit fellow COPD'ers for literally a couple of hours chat and a cuppa! It was great I am going back 'on the rails' this Autumn once my daughter has gone to university. Last year I got as far as the Midlands. This year, who knows - and all done on day returns, with my Disabled Railcard Discount. The world is our oyster Rob - and i intend to see a great deal of it and meet a lot more lovely people - even if it is in two hour time frames! Best wishes to you , P.
Also thanks to you Parvati, you seem very on top of your COPD in every way, especially attitude, it's very uplifting just to read your posts. Next weekend is a Medieval Weekend at Bodiam Castle which Reg will probably be taking part in, he's an archer, long bow, Wars of the Roses period. Like you I worked out that with the o2 I could do an afternoon there, half hour bus ride and a couple of hours there to watch the battle and take photos. There will be a good deal of walking but I'll take a light canvas stool is the plan so I can stop when needed.
I order the bulk of shopping online and it's delivered then I expect to go out every so often for browsing or buying extra goodies .
Values change, I get a buzz out of doing the simplest thing which healthy people would think nothing of, I find I enjoy overcoming the hassles.
I've been on o2 15/24 since April after a spell in hospital, I use it evenings and night for the bulk of the 15 hours and if I want to go out I go in the car and use a trolley as you do in supermarkets or if the weather is nice I go out on my mobility scooter with the cylinder strapped to the back of the seat, then the rest of nine hours I can potter slowly in the bungalow with no oxygen. I use 2ltr constant and find it lasts me about 4hrs.
Where can I find out about a Disabled Railcard Discount as I enjoy going to Swindon to a swimming pool with my grandchildren? They go on the slides etc and enjoy the waves while I just float at the side. I find that so relaxing. I also get a buzz out of doing little things that were impossible before I had the oxygen!
Thanks for your comment, made me smile to read of you floating in the pool beside the grandchildren.. Parvati has done a blog yesterday about Railcards with links to the info you need.
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