Forum Replies Created

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  • bill-kelly

    Member
    January 19, 2023 at 5:28 pm in reply to: Leaving the house on 4LPM oxygen?

    Liquid oxygen. Very simple. I’ve been using it for 7 years.
    This subject has been beaten to death on these boards. Please carefully check anything you are told about POCs, the salesmen are not reliable. That is being kind to them.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    April 6, 2022 at 4:22 pm in reply to: Traveling with Pulmonary Fibrosis

    Yes you are nuts – if your mother really needs 10 LPM. Don’t believe ANYONE who tells you that Inogen will supply 6LPM. You cannot take cylinders on a plane. Google to find companies that rent for flying eg Oxygen to Go. They can give you definitive info on flying. You may get good tips on this board but don’t put your faith in them.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    August 10, 2021 at 4:34 pm in reply to: Choosing a Portable O2 concentrator for air travel

    John M,
    Please, please, please, do your own research before you buy a POC. If it’s not what you need you just bought a very expensive door stop. A setting of 6 is NOT necessarily higher than a setting of 5 on a different machine. Find the handbooks on line and they should give you the exact size of the bolus at each setting.

    There oceans of data on the net and on this forum. Some of the advice here is well meant but wrong. Caveat emptor!

    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    July 31, 2021 at 10:51 pm in reply to: Orange County ,CA Liquid Oxygen

    here is a sure way to find what is available: Call Medicare or go to their website and you can find the names of all oxygen suppliers in your area. You can download it and print it out. Then call each of them and ask.

    best wishes
    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    July 29, 2021 at 3:23 pm in reply to: Looking for answers

    John
    Does “sats increase by 2pts” mean eg 88% to 90% blood oxygen?

    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    June 15, 2021 at 3:50 pm in reply to: Oxygen concentrators and travel

    @katesmithson

    Kate,
    I have flown round-trip transatlantic 3 times and coast to coast in the US twice. There is a company at oxygentogo.com that is very helpful on air travel. Some airlines sub contract permission to them. Look at their website. They show all FAA allowed POCs.
    The FAA requires you to carry 150% of the batteries needed for a one-way trip. If you have stopovers you can probably recharge your used batteries. Ox to Go rents POCs and batteries though I have never used them. They will also answer all sorts of questions about POCs by phone or email. There are competitors and I have used them for rental but I forget the name though I have it in my records, and they were no problem. Some airlines supply oxygen – Virgin used to but who knows now? They normally supply pulse only. However you still have the problem of what you do at your destination for oxygen. My original Medicare supplier would loan me POC and batteries but only for travel within the US. The risks are what you are prepared to take. If you can get by with 1L/min pulse – fine. Not all airlines even require a doctor’s note so the risk is on you.

    I conducted many tests when flying using an oximeter. Cruising height is normally at a pressure found at 8000feet. Even at my best I could not walk to the lavatory at cruising height without oxygen, though I could sit and watch a movie with minimal O but that absolutely depends on your personal condition. I could never sleep and maintain 89% oxygen without continuous O which for a long trip requires enough batteries to run a car.

    I would never dream of buying a POC without being absolutely sure that it meets my medical needs. I would rent one first to be certain. Remember this: What you read on this website is what people believe to be the truth but none of us are experts and I can guarantee some of the info is wrong – not out of malice but because POCs are sold by salesmen. Caveat emptor! POCs with enough batteries to fly transatlantic cost $3000 USD. The smaller the POC the more batteries you need and the less oxygen output.

    I have probably forgotten some stuff as I haven’t flown for exactly 2 years. If you think of anything you want to know – Ask.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    January 19, 2023 at 5:40 pm in reply to: Leaving the house on 4LPM oxygen?

    Jeffrey
    Exactly, you are correct. Multiply the number of puffs/minute by the bolus and you get the total oxygen /minute. It’s rarely even 1 liter.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    January 19, 2023 at 5:37 pm in reply to: Leaving the house on 4LPM oxygen?

    Natalie, Google Helios Marathon, this will lead you to portable LOX containers. You get a reservoir in your house – you must refill it (exchange it for a full one) say once a month. You then fill the portable from this. Another portable is called “stroller”. I think the maker is Caire

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    October 21, 2021 at 3:50 pm in reply to: How does taking Prednisone help IPF patients

    Soon after my original diagnosis of ipf a pulmonologist at National Jewish warned me not to stay on prednisone for “long periods”. I have found that 2 10 tablet 20mg courses annually (not consecutively) when traveling has been OK. Prednisone is definitely a “feel-good” pill for me so I’m careful.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    October 21, 2021 at 3:43 pm in reply to: Vaccinated PF people and COVID 19

    You are definitely correct.

    A 100yards and 2 minutes from Walmart, Sam’s Club where I got my 1st 2 shots, refused me a booster.

    So don’t give up if you need it.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    October 21, 2021 at 3:34 pm in reply to: Vaccinated PF people and COVID 19

    Got a booster at Walmart Aug 31 after I said we were regularly on Prednisone. It was a full dose of Moderna

    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    August 18, 2021 at 1:16 pm in reply to: Portable Oxygen Concentators

    John
    I wish I’d thought of that. Though I needed 2L continuous to sleep which is a high load.

