Traveling by Airplane

[Guest guest]

I had the worse experience on my flight from my hometown of Richmond, VA to

visit my daughter in Arizona two weeks ago. Was on the airplane for about 2

hours when my oxygen saturation dropped down to 81. (I had brought my oximeter).

I told my other daughter who was flying with me to get me some help. She called

the stewardess over and told her I needed oxygen immediately. The stewardess

looked at us and said she could not give me any oxygen as the bottles they had

were only for the pilots. By then my fingers were tingling from lack of oxygen.

I started crying and begging for oxygen. Again she said she was sorry but the

rules could not be changed. My daughter asked her how long before we landed in

Arizona and she said another two hours. Then the stewardess said, " Don't worry,

if she passes out, we are trained to give CPR. " My daughter stood up and said,

" Get my mother oxygen NOW or you'll have a dead body on your plane! " The

stewardess said she would have to go talk to the pilot. A couple of minutes

went by (I thought I was actually dying) when we heard over the loudspeaker, " Is

there a doctor on board? Or a nurse? Or an EMT? " And just two rows ahead of

me a man stands up and walks over to me and said he was a doctor. He

immediately tells the stewardess that I need oxygen NOW!

So to make a very long story short, I get my oxygen and am sitting here typing

to all of you. I've been on home oxygen nightly for over 3 years. I'd flown the

year before and didn't have any problems with breathing. When my daughter in

Arizona picked us up she had my oxygen bottles as whenever I travel I always

have oxygen delivered in advance.

To fly home I had to rent the oxygen concentrator that operates on batteries and

fits under the airplane seat. It cost $300.00 for it, big expense for me. Well

enough of this story. Anyone else who had an experience like this? Thanks for

listening. Ginny