Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Babs, YYYEEEESSS, I do love puppy breath!!! Gingerbread Judy, Thanks for the priceless mental image of you in a pile of cookies and crumbs. Hey, whatever it takes to get some sleep! P, You're at 8.5L, but do you get to turn that down a bit when you're sitting? If so, the Companion will last longer. Mine's at 10-15 when I'm walking or moving around, but I normally turn it down to 4-6 when I'm seated. If I'm not walking around a museum or shopping, the Companion will usually last me 1.5 -2 hours. You'll learn more about how long yours will last with your lifestyle as you go along. Just don't put too much trust in the fish-scale type gauge on the Companion that measures how much 02 is left - it isn't very accurate, and it's better to fill a little earlier than you think you need than to run out and get in a pickle. This is important: if you have a Companion on a high flow at the end of its usage time (and it doesn't take that long), the tubing tends to freeze to the portable. Because of this, ALWAYS carry an extra cannula, because when this happens, you won't be able to get the tubing off the tank until it thaws out. Twice I've actually broken off the tip of frozen tubing trying to pull it off. If you fill a Companion in the morning, you won't get much evaporation if you want to use it later in the day. (I actually think the Marathons bleed out more quickly. They also take longer to fill, which I think is weird.) But if you wait until the next day, you'll need to top it off again. As Bruce said, it's best to fill around 30 minutes before you use it, leaving it sitting on an open counter or somewhere besides an enclosed bag while it settles. After it's used and empty, the inside of it will be frosty, and it will puddle up wherever you leave it. So unless it's near a sink, it's good to set it on a small towel or bag. Hope this helps. Joyce, I have the same frustrations as you with getting the high flow humidifiers to fit on airtight so the 02 will flow. They're maddening!!!!!!! I also have to put doubled-over handtowels between the humidifiers and the reservoirs (I have 2 Y'd together) in order to get them not to make a spitting noise when they're set on anything higher than 6. As to your other point, when a portable stops filling halfway through, it's usually because you aren't pushing down hard enough. When it freezes to the mother ship or spews out the bottom, it's typically because you have overfilled it. You have to be ridiculously attuned to recognizing the noise it makes when it's time to yank it off the reservoir. grrrrrrrrrrrrr. It does seem like there's a conspiracy against us. Hugs, Gwynne 56 IPF 7/04 listed for transplant 3/07 Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Gwynne, Thanks so much for the information. I believe it could be made easier! I do appreciate you. Hugs, Joyce D.PULMONARY FIBROSIS/LUPUS 1997 BRONCHIECTASIS 2004 INDIANA 2 COR. 12:10 ....when I am weak, then I am strong.>> Babs,> YYYEEEESSS, I do love puppy breath!!!> > Gingerbread Judy,> Thanks for the priceless mental image of you> in a pile of cookies and crumbs. Hey, whatever> it takes to get some sleep!> > P,> You're at 8.5L, but do you get to turn that down> a bit when you're sitting? If so, the Companion> will last longer. Mine's at 10-15 when I'm walking> or moving around, but I normally turn it down to> 4-6 when I'm seated. If I'm not walking around> a museum or shopping, the Companion will> usually last me 1.5 -2 hours. You'll learn more> about how long yours will last with your lifestyle> as you go along. Just don't put too much trust> in the fish-scale type gauge on the Companion> that measures how much 02 is left - it isn't> very accurate, and it's better to fill a little earlier> than you think you need than to run out and> get in a pickle.> This is important: if you have a Companion on a> high flow at the end of its usage time (and it> doesn't take that long), the tubing tends to freeze> to the portable. Because of this, ALWAYS carry an> extra cannula, because when this happens, you> won't be able to get the tubing off the tank until> it thaws out. Twice I've actually broken off the> tip of frozen tubing trying to pull it off.> > If you fill a Companion in the morning, you won't> get much evaporation if you want to use it later> in the day. (I actually think the Marathons bleed out> more quickly. They also take longer to fill, which I> think is weird.) But if you wait until the next day,> you'll need to top it off again. As Bruce said,> it's best to fill around 30 minutes before you> use it, leaving it sitting on an open counter or> somewhere besides an enclosed bag while it settles.> After it's used and empty, the inside of it will be> frosty, and it will puddle up wherever you leave> it. So unless it's near a sink, it's good to set it> on a small towel or bag.> Hope this helps.> > Joyce,> I have the same frustrations as you with getting> the high flow humidifiers to fit on airtight so the> 02 will flow. They're maddening!!!!!!! I also have> to put doubled-over handtowels between the> humidifiers and the reservoirs (I have 2 Y'd together)> in order to get them not to make a spitting noise> when they're set on anything higher than 6.> As to your other point, when a portable stops filling> halfway through, it's usually because you aren't> pushing down hard enough. When it freezes to> the mother ship or spews out the bottom, it's> typically because you have overfilled it. You> have to be ridiculously attuned to recognizing> the noise it makes when it's time to yank it off the> reservoir. grrrrrrrrrrrrr. It does seem like there's> a conspiracy against us.> > Hugs,> Gwynne 56 IPF 7/04 listed for transplant 3/07 Texas> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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