Smart Vest and Airline travel

When I used afflovest I traveled with it by air as carry on. Although I anticipated questions by TSA there zero issues and no questions. TSA knows what they’re looking for and it’s not our pulmonary vests. Good luck and keep clear!

@mdf Ive been thinking more about the vest & flying. As I recall we booked extra legroom and therefore had priority boarding. Very helpful for 1st dibs on overhead storage. Also, I had a copy of my prescription in case of questions, i.e., they told me my vest bag had to be gate checked.

@msg The best approach is to call the airline for their rules. Smaller planes may have different requirements, so have the measurements in hand when you call. Limit contents to vest and it's accessories and neb and it's parts. Carry your prescription in hand in case questions arise.
Sue

I was told by my HillRom respiratory therapist it is totally allowable on an airline. You can take it on board and it is considered medical equipment. I have not taken any flights however so I would call the airline in advance to double check.

Hi Scoop,
You said "When I used afflovest ..." you don't use it any more, why? And when you decide not to use it, can you return it? I am going to give it a try since I constantly have infections.

Thanks!
Ling

Afflovest gave me rib pain. From what I've read if you plan to try a vest ask for a SmartVest. People seem to like these, and if you like it you'll use. Instead of using a vest or aerobika I reply on autogenic drainage, 1 hour in a.m. and 1 hour in p.m. It's a drag but necessary to keep things clear.

You might have a bronchiectasis phenotype where you get frequent infections. Do you have an open order to drop off sputum samples? Have you had your immune system tested? How much sputum do you produce?

Thanks scoop. I don't have an open order for a sputum test. I asked once my pulmono;ogist didn't give me one. I will suggest it again. Do you normally drop off the sputum after you feel there is something going on or do you do it on a schedule, like once a month? I don't seem to have immunity problems. I asked my doctor before. How do you test yours? Most of the time I produce 1-2 tablespoons of mucus, and it turns a little more yellow than before this time. My neutrophils are 70 this time and eosinophils are a little high. So I am going to do a sputum test to see if staph is still there. Thanks again!
Ling

If you feel ill, call the pulmonary office and tell them. Ask for a sputum culture order. That's really the only way to figure out if you have an infection. The high neutrophils means inflammation and your immune system is fighting something, which is pretty common in our population. Have you tried increasing your clearance to 3x a day to see if that helps?

Thanks scoop. Yes, I have been doing it 3 times a day for about a couple of weeks now. I hope brensocatib will come to the market as scheduled. I definitely will try it. I think I am going to pay attention and get my sputum checked timely.

Take care!
Ling

Are you able to lift the motor to the overhead bin by yourself? Do you buy a first class fare for extra help? I have a Philips Encourage and cannot imagine lifting overhead nor getting it down safely by myself