A Family Affair

Cindy is the oldest sibling in the Meyer family. She juggles a full time career, household, husband and now a new baby granddaughter. Her father Mr. Meyer, was a good man. He stayed by his wife Tressa ‘s side for the 10 years she was on tanks, taking care of her and giving her what she needed. He changed the tanks, gave her the proper medication, and was always at her beck and call. The tanks seemed to put a stress on the relationship and made an uninviting situation for visitors, as people would trip over cords, or Tressa would be cooped up in her bedroom connected to the larger o2 unit, unable to visit. One evening Mr. Meyer sat in his chair to take a nap, nothing out of the ordinary. Except this time, Mr. Meyer never woke up. Tressa could not handle the tanks by herself. With Tressa unable to care for herself, Cindy had no choice but to step up as big sister and daughter, and take care of her mother. Cindy not only absorbed the responsibilities of permanent caregiver, she also absorbed her fathers funeral arrangements, burial, and all their unpaid bills. Letters, banking issues, legal matters, changing tanks twice a day, dealing with insurance, and working her full time job became a day to day reality for Cindy. Her shell was about to crack. Something had to give.

She caught the end of a commercial for Open-Aire, and wondered if her mother could benefit from the portable unit. She did some research, called insurance, and it was official. She rang Open-Aire and couldn’t believe how easy the process went. Cindy had been used to dealing with difficult companies and agencies, who seemed to demand a lot and only wanted to take from her. Cindy appreciated how ‘effortless’ the process with Open-Aire went, and by her second call, the case manager had all her information and was ready to listen. Upon delivery, the set up was just as simple. Cindy couldn’t wait to call the oxygen provider and let them know their machine and tanks needed to be picked up, this time for good. The unit is so light and manageable that Tressa can now change the battery and turn on the unit without help. She is gaining bits and pieces of her independence, while Cindy gained security, piece of mind, and time, for not shuttling back and forth to change tanks out. In retrospect, one thing Cindy would have done differently is found Open-Aire sooner. The portable oxygen unit would have made Mr. & Mrs. Meyers’s life a lot easier, with less headaches and definitely less arguments. Cindy is most grateful that caring for her mother is now safer and reliable, with the Open-Aire portable unit.