"It's Made Things so Much Better"

After a few months of using liquid oxygen and tanks, Robert L. of Florence, South Carolina began to get frustrated with all the inconveniences of traditional oxygen equipment. Simple trips out of the house were difficult. "It felt like I was handicapped with the regular oxygen equipment. I couldn’t do anything," says Robert.

His daughter and grandchildren live 100 miles away from him. Robert likes to visit them on occasion and spend a few days at their home. In order to do that he would have to load up his car with oxygen tanks. Not only was that dangerous, but that would barely last him a weekend. Shorter day trips to Myrtle Beach, which is only 45 minutes away, weren’t much easier either.

Eventually he asked his oxygen provider for a portable concentrator. However, they said they could not provide him with one. Fortunately for Robert, as he did research on portable oxygen concentrators he found an ad on the internet for Open-Aire. Once he contacted Open-Aire he found the process very easy. The case managers helped him and worked with his doctor every step of the way.

Now Robert is a big fan of Open-Aire and talks about the company and his equipment whenever he gets a chance. "I go to a pulmonary rehab program at my local hospital and I show off my portable oxygen concentrator to everyone when I’m there. It's made things so much better." We appreciate the kind words and the recommendations from Robert.

A Traveling Grandmother, Mom and Sister

Betty V. of Spearfish, ND has been with Open-Aire for over four years and in that time she's experienced many of the conveniences that come with a portable oxygen concentrator. She doesn't have to schedule tank deliveries and she doesn’t worry about running out of oxygen. Her favorite thing is just being able to get up and go!

"I'm very pleased with my portable oxygen concentrator.  I have more freedom than before. I can get out and go. I don't just have to stay indoors all of the time," says Betty.  She loves spending time in the outdoors. If it’s not too warm or too cold she’ll go for a walk or a drive. She says, "I like to get in my car and go riding with my sister. Other times I go driving through the Black Hills by myself."

Her portable oxygen concentrator has made traveling much easier than with tanks. She just plugs it into her car's outlet, and she can stay out as long as she'd like. Aside from car trips, Betty’s portable oxygen concentrator also lets her fly without any hassle. Not long ago she flew to Colorado to see her daughter and granddaughter. 

Later this year she is planning a big trip with her sister. The two of them are planning to make a six hour drive to Wyoming to visit their brother. "We always stop while we cross the Big Horn Mountains and take in the views and the natural beauty." We hope to hear back from her and maybe she'll share some pictures of those mountain views.

Keeping It In The Family

Deborah J. of Proctor, MN has been an Open-Aire customer for several years, and has been quick to recommend portable oxygen concentrators to her friends and family. Not long ago her twin sister, Teresa, was prescribed oxygen. When Teresa decided she wanted a portable concentrator Deborah knew right where to send her, and by coincidence both sisters worked with the same Open-Aire Case Manager.

Deborah is a big proponent of freedom and mobility that portable concentrators provide. She says, "If it wasn't for my portable oxygen concentrator, I would just be sitting at home." Fortunately she does have one so she’s constantly on the go. She and her fiancé have a camper and they put it to good use. They travel all over visiting different cities and landmarks in Utah, the Dakotas, and of course Teresa who lives about an hour and a half away.

Being able to travel so easily allows for a busy holiday season. Deborah has many options for Thanksgiving this year. She has family throughout Minnesota and North Dakota, and has received several invitations. With her portable oxygen concentrator, she can go anywhere she wants and trying to schedule oxygen service doesn’t have to be a part of her travel preparation. Whether she is with her kids or with her twin sister, she will be mobile enough to enjoy the holiday to its fullest.

Finding a New Provider

John W. of Illinois recently found himself in a difficult situation. John was preparing for a trip to Belgium, and as a nocturnal oxygen user he needed to make arrangements so that he would have an oxygen concentrator for his trip. At first his oxygen provider assured him they would be able to supply him with a portable oxygen concentrator. However, they soon called him back and informed him that they would not be able to provide him with the equipment he needed.

John wasn’t going to let them stop him from going to Belgium. He decided it was time for a new oxygen provider. John needed to find a company that could provide him with oxygen equipment that would meet all of his needs. After searching on the Internet, John found Open-Aire. His new Case Manager wasted no time in getting started, “Open-Aire worked with my doctor’s office to get all the paperwork filled out. Your company came through, when my old company could and would not,” says John.

Open-Aire got a portable oxygen concentrator shipped out so that he was able to sleep in comfort in Belgium. And it’s been great comfort having it at home too. It’s quieter than his old traditional concentrator and for a nocturnal user like John that makes sleeping a lot easier. Whether he’s at home or traveling, his portable oxygen concentrator is a great all-in-one solution!

Welcome Back Alice

A couple years ago Alice S. of Middle Island, NY became an Open-Aire customer after seeing a commercial on TV. With her portable oxygen concentrator she was able to travel and become more active. However, shortly after receiving her portable oxygen concentrator her insurance provider changed their network of providers and partners. This meant she would no longer be able to get her portable oxygen concentrator through Open-Aire. Her insurance provider set up her with a different oxygen company, but Alice felt their customer service was poor and her new equipment was unreliable.

For the next year Alice didn’t travel. She did not trust her oxygen equipment and was too scared to go long distances with it. In the meantime she was calling up her insurance provider every couple weeks to complain and ask if there was any way she could switch back to Open-Aire. Finally, they offered her a solution on how she could go back to Open-Aire by going out-of-network.

