POC's and flying

[Guest guest]

Peggy,

When flying on commercial aircraft the cabin is pressurized to 8000 feet above sea level. That being the case the Sequal or any other POC will work fine. The thing to keep in mind though is that 8000 feet is a mile and a half up in the air. The vast majority of us would need significantly more O2 if we were sitting in a restaurant on top of a 8000 foot high mountain so we will likely need more O2 if we're sitting in an airliner pressurized to 8000 feet. It's unrealistic to think that you can use the same amount of O2 flying that you can sitting in your living room. Most of us will need more. I guess because my O2 needs have always been right on the upper limits of the POC's capabilities I've been somewhat leery of them. I would only be able to use them in limited circumstances and that makes them impractical for me.

Beth-Moderator

Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 06/08

"Take chances, make mistakes and get messy!"

Miss Frizzle

To: Breathe-Support Sent: Friday, October 31, 2008 11:07:13 AMSubject: Re: Living without health insuranceMB, Just looking around on the Sequalstore site. Did you notice altitude was 13,123 feet.. I am thinking

the girls shouldn't fly with this.. correct..

Love & Prayers, Peggy

Florida, IPF/UIP 2004

"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet,

when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

,

I'm happy to be able to help in any way that I can. The years that I was married I always had to find ways to make do or do without and learning those skills has helped me get through the waiting period for Medicare. But as I said, it's over tomorrow and I'll be happy to have insurance again.

As for the portable concentrator question, it's really subjective and personal preference plays the biggest role. My suggestion though would be to borrow or rent one and use it for awhile before deciding to purchase one. They are really expensive. When I was in rehab there was a woman who used an Inogen and I thought it looked like a great solution. I got one from my O2 provider for a trip and I quickly fell out of love. Most of them work exclusively on pulse. (The Sequal and I believe the Respironics EverGo though do have continuous flow but they are heavier I believe.)

Here are the reasons I didn't go that route:

I need the capability to switch from pulse to continuous easily. If pulse isn't working for me and I need continuous then it's likely I need more than 3 continuous (that's all the Sequal goes up to on continuous).

The thought of investing thousands in a system that might not meet my needs should my disease progress made me really uneasy. With the Chad if the D tanks that I use now don't last long enough for me I can always just purchase 2 or 3 E tanks and the Chad will fill those just as easily as the D's. One caution about the Chad Total O2...the concentrator only puts out up to 3 liters per minute. So the only time I actually hook my tubing to this one is when I'm sitting around in the evening or overnight while sleeping. If I'm up and around I need around 4 liters so I hook up to one of the ones Jan from Bethesda gave me.

I am also very leery of depending on batteries for my oxygen supply. I don't like battery operated conservers for the same reason.

But these reasons only apply to me. You might feel very differently and be perfectly comfortable with something I'm not. Rent or borrow a POC and see what you think.

Here is the link to Sequal's website. They also have various units available on consignment.

http://sequalstore. com/Home_ Page.html

Here is another link to the company that rebuilt the two concentrators I was given. They also sell used, reconditioned concentrators pretty inexpensively.

http://www.oxygenpl usmedical. com/oxygen- concentrators. html

My experience with this company is excellent.

I hope all this helps some!

Beth-Moderator

Fibrotic NSIP 06/06 UCTD 06/08

"Take chances, make mistakes and get messy!"

Miss Frizzle

From: denise randel <dnsrndl (AT) yahoo (DOT) com>To: Breathe-Support@ yahoogroups. comSent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:33:57 PMSubject: Re: Living without health insurance

Beth,

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Little did you know when you pioneered all of these trials that others of us would be right behind you. I am so grateful for all the info and feel calmer knowing somone else has been through it. I have one question though- I was planning on buying a portable concentrator such as the eclipse. Can you tell me why you bought the chad system instead? I saw a young girl at pulmonary rehab and she only uses the travel concentrator when she is out and about. It looks easy to manuver and she can stay out much longer than with the tanks. I have a whole year to decide but thought I would start getting ideas now. Thanks Beth- R. (52) Sarcoid/PF 3/2006 Carlsbad, California

From: Beth <mbmurtha (AT) yahoo (DOT) com>Subject: Living without health insuranceTo: Breathe-Support@ yahoogroups. comDate: Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 5:00 PM

,

Well I can only tell you what I did, how I managed. Having no insurance while having a serious illness isn't fun. I've found it very stressful but with a good amount of work, and creative thinking, the generosity of others and the good Lord watching out for me I've managed. My time of no insurance is over this coming Saturday. I made it through the 2 year Medicare waiting period. As of November 1 (Saturday), I'm covered! Thank God! The one thing to remember about Medicare is, it's not free. Medicare itself, Parts A and B will cost me about $96 a month, my Medigap policy is about $250 a month and my Part D prescription coverage is about $35 a month. UGH! It's an awfully big percentage of my Social Security but it beats having no insurance at all.

Here are some of the things that I did to cope for the last year or so. I own my own concentrator. I was given mine by a lovely lady in Bethesda MD who lost her husband to PF and just wanted to give away the concentrators she had. So for the cost of a road trip from NY to Bethesda I got two concentrators, one of which produces up to 10 liters. I had both of them reconditioned by Oxygen Plus in Virginia. At the time it cost about $300 for each of them and they still carry the 5 year warranty