Posted on 04/11/2010 3:44:02 AM PDT by Daisyjane69
I was talking to my sweetie earlier tonight. His dad is age 78.
My sweetie's sister is due to graduate from Stamford this spring, and the rest of the Chicago family will be attending the event in California.
~continued~
Then I realized I don't have a medical license and no experience with this, and figured I should toss it out to the FReepers. You guys have faced just about everything, I think.
Was that the right advice?
I do know that they went to a museum just a day or so ago, and he became quite winded and out of gas. I have to believe a trip to a higher elevation will be very difficult, unless he intends to stay in the car waiting for the others to sightsee.
Do any of you have experience with this? Any suggestions or ideas? The idea of being in a vast national park with an elderly man with such health issues seems worrisome to me.
I appreciate any advice you have. I will forward this thread directly to my sweetie so he can read for himself.
Thank you in advance. :)
I have the same health issues and am on supplemental oxygen 24/7. I wouldn’t dream of taking a trip like that without a portable oxygen machine. You can lease or rent on and they are very light and portabe. I’m looking to buy one used, as they are very expensive, and I am home bound with out one. My prayers are attached to this post that someone knows where I can get one. Thanks
Thank you for replying; you’ll be in my prayers.
I wonder why they are so expensive when purchasing them used? Sounds like something for me to dig into tomorrow. I wonder if the American Lung Association offers a way for this to be affordable.
Thank you for your help.
As I said, I’ll be forwarding this thread to him.
It seems I was the first (and only) one to consider this part of the trip.
I’m asking this question on his behalf, as he is not currently part of an online community with wide enough expertise as FreeRepublic. (Thank you, Jim Rob. Check is on the way!)
But it is a great suggestion and he'll feel better and be able to do more while there if it's OK with his doc.
Insurance covers most of the rent. The service checks them over every few months and they swap them out when the are out of calibration or require other service. I’ve also noticed some used units may have unpleasant odors in the air output which has also prompted some of my replacements.
Get a Hold of a concentrator which can fill ‘D’ size cylinders at home and you would need 4 or more cylinders,depending on the amount of liters per minute used.
There is a portable concentrator which operates on both battery, automobile power or ac current in a bldg.
First, know how much the patient needs per minute then you have a statring point.
Most Doctors will give you a script for oxygen but the prescription must be current.
So, are all of you saying that my original thought was correct? That supplemental oxygen is called-for in this circumstance?
I’m not trying to be dense, but I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on tv!
I don’t have breathing problems, but my nose bleeds for about 3 days until it adjusts to the altitude.
Honestly; would suggest that 'his Dad' have supplemental oxygen available whether on trip or not. Sounds like he could well use some additional help as he moves about and that an emergency situation could arise, easily and unexpectedly.
That said, re the family plans; if Dad is to be included, would change them. Given his health issues; sounds like 'anythng' could go wrong; and traveling about in high altitude; in a remote envirionment, simply not practical nor wise; for anyone, so health-challenged, IMHO.
Don't know if you are referencing a 'day trip' or what - could someone in family/friends stay with him? Or perhaps; just a more practical plan for traveling and getting together - in a lower altitude!
He should visit his doctor if he plans on going on this trip and ask about what steps he should take because of his diagnosis of congestive heart failure.
The feeling of breathlessness can be caused by fluid build up in the lungs, which is different from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, COPD. Supplemental oxygen will not be the answer if the problem is fluid building up in his lungs.
He needs to make sure his medications for congestive heart failure are up to date as far as effectively treating his condition. It’s quite a balancing act for maintaining fluid balance.
Maybe have a wheelchair for him so he doesn’t over do activity.
His diet on the trip will be extremely important. Too much sodium will upset the fluid balance. If he gains a couple of pounds a day, it can mean the fluid is retaining and he would need get to a hospital PDQ. CHF patients need to weigh themselves daily.
My father in law suffered from CHF, and many times he would be in denial as the symptoms crept up on him. It would be obvious to others in the family before he would be finally go to the doctor and get his medications adjusted.
I cannot properly thank all of you for your input.
It’s clear now to me that this is far more serious than just “let’s take a side trip to Yosemite.” Obviously, without proper planning, this could be life-threatening to this man.
My mother was hospitalized with a nose bleed and high BP about ten years ago when she was in her seventies. She is still plugging along.
http://www.pulseoximeteronline.com/?gclid=CLaNk5PP_qACFclM5Qodml9txg
You can get a Pulse/ OXygen meter for $44. It will tell you if, and when, you may need oxygen.
My wife is 29 and has been on supplied oxygen since she was about 26. She definitely needs it at higher elevations, usually at an increased flow rate. If you get a concentrator, consider power issues. They need to be plugged in to A/C. There are some battery-powered models — my wife has a Sequal Eclipse for travel — but battery life is limited and you still need power to recharge. For going without power for a while, you need pressurized tanks, but carrying a lot of tanks around becomes a logistical mess.
Somebody mentioned getting a home-fill model, like the Invacare Homefill. You could maybe rent one of these, or buy a used one off craigslist, then keep the concentrator in the hotel room and use it to fill tanks for day trips.
When my parents died I asked the local medical supply store if they had interest in "used" stuff like wheelchairs, etc.....they said they're not allowed to resell such things. I ended up giving the stuff all away.
thanks for the info. In my case it runs in the family. My dad had ultra high blood pressure and several strokes at the end of his life. So we are all monitoring ours.
I am glad I said something. Nose bleeds can be a red flag (no pun intended) for high BP.
Daisyjane69,
Politically Correct has given you the correct answer. Basically your thought was correct, but given that it may be quite a hard journey with many challenges (altitude, temperature, physical exercise, irregular meals etc) he should consult his doctor, who will have to consider his history and status very carefully.
For instance, has he taken any long-distance flights recently? (And are they going to fly to California?) How did he fare then?
(The oxygen partial pressure in the cabin of a normal trans-continental flight is some 15-25% lower than normal. So, just flying puts you in a situation where the oxygen in the surroundings are the same as at roughly 1500 - 2500 m altitude.)
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