Airplane travel with oxygen: O2 levels drop, any suggestions?

I don't think you can use the plug-ins for portable oxygen machines. Do you already have a machine? If not, you should order one soon since they can take awhile to be shipped. Insurance doesn't cover it, but your best pricing will likely be through a local medical supply carrier. Our local supply's price for extra batteries was $300, but we wouldn't get them in time so I had to go through ebay and pay over $550 each. We have the Inogen One G5 machine (purchased locally) and very happy with it. It is quiet and easy to use in the air. Timing wise you might want to check with your insurance to see about renting one, but not all rental companies allow them to be used for flights, go out of the country, or have the FDA approved. DH's insurance allowed two rentals a year and we did that once for a road trip to Colorado, but it didn't work well and we went home early. Be sure to add special services (wheel chair) to each of your flights if walking is hard on your breathing. Luckily masks are no longer required. That was very hard on him.
Best of luck to you and on your flight! Have fun.

Thanks. I am meeting with local provider later today. I am looking at 10lb continuous on the go by philips. I did talk to local supplier on the phone as i was looking at Inogen 4, but he told me lots of people returning as they feel it doesnt "deliver" enough o2 and opting for OntheGo. I will ask about Inogen 5.

How do i request for w/c service in between flights ? I never done it. I am 45 yo, fit, but now like a car without a gas. We will have layover in Mexico city and i know airport well, there is quite a walk between terminals as we flew before. Is this done through airline ?
Thanks.
Lena

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Thnks. I didnt know. New to forum. Now i do

Go to your booking, if you have it on-line, and find My Trips or Special Requests and there should be a place to request wheelchairs. It'll usually give the option to the gate or to the plane. Be sure to request it on return flights, too. If you aren't able to do it online, you can call them. They prefer 48 hour notice, but if you aren't able to request it until you get to the ticket counter, they will help you. Always get a printed copy of your boarding pass, because the service person will need it to log into their ipad and get you to the right gate. You also need the boarding pass when you get off the plane. DH wouldn't be able to fly without their help. It is a great service all airlines offer. Good luck to you!
Mayo set up DH's appts yesterday to be seen in a couple weeks. They are so efficient!

I admire you and your husband because I am still so freaked out at my levels dropping below 80 that I refuse to fly for fear of being away from medical attention and I am on 02 - I agree w/ your hubby on the mask . I cannot began to tell you how much this disease has changed me . I cannot be in small places for more than a few minutes . I admire you both and stay well. Blessings

When he needs to have O2, his inogen works great at keeping his levels above 90. I hope you find comfort in knowing it is okay to travel. Try a short flight first. And, with the help of a wheelchair person, it is a breeze. With their assistance you get through the lines a lot quicker than what I experience when he isn't with me. DH could never travel without their help. Blessing and prayers for you!

@sistertwo how did DH’s appointments go?

They went well - all 13 of them! He has obstructive lung disease with a vigorously positive bronchodilator response and CT chest showed centrilobular emphysema and some airway thickening. His meds were switched and will use a nebulizer and Trelegy now, plus he has to get into an exercise program, using O2 during walking until his numbers get better. He is reluctant to move much, which has been part of the problem. Even with having our hotel room quite a distance from the elevator, he started doing better. No wonder he usually does better when we travel (he has to walk a bit more) than when we are at home. He just told me (10 minutes ago) he was going to take it easy today, as his heart went to 118 and oxygen down to 86 after walking around the kitchen a little bit. I feel like a crab, but said that he needed to use his inogen and walk more. It is a balancing act for me and him.
Mayo was very thorough and I am so glad we went. His doctor said the lung damage can't be corrected, but the rest can be reversed with meds and exercise.
I reminded DH that if he doesn't use it, he loses it (meaning the ability to walk). Now I need to learn how much to encourage him while still being supportive.

@sistertwo, I think learning to encourage someone to exchange their less heathly tendancies for healthy habits, like moving more, and at the same time being supportive is something a caregiver constantly has to calibrate. His motivation to move has to come from within. It is so hard to watch and not to nag. I'm not saying that you nag, but that can be how it feels, at least it was for me with my dad. I would invite him to come "walk around the estate" with me. That's what we called our garden even though it is quite small. But I would ask him to come see the front garden. Sometimes he did, many times he declined. So I had to learn to accept his choices. Not easy.

I wonder if @gregoryz or @merpreb might have some tips for you.