Now she’s back with Open-Aire and couldn’t be happier because once again she is free to travel without hassle or worry. Just this past week Alice was traveling again and headed to Ft. Lauderdale, FL to visit some old friends. “I love to travel and I love Open-Aire! You allow me to live,” says Alice. We look forward to finding out where she travels to next.

King of the Road

William Johnson of Hope Mills, North Carolina loves to travel across the country. After he retired, he and his wife frequently took road trips, and drove over 9,000 miles across the United States. Unfortunately, in October of 2010 his traveling ended, as a series of health issues kept William in and out of the hospital for over six months. “I saw so many doctors in that time, the only one I didn’t see was a veterinarian,” jokes William.

When William came home, he had to use oxygen tanks. His tanks only lasted an hour and a half, which made even short trips around town difficult. Just as he was starting to get frustrated he saw a commercial for Open-Aire portable oxygen concentrators, and he knew that was the solution he needed. It’s been an absolute joy for him. With his portable oxygen concentrator he has unlimited oxygen. Worrying about running out of oxygen is a thing of the past for him because he can charge it in his cigarette lighter, power outlets, and put in an extra battery if he needs to. And with all these ways to keep his portable oxygen concentrator powered, William can travel again!

This past Christmas William traveled to see his kids and grandkids and spent the holidays with them. It was the first time in a year and a half he was able to see them. It was the best Christmas he had in years and says, “I had such a good time I told some of my friends I may never come back.” William is looking forward to being able to get back to his old life in 2013. This February he and his wife already have a trip planned to go to a trip in the mountains, and plenty more after that.

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.

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."

No More Worries

Sandra White of Golden Valley, Arizona has had her portable oxygen concentrator from Open-Aire for just a couple months, but she’s already seen just how big of a change it has made in her life. It’s been less expensive than the bottles she had to get from her old oxygen provider. She’s able to travel and is getting ready for a trip to California in the near future. But the best part is just being able to pick up and go as she pleases.

Sandra's life is now decided by her, and not by how much oxygen she needs. For instance, just a few days ago she visited a friend who lives across town. Instead of heading back home once it got dark, she decided she wanted to stay over. With her bottles she would have had to plan it out in advance so that she'd have enough oxygen, but that’s not the case now. "My portable worked as my stationary machine so I could spend the night," explains Sandra. In fact, when talking about her portable oxygen concentrator with her friends at the VFW and American Legion she has a saying, "there’s no more worrying about how long you can be can be gone."

A Better Solution

Don and his wife Rinalee have been down a long road in taking care of Rinalee’s health. Rinalee found spots on her lung and was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. The Forsyth’s had to meet with several doctors and surgeons, get a second opinion and they were in and out of several hospitals. With a malignant tumor, Rinalee had to have a lung removed. The surgery was life saving, Rinalee would not have survived the cancer had it not been removed. But Rinalee was prescribed oxygen and was sent home from the hospital with oxygen tanks. They were big tall bottles and you could not easily transport them. Don saw the Open-Aire commercial and said “that’s the deal”! Two days later they had all the portable and the stationary concentrator.

Rinalee’s daughter said to her Mom, "what do you think about going on a cruise?" It didn’t seem possible, but they booked a Carnival cruise and off they went to Jamaica and Mexico. The cruise line asked them how many oxygen bottles they had but they happily answered "no, we have a portable oxygen concentrator, it runs on batteries and we just plug it in. Don is an ex Navy man of 23 1/2 years, so he understands efficiency. They will tell you that the service is excellent, supplies come fast and that you will never regret getting away from bottles.

Around the World With My Portable!

California native Lloyd Jensen is a man on the go. A world traveler and a restaurant junkie, nothing has ever kept Lloyd from doing what he loves and desires in life. Lloyd was ready for a change from his local cuisine, and he planned a cruise, but not just any local cruise, Lloyd and his wife Wilma planned to cruise from Italy! However Lloyd’s doctor had put him on oxygen tanks, even though Lloyd fought the idea, as he valued his freedom too much. Lloyd had witnessed first hand as his cousin in-law struggled with tanks for years and he wasn’t going to fall victim to that routine. Travel can be especially difficult for those on o2. Lloyd found a portable oxygen concentrator from Open-Aire, proposed the idea to his doctor, and they finally agreed on how to settle the 'oxygen issue'. No more tanks! A few weeks after receiving his portable concentrator, LLoyd and Wilma, his wife of 49 years, packed their bags and boarded a plane in Los Angeles – destination Italy! It was quite the trip to get to Europe from California, first they landed in Newark, New Jersey and then they boarded another plane to Germany.

The flight was long, but they finally landed in Frankfurt. . . only to catch another plane to Venice, Italy. Lloyd never had to mess with his portable EverGo during the trip; he only had to change the batteries. He will tell you that managing the portable EverGo was the easiest part to the trip. Lloyd’s travel itinerary was a 15 day cruise from Venice back to the US, arriving in South Florida. By the time they boarded the cruise ship in Venice, they were both exhausted, they had flown for days! Overall, it was a great cruise as you can see by their beautiful photo taken aboard the ship on Formal Night. Magnifico! When they returned they were well rested, and ready to return to their local neighborhood restaurant. Lloyd says he ALWAYS sees someone on tanks at the restaurant, and it never fails, each time they ask him about his Open-Aire by EverGo. Lloyd can’t travel too far without getting questions about where he got his portable concentrator including his doctor's office, bingo, cruise vacations and out shopping. Lloyd is definitely changing the way his community is breathing each day. Bravissimo Lloyd!