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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
Oxygen cannot be purchased without a prescription. DO NOT borrow a concentrator or someone else’s oxygen. Like any medication, oxygen has its uses and contraindications and can be quite dangerous if used in the wrong circumstances.
I recommend you visit your doc and find out if your FIL is healthy enough for a trip to altitude. If he is frequently out of breath, his medications may need to be tuned up a bit. If oxygen is indicated, the doc will arrange it for you. Should be become out of breath at altitude, I recommend being seen at the nearest ED or urgent care to see what is really going on. It may be a simple need for oxygen, or it may be that altitude is affecting his heart and worsening his underlying heart failure - treated very differently.
Good luck and have a safe trip.
Commercial passenger jets usually pressurize their cabins to an effective altitude of about 5000 feet, so if he will need O2 at Yosemite (the main part of the valley is around 4000 ft), he’ll need it on the plane trip.
I don’t know what kind of hassle it is to take medicinal oxygen, and its gear, on an airplane these days.
In addition to the effects of lower oxygen content at higher elevations, there can also be effects from the lower pressure which could occur even if the oxygen content was kept the same as at lower elevations. The lower pressure can result in swelling or migration of fluids in the tissues that can have severe effects.
I believe that even people who have no known medical issues can suffer from some of these symptoms. Being able to get back to a more normal pressure at lower elevations quickly is the safest course.
Commercial airlines at cruising altitude are pressurized to the equivalent of 6000-8000 feet MSL. Here is an article on medical considerations of supplemental O2 while flying:
http://www.utdol.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~Fsrpi/lMGcns
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/atmosphere/q0206a.shtml
At 4000 feet, Yosemite Valley will be easier than the flight:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=yosemite+valley,+ca&sll=43.659738,-116.330838&sspn=0.013474,0.02914&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Yosemite+Valley,+Mariposa,+California&ll=37.739872,-119.595494&spn=0.013236,0.058279&t=p&z=15&layer=c&cbll=37.738354,-119.595725&panoid=dTd9OvgibBPPj_MzdNYv-A&cbp=11,344.62,,0,-8.78