Wellness

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

Is it difficult to get used to?  Does the machine's noice keep you awake?

My sister was in the hospital the week before last for blood vessels in her stomach bleeding.  While there they discovered her blood oxygen level was between 77 to 82.  They sent her home with oxygen of course.  She said she doesn't need it because she is breathing, her lungs are fine. We said it's the oxygen in her blood that is the issue.

She is arguing with her daughter about using it.  It's too noisy at night, she can't sleep. She'll try to use it half the night.  The tubing is too long she is going to trip. She said she will use it at home but not when she goes out.  Oy.

Any pointers for adapting to life with oxygen?

I'm 2 hrs, away and don't say much because she has 12 reasons why she can't or won't follow Dr.'s orders.

[Travone]

@CrazyKittyLvr2I'm not on oxygen but I was wondering how your sister was doing.  I guess if she is complaining she must be felling better.  I don't have any tips for getting her to follow doctor's orders.  She must have liked it in that hospital closet since if she doesn't follow doctor's orders she could end up there again.  Hang in there. 

[Mz iMac]

Your sister needs to check out "portable" oxygen tanks.  Things have changed in the 21st century. 

I am surprised that the hospital did not provide your sister w/alternatives.

The one in the above pic is from Inogen.  I believe that company or one similar has a tv commercial.  Check YouTube.  Better yet, have your sister check it out if she has internet.

HTH

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

@Travone  Thanks for asking.  She still feels awful.  They told her it would take 2 months to feel substantially better. That set her off too. She thought she would come home and be right as rain. They had to cauterize several blood vessels and 2 were large. She lost a lot of blood and if she had waited another few days she would have died. Both ER Dr. and her PCP told her that.

Her stomach hurts and she has no appetite and can't eat.  She is diabetic and has to eat to keep her blood sugar up.

She has an appointment with a cardiologist next week, finally, for the congestive heat failure issue.

I don't know what to tell her. I know she doesn't feel well, is bored and frustrated.  

I can't help but think, if she had listened to everyone when she started feeling bad and she had gone to the Dr. or ER, she wouldn't have gotten so sick. Of course, I would never tell her that.  She refused and layed on the couch bleeding internally until she came close to dying. 

Her daughters, one is a nurse, are ready to pull their hair out.  She is fighting them every step of the way.

[Kachina624]

I've used oxygen at night for quite a number of years.  For some reason, my blood oxygen level drops at night. The concentrator doesn't make much noise but I keep it in the hall outside the bedroom.  If I have to get up at night, I simply remove the tubing and put it back on when I return to bed.  It's  extremely lightweight and not much of a tripping hazard.

Tell your sister insufficient oxygen in the blood makes the heart work harder and increases the chance of permanently damaging the organ.

Your sister might look into the possibility of purchasing one of the new very small concentrators that you carry like a shoulder bag.  I'm not sure if Medicare will pay for them.

[drizzellla]

This morning I went to the hospital for a routine test. And was sitting in the reception area as they processed my paperwork. A lady walked in and she had the tubes attached to her nose and was carrying a small bag with the machine that supplied her with the oxygen. I did not hear any noise from the machine. And she was sitting about 4 feet away from me. She was an older lady but the machine did not seem to be heavy. And she had no trouble navigating.

Maybe there are different models of machines that your sis could look into. 

Also, my Mom was on oxygen while she was living in the nursing home. And there was no noise from the oxygen she was using.

[Katcat1]

@CrazyKittyLvr2   I have been on oxygen at home.  I placed the unit in the living room and you receive extra long tubing so you can move around freely.  I also have a portable unit (Imogen) for walking outside.  The unit for inside is the size of a plastic square trashcan if you have ever seen them so it is not huge.  I would not want the unit to be in the room that I sleep in.  I live in an apt. so I do not hear the unit when I am sleeping.  I sleep very sound.  Hope this helped you. 

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

She has 2 units I guess.  One is in the bedroom and another in the LR.  they said if she is just sitting and reading or watching TV she doesn't need it.  When she walking around on it goes and she needs it at night.

I don't know what she has for going out of the house. I will ask her about a portable unit.

She had a fit when they told her about the oxygen. Her response was "I didn't come in for that."   No, but they can't dismiss what they find while you are there.

By that resoning if you go in for gall bladder surgery and then have a heart attack they ignore it, as it wasn't what you went in for.  Holy cow.

[alicedee]

@CrazyKittyLvr2 If she won't listen to her adult children....one of whom is a nurse....I doubt anything you say will make a difference.

Rather than rehashing the same old stuff all the time with her, if it were me I would keep changing the subject to lighter topics.   If she keeps going back to what is wrong say, "You know what you need to do....it's your choice to do it or not."  Then go on to another topic.

I know it's hard but you can't change her.  She's the only one who can decide.  

I'm sorry you have to deal with this.  Your plate has been very full the last couple of years.  

[dsw503]

No, I'm not on oxygen but there's a woman in my yoga class that is. Can't hear her machine at all even when sitting right next to her. She uses a tank that she wheels in to class and it has a longish tube. Neither being attached to the machine or the length of the tube stop her in any way from doing the yoga class! I should also say she's 90 years young!