Portable Oxygen and College Football

Phillip W. of Maplesville, AL did not have to use oxygen tanks for very long before he knew they were not for him. They were too inconvenient to carry with him, and it limited his ability to run simple errands, let alone do things like travel with his wife. So he started doing research on other types of oxygen equipment and learned about portable oxygen concentrators. Unfortunately his oxygen provider could only offer him tanks. As a matter of fact, NONE of the local oxygen providers in his town could get him one. That didn’t stop him though. Phillip kept looking for a company that could help him, and he eventually found Open-Aire.com.

He found working with Open-Aire to be quick and easy. His case manager was “fantastic in every way” he says. “She was able to work with my doctor and did a great job in putting up with all the emails I sent her asking about the progress of my order.” A short time later he had his portable oxygen concentrator and it’s already making a world of difference for him. Running around town is now a pleasure, when just a short time ago it was a complete hassle.

He’ll be using his portable oxygen concentrator over the holidays as well. Phillip is a big fan of the University of Alabama, and he’s looking forward to watching the Crimson Tide in the NCAA Playoffs on New Year’s Day. He had a bunch of friends over to watch them play in the SEC Championship game just a few weeks ago, and his portable concentrator made it a lot easier for him to mingle with his friends and to cheer for his team. Maybe with a little luck, he’ll get to use it to watch them play in the NCAA Championship game too. 

A South Carolina Honor Flight

On Veterans Day we posted a story about Peter D., a World War II veteran from New York who recently visited our nation’s capital as part of the Honor Flight. Andy M of Dalzell, South Carolina sent us a wonderful story and photo from his recent Honor Flight trip this past September…

Andy is a veteran of the Korean War, and a few years ago received an invitation to visit Washington, D.C. for the 60^th anniversary of the Korean War. At that time he was unable to go, but when Honor Flight extended a second invitation earlier this year he happily accepted the opportunity.

Andy got on his flight from Columbia, South Carolina at 6 AM with his portable oxygen concentrator in hand. Once he landed, his group was greeted, given breakfast, and was boarded onto their tour buses to begin their day. “The trip went so well. They had assistants who pushed some of us around in wheelchairs and took real good care of us,” says Andy. His group visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial and many other monuments around Washington, D.C.  Additionally they stopped at Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects to their fallen comrades.

That evening on his return home, his tour group was welcomed back by groups of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and members of the Honor Guard. It was a great way to end the trip. “It was a very nice day and my portable oxygen concentrator took good care of me. This 86 years old boy thanks you for taking care of him with your service.” Open-Aire is very happy for the opportunity to have helped Andy out on his Honor Flight trip, and we thank him for his service to our country.

More Walks For Her, Less Work For Him

Mobility can be a problem for many COPD patients, and Sandra F. of Wilsonville, Oregon is no different. As part of her treatment, Sandra’s doctor encouraged her to go out for walks to help her improve her lung capacity as well as for exercise. However, walking was extremely difficult for her because she would have to lug around one of her oxygen tanks. The only way she could walk was to go without her tank, and this was physically trying for her. The result was that she had to limit her walks to one short one a day.

Now that she has a portable oxygen concentrator that’s not a concern anymore. She goes out three times a day or more now. "I walk a couple blocks at a time. I go to the area of the apartment complex where there are benches and talk with my friends.  I can even take my dogs out because I can hold their leash instead of the tanks," says Sandra. Her portable oxygen concentrator is lightweight, and the batteries last for hours so she can stay outside and keep walking for as long as she likes.

As much as Sandra likes her portable oxygen concentrator her husband Jay may like it even more. Prior to switching to a portable concentrator, Sandra used liquid oxygen, and those tanks only lasted her an hour and a half. It was Jay’s job to refill those tanks. Because they lasted such a short length of time it was a job that kept him busy. Over the course of a day he could fill up as many as a dozen bottles for Sandra. Jay is very happy that Sandra has so much more mobility now, and he loves not having to fill up those liquid oxygen tanks!