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How do you manage oxygen with holiday travel?
I know that many people like to go to family’s houses for the holidays. This has been something that was a challenge for me while I was on oxygen. Before I had my portable oxygen concentrator that I could just recharge at someone’s house if needed, I needed to think about the amount of time I would be spending on the road and at wherever the holiday was being held. Sometimes this led to me having to leave a holiday party early to go back and recharge my oxygen.
How do you deal with oxygen and holiday plans or holiday travel? Do you find yourself really having to plan ahead? What is something that has made things easier for you?
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12 Replies
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Hey Brittany,
I have traveled on a road trip one year to Ohio for Christmas with the in-laws. I took a ton of the medium-sized tanks along for the road trip. I did not have a POC then. I did have my oxygen provider, drop a home concentrator and a few extra tanks at the in-laws home. Luckily, they had a location near-by. I could also switch out the medium tanks before heading home so I would be “refueled”. They picked up the equipment once I called them on my way home. It worked out great.Now, I have my POC, so I use that for flying and road trips, too. It is great that I can recharge it in the car or wherever we stay overnight.
Before I had my POC, I rented one a few times for travel. It was like $100 for the week, though, costly when you are already spending money traveling. Many companies online offer POC rentals. Some oxygen companies will, too. My company, Apria, did but it was something that had to be reserved in advance. Planning is certainly required, but doable. I now have a POC bag that I have extra batteries, chargers, extra cannulas, and tubings, etc. It is usually ready to go. I just check to be sure that all batteries are charged.
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I didn’t realize that you could rent them from the different oxygen companies. That would have come in handy for my cruise that I went on LOL instead I lugged about 30 tanks on board the ship hahahaha! That was definitely a trip to remember. Always make sure those batteries are charged up. I have made that mistake a few times where they aren’t charged and all heck breaks loose lol!
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I don’t know that I’ve been approved to travel very far. I wish Medicaid would cover the portable machines. I would probably arrange for delivery or have to transport my oxygen condenser and tanks anywhere we’d travel by car. I’ve never flown or traveled any other way besides car or 18-wheeler in my life so it’s weird to me to have to think about it and a bit scary.
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Hi @purpleivy34, I know it is awful that they tend to treat the portable oxygen concentrator( POC) as a “luxury” item. That is crazy to me. I am hopeful that in the future this will change.
Are you a truck driver or a wife of one? My hubby is a diesel mechanic and we talk about how it would be interesting to be on the other side. I enjoy going to new places and meeting new people. Although I am sure some days this can be exhausting. I do not do well on road-trips over about 4 hours. Do you have any issues traveling by 18-wheeler?
I would like to hear more about your adventures. Hehe
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A shift to POC may already be underway — in addition to the hyperaggressive TV advertising (sometimes bordering on misleading), the VA is now issuing them much more frequently. If they prove to be cost effective, Medicare might be more likely to take approval under consideration.
Although definitely a major convenience, I too consider a POC a luxury as well. As someone who had no insurance for years until old enough for Medicare and then still couldn’t get oxygen when I should have, the limitations and hassles are more than worth the freedom and agency I didn’t have before. OTOH my low end no motor treadmill is not a luxury (which I tend to define as something I can do without) because it allows me to continue exercising when too hot and humid or cold and windy to walk out of doors.
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Vanessa,
those cost of a POC is definitely something that would limit people from getting them and if people get properly approved to be able to use on without any problems then they should be offered them especially because it gives them a lot more freedom and that is something that shouldn’t be a “luxury” in my opinion. Professionals need to stop taking quality of life for granted and start taking it into consideration for patients.
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I am not a truck driver or a wife to anyone anymore, but I was married to a truck driver years before my diagnosis. If you’re not made for it, it can be long and tedious. You do get to see some places, but most of the time you only get to go where a semi can go. You do get to go through new cities and meet new people. Truck drivers are a community that can be pretty awesome and fun to be a part of. Or at least that’s the way it used to be.
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Mistylynn, my dad was a truck driver but for a tri-city area, not long distance. He loved the work for the reasons you mentioned, seeing new places and meeting new people. I’m a lot like him in the sense that I love driving, except I have a poor sense of direction. Thank God for the invention of GPS! LOL!
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Thanks for sharing, Mistylynn. I am not sure the long road trips would be a great idea. My hubby also reminds me at times when I cannot travel, he would not like to be away from me. Especially with PH and never knowing when it wants to start sending our bodies those symptoms and then the added side effects from the meds.
I think it would be fun to travel and meet all of the new people, haha
The ride to actually get there is the part that exhausts me some days, just thinking of the trips.-
Jen,
I can totally understand him feeling that way and getting worried about your health when you are away. It is one thing for us to worry about our own health but I always feel bad when those around me have to worry too. I can see how a road trip may be hard for you. I can barely sit still and need to move especially for my blood flow and circulation. -
Thanks, Brittany. I hate when my loved ones worry about me. I mean, I an happy that they love and care or me. But, the thought of the added stress at times, I hate to see them watching me on my bad days. I know you know what I mean.
Yes, 4 hours is a long road trip to me, Hehe
My legs swell and I am so uncomfortable. I usually fidget in my seat and we also make frequent “pee” stops. Yes, like traveling with a child. -
Taking lasix especially with holiday travel is hard! I feel like my bladder has adjusted to the lasix that I’ve been on before and I didn’t really pee as much as before after awhile. But I do know that there are a lot of people that take it and it really interrupts their bladder!
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