    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    August 18, 2021 at 7:55 am in reply to: Portable Oxygen Concentators

    The problem is not just the socket, it’s whether it can supply enough current at 110V. Delta has 110V sockets in Delta One but they will not a run a POC.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    August 17, 2021 at 5:41 pm in reply to: Portable Oxygen Concentators

    Cindy,
    Typo – I meant to say you need battery life of 150% the length of the trip eg 13 hour flight, you need 19.5 hours of battery life. The East – West leg is almost always longer because of the prevailing winds.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    August 17, 2021 at 4:59 pm in reply to: Portable Oxygen Concentators

    I have posted many times that you can usually rent batteries. Google “travel oxygen companies”, One is Oxygen to Go -oxygentogo.com. They are not the cheapest but they know all the regulations. Inquire early about rentals. I have flown SLC to Paris and back. The return trip is the longest. I shaded how much O2 I needed and used pulse. 20 hours of continuous flow – You’ll need a packhorse to carry the batteries. Ask the airline if their outlets will supply the needed current. I have never found one that would.
    I’ll answer any questions I can if you want to know more. Don’t forget you need 150% of the battery life. BTW which POC are you using?

    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    August 12, 2021 at 3:53 pm in reply to: Choosing a Portable O2 concentrator for air travel

    Bill S
    Aircraft cabins are usually set to the equivalent of 8000′. I once tested myself on Delta. When I walked to the restroom at cruising height my % O2 level dropped from 91 to 87. At ground level, sitting reading, my O2 level is 96 to 98 depending on how exciting the book is.

    Bill

    ps 36k’ is higher than Everest. I’m sure I would expire at that height outside of a pressurized cabin.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    August 12, 2021 at 3:42 pm in reply to: Choosing a Portable O2 concentrator for air travel

    Rand,
    You can rent a battery. If you have a stopover you can recharge your batteries. Don’t count on the 110V on the plane to charge your battery.

    No-one has ever asked me to see my batteries.

    Question for everyone: Has anyone ever asked you to show your batteries or even how many you have?

    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    August 11, 2021 at 1:14 pm in reply to: Choosing a Portable O2 concentrator for air travel

    Judy,
    My advice was not directed at you. To be honest I didn’t even read your post. There are probably 50+ comments on this board about oxygen. I’ll say it again: Do not trust any representations about performance of a POC unless it is in writing. I have had salesmen tell me direct lies and INSIST that it was the truth e.g. that a setting of 6 on a particular POC meant 6 Liters/min. There is no portable that can produce pulses equivalent to 6L/Min.

    The acid test of a POC is will it do the job for you under flight conditions.
    That’s why I believe that the safest route is to rent first.

    Of course these tiny POCs are great if you can manage with 1 liter continuous but how many batteries would you need for a transatlantic flight? Think Paris to Salt Lake, say at 150% of flight time.

    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    July 13, 2021 at 6:06 pm in reply to: Oxygen concentrators and travel

    Important Question: Are you sure that the G5 weight includes a battery? The spec sheet doesn’t say that. This is a single battery too. If you actually have a G5, could you weigh it? I have not seen a battery labelled G4 or 5 but other POC batteries run a couple of pounds. Batteries to get to Europe from the west coast area are a significant weight.

    These POCs are high priced and if you are buying them yourself be sure they fit your needs.

    There are companies that rent POCs but also batteries and batteries alone if that’s what you need.

    They are easy to find on the net. There is quite a spread of prices and the biggest are not necessarily the cheapest. Also look carefully at the terms. Sometimes just a couple of hours difference can mean a big increase in price.

    I’m interested in any info on air travel,

    Bill Kelly

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    July 2, 2021 at 4:09 pm in reply to: Oxygen concentrators and travel

    What form and where did you get it?
    Thanks,
    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    June 29, 2021 at 3:55 pm in reply to: Supplemental Oxygen Questions

    Harletta,
    Are you aware that there are eye-glasses that can be attached to an O supply and are almost undetectable? They are called OXY-View. I wore them before I had my cataracts done but now I don’t need glasses,

    Bill

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    June 22, 2021 at 6:30 am in reply to: Oxygen concentrators and travel

    Yes you are not supposed to sell POCs, nevertheless they are common on EBay and even more common on CraigsList. The Lithium-ion batteries are legal to sell and are common on Ebay. They are very expensive new so if you can find batteries for your machine you can save money.
    However how the POC has been looked after and run is very important.You can’t let a POC stand idle for a year and expect it work according to POC techs that I’ve talked to.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    June 15, 2021 at 5:37 pm in reply to: Oxygen concentrators and travel

    I found exactly the same. Pulse is no good for sleep. Maybe some people can do it but I sure can’t.

  • bill-kelly

    Member
    June 15, 2021 at 3:52 pm in reply to: Oxygen concentrators and travel

    I don’t think that’s true. I know of no POC that doesn’t use Li batteries.

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