Living with a Portable Oxygen Concentrator

About six years ago and after surviving a serious and complicated cancer operation, my stepfather nearly died from lung failure. As with too many people who stopped smoking some fifteen years before, the damage had been done. This meant having to live with long term oxygen therapy. The initial period for everyone who must have supplemental oxygen is one of adjustment and this is not an easy time.

The psychological and emotional difficulties are usually much greater than the physical ones, even though people around you will normally focus on those they can see - i.e. the physical ones: the act of breathing, the tubing (cannulas) you use, the oxygen tanks or the oxygen concentrators, and in general the equipment that is now part of your life. The hidden adjustments, those others can't see, are the toughest, and this is where courage and internal strength play such an large part. People who are close to you will notice some of the emotional strain that you have to cope with - but there is so much more that only another person who is having the same experience can really understand. We all take breathing for granted and which is why we can't really imagine the difficulties that long term oxygen therapy patients have to overcome.

We all take breathing for granted until ...

The First Stage:

Shock, fear, tension. The unknown is a frightening place. There are mixed feelings - times when you feel heroic, when you feel small and lost, when you feel despair and when you feel hope.

You imagine that the changes that are coming into your life will be so limiting that you wander about the point of it all. It takes courage to say "yes" to life.

At this stage most of your waking thoughts revolve around oxygen and breathing. This includes having the equipment nearby, learning to use it, making sure you have reserves, getting used to the nose cannula, learning to set the flow and reading your oxygen saturation.

The Second Stage:

You have been home for a time and you must pick up on day to day activities. The oxygen tanks or the oxygen concentrator are a permanent company. At this stage you are coping.

You are coping with the oxygen supply. Your home unit and your mobile unit.

Although you still have thoughts of the before and now the after, your life is getting back into shape. Your social activities are coming back. Your friends and family have gotten used to your new look and are supportive. Sometimes this can get on your nerves but on the whole you feel you have adjusted. In fact life is much better than you thought it would be.

You can drive, although you still worry about running out of your supply. And this worry will probably be with you always.

You now have a routine but you still feel constrained in your movements.

The Third Stage: A portable oxygen concentrator.

This does make a great difference. Oxygen tanks have supplied you with oxygen for a couple of years now and though they have done a great job it is not easy to carry them around with you, to have them refilled continuously.

But (and this was a some time ago) new designs in portable oxygen concentrators are now available. Your life style is now much more complete as you can now go just about anywhere you want.

- If you travel by plane the battery option can give you 8 hours or more (depending on the oxygen flow and obviously the type of concentrator).

- Long distance travel is now an option.

- Going out at night with friends, to a restaurant, a cocktail party, a movie - just about anywhere.

- Work-wise it also makes a difference. Meetings, long sessions, presentations and so on.

- You can even exercise.

All in all, quality of life is higher and the most important part is that you are freer than before and this is perhaps the most important part, you feel free to pursue your life.

As they say, even if it does sound corny, long term oxygen therapy is no longer a sentence, it is a lifestyle.