Winning Over Her Doctor

In early 2011 Barbara Lott of Baton Rouge, LA was getting very frustrated with her oxygen tanks. Even though she primarily used them at night, she was too nervous to travel anywhere far from home. She was unable to visit friends, family, and even her son who only lives a few hours north. Then one day she saw a commercial for Open-Aire and decided that a portable oxygen concentrator could be the answer to her problems.

At first her doctor was hesitant to give her a new prescription. Her doctor wasn’t familiar with portable oxygen concentrators and didn’t know if it would be right for Barbara’s needs. But Barbara was insistent. She provided paperwork and information from Open-Aire, and eventually the doctor was convinced to give the portable oxygen concentrator a try. After a few months of seeing how well it performed for Barbara, she became a believer. “Now my doctor recommends it to all of her patients who don’t want to sit at home with their tanks,” says Barbara. And Barbara isn’t sitting at home with her tanks anymore either. She’s able to go where she likes, and is making plans to visit her son again very soon.

Missing Out on Thailand

Nancy Simmons was traveling to Thailand to see her brother when she experienced serious headaches.  Instead of getting on the plane, Nancy had to go to the hospital which resulted in her being diagnosed for oxygen.  Having to use oxygen tanks prevented Nancy from going on her trip.

Life with oxygen tanks was very limiting, particularly for someone who enjoyed traveling as much as Nancy does. Even just going to the store for groceries was now difficult. Fortunately for Nancy, one day she saw a commercial for Open-Aire and their portable oxygen concentrators and she knew she wanted one. Before long, getting around town was easy for her again. "I bring the carrier with me and I can roll it around behind me, or I can just put in my cart if I go shopping," says Nancy.

While she hasn’t made it to Thailand yet she’s still managed to get around. She’s made several trips to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and she’s visited the Appalachian Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. And we're sure that thanks to her portable oxygen concentrator she'll be adding many more destinations to her list soon.

Open-Aire, Fresh Air

It didn't take long for Vincent Deroma of Greenacres, FL to realize that living with oxygen tanks was not how he wanted to live his life. He was tired of the hardships of carrying tanks around, the inconvenience of scheduling deliveries and the constant worry that he may not have enough oxygen.  When he saw Open-Aire's commercial for their portable oxygen concentrators, he didn't wait too long to call.

In just a few weeks an EverGo/EverFlo bundle arrived to his home, and it wasn't long before all of his complaints about tanks were a thing of the past. Vincent tells us that in addition to the obvious benefits of a portable concentrator, he is finding a difference with the quality of the air he is breathing in. Vincent says, "the air smells better. It smells fresher. The air in the tanks always felt stale. My air feels clean now." It was an unexpected surprise that makes him even happier with his decision to switch from tanks to a portable oxygen concentrator.

On the Hunt

Out of all of Open-Aire's customers, it's hard to imagine one who has put his portable oxygen concentrator through its paces more than Durk Lowe of Afton, WY. Durk likes to go elk and deer hunting. But with oxygen tanks it was nearly impossible to hunt, as well as do many of the other outdoor activites he used to enjoy. His portable oxygen concentrator has changed that however. He says, "its given me a lot of mobility and I can keep doing what I used to do." And for Durk that means hunting.

He's able to go out with his 4-wheeler and travel 20 to 30 miles away from home while he’s on the hunt. He just straps his POC on the back of the four-wheeler, plugs it into the power outlet, and he’s good to go! In addition to taking it hunting he uses it when he goes fishing, and when he’s plowing snow during the cold Wyoming winters. Durk’s portable oxygen concentrator has gone a long way in making his life like it used to be.

Grandma Moved Uptown

Gertrude Gray of Festus, MO had been in a manual wheelchair for 5 years. Chemotherapy had left her with damaged bones in her foot, and a bad fall broke one of her legs above and below the knee. All of the trauma had made it difficult to walk without the help of a walker and most of the time she had to use a wheelchair. So many years in the wheelchair came with new problems. "My arms just got worn out with that old wheelchair," says Gertrude. Her osteoarthritis, along with tendonitis in her elbow, had gotten so bad that her doctor wanted her to use her left arm as little as possible. Just getting around the house was getting harder and harder.

Fortunately last month when she discovered Open-Aire Mobility Division, a solution was offered in the form of a power wheelchair. Still she was nervous about getting her hopes up. "Medicare can be hard to work with, and I didn’t want to raise my hopes too high," she says. However her Open-Aire case manager was able to work with her doctor and Medicare and in just over a month she received her new power wheelchair.

Now Gertrude is able to get around the house without trouble, and without straining her arms as she did with her old manual wheelchair. Her family is also very impressed with her new power wheelchair. "All my grandkids think it’s cool. They see me in it and think grandma moved uptown!"

"We Take Care of Each Other"

Donna and Lester Lambert of Waldport, OR were getting very frustrated with her old oxygen provider. They were unwilling to provide Donna, an emphysema patient, with a portable oxygen concentrator. Lester knew that her stationary unit was limiting what she could do, and affecting her health. "When you’re on a stationary concentrator you’re stuck on the couch all day long," Lester points out. Fortunately they found Open-Aire through an internet search and got a new EverGo portable oxygen concentrator. Now she's able to leave the house, run errands or go anywhere she needs to go. She's able to be more active and that's helping her to live a healthier lifestyle.

