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!

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.