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Are you on supplemental oxygen and worry about your car breaking down?
Do you worry about your car breaking down, becoming stranded, and running out of supplemental oxygen?
Forum member @Debbie Bell recently expressed this concern. She is on 6 liters per hour and worries about this “what if,” especially when driving alone.
Have you ever found yourself in this situation, and what tips can you offer Debbie?
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9 Replies
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What an important question! Although we may not think of this scenario, we should carry our O2 with us. Like @Debbie Bell, driving alone would be most worrisome. But you know, I never think of this. Funny, I always carry extra meds, but not always my extra battery for my portable oxygen concentrator(POC). Because I had my car charger with me, I thought I was ready.
Thanks for posting this topic as a reminder for me and others that we need to carry backup batteries or oxygen tanks, I usually don’t drive too far from home, but the “what if” will be ingrained in my brain when I leave alone.
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I agree, I thought this was an excellent question that @Debbie Bell asked.
Cullen wasn’t eligible for a portable concentrator due to his age so we lugged around the cylinders all the time. I always kept an extra in the car or more if we were going to be more than a few hours from home. But I don’t know that we were always well prepared for a long delay.
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I am embarrassed to say that I haven’t thought of this and my car is 25 years old! I’ve been on supplemental oxygen for 5 years. I have a portable concentrator and have an adapter for the car, so I can run it off the car. However, if I end up being stuck somewhere (like a mechanic’s shop) for a while, I would eventually need to plug into their electrical source. I guess I better start bring my home charger along with me. Thanks for bring this up!
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@Joan Strosin I think many of us haven’t given a lot of thought to this scenario until now. I appreciate that @Debbie Bell asked the question!
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Hi, @Joan Strosin; please don’t be embarrassed; you are not alone. And I worked in nursing before my PH diagnosis 19 years ago. This had not been something I thought too much about carrying my POC and an extra battery. But the battery charger won’t charge with my car off, so I’m thinking about it now.
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I don’t use oxygen, but have some ideas to help you out. Google “portable jump starters”. They are a portable battery that you can use to jump start your car. Everyone should keep one in their trunk and learn how to use it. You never know when the battery on your car might die. The better ones have a 12V socket and 110V plug in. You could use that for your oxygen. It could get you out of a tough spot.
The other thing to consider is power outages at your home. The hurricanes in Florida are an example of that. The power could be out for days. We have a generator and keep a large amount of fuel to run it. I assume some live in an apartment where it would be impossible to have a generator. Google “portable solar power stations”. They can be used indoors and kept charged in a regular outlet. You can buy solar panels to keep them charged during an extended power outage.
Your going to have to do some math to figure out what to buy for both a jump box and solar generator. Have to know how much power your devices use and how long you need your battery to last. To do that google “amp hour calculator”.
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Hi @Roger Bliss, what incredible tips you shared. Manny does have a portable battery charger. However, it’s either in his truck or the garage if he needs to jump-start his bike. Speaking of bikes, didn’t you mention you had one and would love to get back on it? Have you tried riding yet?
Coming from the Texas Gulf Coast, we have a portable generator. It was always handy when the power was out during hurricanes, tornados, etc. We do live in a condo, but downstairs in the corner, and we’ve already told them that if the power goes out, we will be using our generator as needed.
The tip of using the amp calaulator is a terrific resource. I usually ask Manny, and he knows. But many don’t have others like that to take care of that for them.
Thanks for such informative suggestions; I know many others will benefit from reading, too.
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Looks like you are already set up for power. Hopefully, others can get set up too.
Haven’t got my bikes ready to go yet…..been busy doing other stuff. Hopefully, I can get my Harley to the shop next week. It’s been sitting for 3 years and I want them to service and go over it before I take off.
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