Her portable oxygen concentrator didn't only affect Donna's life though. It directly impacted Lester’s as well. A few months ago Lester began cancer treatment at Oregon Health & Science University. If that wasn’t bad enough, OHSU is 128 miles away, and he would have to drive there and back every day for 5 ½ weeks of treatment. It was going to be a difficult trip.

Because Donna could plug her EverGo into the car’s cigarette lighter, she was able to go with him and would not have to be concerned with running out of oxygen. "I wouldn’t have made it by myself," says Lester. With her help he was able to travel safely and get the treatment he needed. Now Lester is in recovery and he and Donna are starting to get back into their normal routine. They continue to take care of each other every step of the way.

On the Road Again with Open-Aire

When you ask Quincy Heck Jr. of Ormond Beach, FL about his experience with his Open-Aire portable oxygen concentrator, the very first thing he'll tell you is that he has "a totally different quality of life." When you read the story of the last time he travelled with traditional oxygen tanks, you'll quickly understand why.

A few years ago, as a new oxygen patient, Quincy wanted to visit his children and grandchildren in California. A car trip seemed to be the only way he could manage it because airlines would only allow him to bring one oxygen tank on board. For a 5 ½ hour flight it was impossible for him to get by with just one tank. Even driving was difficult though and made him nervous. He says, "I had such a fear of going that my daughter-in-law flew out with me to drive from Florida to California." Plus he needed so many oxygen tanks for the drive that he had to rent a separate trailer just to carry all of them.

While the drive to California went smoothly, the drive home back to Florida did not go as well. He ordered the same number of oxygen tanks, but something went wrong and half-way through the trip he ran out of oxygen. He managed to find a center to get new tanks, but for several hours he was in a difficult and very frightening position. Once he returned home he thought his days of traveling were over.

However, shortly thereafter he saw a commercial for Open-Aire. After a few quick phone calls he received an EverGo portable oxygen concentrator. Now he and his wife are able to travel all the time. They've been back to California and even made a trip out to Las Vegas. Next on the list is a drive up to North Carolina. "For a long time my cousin has been trying to get me to come see him. Before I had to deal with all those tanks, and had to say no, but now I'm ready to go."

Working With His Doctor

Bill Workman can tell you all about life with limitations. For several years, Bill used liquid oxygen and always had to plan his life in increments of 8 hours, since that's how long a bottle would last him. It's tough to live like that, and it doesn't always work out. Last year at a family Christmas party, Bill didn't time it right and after 8 hours ran out of oxygen and almost wound up in the emergency room. So after learning about Open-Aire, Bill called to see if a portable oxygen concentrator would be right for him.

Once Bill had his initial call with Open-Aire he wanted to have his doctor involved. Qualifying for portable oxygen is not a difficult process, but the right doctor can make it a breeze. Midway through his tests with his doctor, who he says is the best in West Viriginia, Bill's heart rate started to elevate and they had to stop. However, his doctor had seen enough and she was confident that a portable oxygen concentrator would not only meet his oxygen needs, but it would help keep him mobile and allow him to become more active.

While Bill rested his doctor was on the move. "Before I even left the exam room she faxed off my test results to my Open-Aire case manager" said Bill. As soon as he got home, he was back on the phone with Open-Aire to complete his order, and less than 2 weeks later had his new portable oxygen concentrator. Now Bill is never without oxygen, and thanks to his doctor he didn't have to wait an extra minute to get his equipment.

Paper or Plastic?

Very often in this blog we profile people who use their portable oxygen concentrators to go on vacations or take long trips, but it's important to remember that this equipment helps people achieve the little things that they could not do while on oxygen. Marion Gibbs of Chester, VA is a great reminder of that. Marion has been an oxygen patient for several years, and while on traditional equipment she was literally tethered to her home. "I was hooked up to a 50 foot cord and I couldn't even go to the mailbox or my clothes line."

With her new portable oxygen concentrator, she's free to get the mail and do laundry. But her biggest acheivement so far has been going to the grocery store. It had been 4 years since Marian had last been to the grocery store, since being on oxygen made it so difficult to leave the house. Once she got there, she stayed for 3 hours! "My husband was getting a little mad. He was leaning against the freezer with his hands on his hips, waiting for me to be ready to leave. As soon as we got home though we had a good laugh about it."

What's next for Marian? She's looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of her car again. "It's been 5 years since I last drove, but the car is paid off and my insurance is up to date. I want to get back in the swing of things and do for myself again." A few months from now we'll touch base with Marian again and see just how far she goes once she's got her keys in her hands again.

The Grass Is Greener In Paul's Yard

Mr. Paul Gibson of Newport News, VA has been with Open-Aire for over three and a half years. In that time, Paul’s life has absolutely been enhanced by his portable oxygen concentrator. "It's really nice. It beats dragging those old tanks around. I recommend it to everyone I see." No longer homebound, Paul is able to take trips to Maryland to see his close friends and plug his oxygen concentrator right into his car’s cigarette lighter. He's been able to continue to do his own chores and not be tied to a heavy tank. Even just sitting at home and watching TV with his Westie is more enjoyable, now that he doesn't need to keep an eye out for how much oxygen he has left in his tank.

Most of the time though, Paul uses it while he's working outside. Neighbors who drive by often see Paul toiling away in his yard - mowing the lawn, taking care of flowers, raking leaves, and most recently digging a trench to install a new electrical line all while carrying his portable oxygen concentrator. It’s a lot of work putting all that care into his yard, but he doesn’t mind. Paul’s motto is "once you quit, you quit" and his portable oxygen concentrator from Open-Aire is helping to make sure he won't be quitting anytime soon.