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Post by mangetout on Nov 3, 2023 16:53:47 GMT 1
My sister's husband has the same equipment. 3 things I can pass on from her experience:
A technician will visit periodically to take readings, and as a result you will receive a credit from your electricity supplier to meet the cost.
The portable machine needs to be used regularly to keep it functioning properly.
You need to follow the hygiene instructions carefully.
And finally, if you go on holiday in the EU, the supplier will deliver identical equipment at your holiday destination free of charge. My sister goes to Spain twice a year for around 2 months at a time and it always works.
Hope this is if some use to you.
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Veem
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Post by Veem on Nov 3, 2023 17:40:44 GMT 1
Thank you mangetout.
I was wondering today about what would happen if I wanted to go to the UK (not having been since September 2018). Obviously, unless I travelled by car, I couldn't take the large machine, which would rule out the option of breathing in oxygen apart from the ambulatory machine with its limited battery life and the CPAP night machine which is not fed oxygen from large machine. I assume since Brexit the possibility of having identical equipment available in the UK is no more?
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mysty
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Post by mysty on Nov 3, 2023 18:03:22 GMT 1
My sister's husband has the same equipment. 3 things I can pass on from her experience: A technician will visit periodically to take readings, and as a result you will receive a credit from your electricity supplier to meet the cost. The portable machine needs to be used regularly to keep it functioning properly. You need to follow the hygiene instructions carefully. And finally, if you go on holiday in the EU, the supplier will deliver identical equipment at your holiday destination free of charge. My sister goes to Spain twice a year for around 2 months at a time and it always works. Hope this is if some use to you. MT, was he a smoker or was it caused by something else?
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Post by cernunnos on Nov 3, 2023 21:15:14 GMT 1
'A trooper'? Maybe not. I think I'm a bit of a wimp and get very stressed at the thought of appointments such as that. When the appointment was made I asked (as I always do) for an end-of-morning time, but as the patient does the 6-minute walk in a rather narrow corridor between two mini bollards, they arrange it early before people start arriving for other consultations. When I arrived there was an older lady already taking the test at a much more sedate pace than I did it, but clearly her breathing was more efficient. JD I smoked for 55 years longer than I should have, blithely thinking that I wouldn't succumb to any effects like 'other mere mortals' do. I've known for about 6 years that I had caused permanent and irreversible damage. So this treatment can only be expected to make getting oxygen into my system a little more efficient and I shall have to continue it forever. Will that delicious meal come to our boite a lettre Mysty? Houpla. If cooking were a trick, then Biggles is the proverbial 'old dog'. Now I understand . good luck
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Post by jackie on Nov 4, 2023 8:57:56 GMT 1
So sorry to hesr this Veem. I know from experience that you do adapt to health issues once the initial shock wears off and hope it’s the same for you.
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Post by mangetout on Nov 4, 2023 9:06:19 GMT 1
Thank you mangetout. I was wondering today about what would happen if I wanted to go to the UK (not having been since September 2018). Obviously, unless I travelled by car, I couldn't take the large machine, which would rule out the option of breathing in oxygen apart from the ambulatory machine with its limited battery life and the CPAP night machine which is not fed oxygen from large machine. I assume since Brexit the possibility of having identical equipment available in the UK is no more? I would of thought so.
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Post by mangetout on Nov 4, 2023 9:07:11 GMT 1
My sister's husband has the same equipment. 3 things I can pass on from her experience: A technician will visit periodically to take readings, and as a result you will receive a credit from your electricity supplier to meet the cost. The portable machine needs to be used regularly to keep it functioning properly. You need to follow the hygiene instructions carefully. And finally, if you go on holiday in the EU, the supplier will deliver identical equipment at your holiday destination free of charge. My sister goes to Spain twice a year for around 2 months at a time and it always works. Hope this is if some use to you. MT, was he a smoker or was it caused by something else? Sadly he remains a heavy smoker. Madness.
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Post by houpla on Nov 4, 2023 11:37:28 GMT 1
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Veem
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Post by Veem on Nov 4, 2023 15:50:39 GMT 1
That's a very useful link - thank you Houpla. It seems Ryanair will allow all kinds of medical equipment to be transported free of charge on their flights to the UK. And it doesn't seem difficult to arrange this. Good to know.
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mysty
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Post by mysty on Nov 5, 2023 13:30:07 GMT 1
MT, was he a smoker or was it caused by something else? Sadly he remains a heavy smoker. Madness. He has probably been doing it all his life and pointless stopping now.
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Post by mangetout on Nov 5, 2023 18:49:19 GMT 1
Quite. That's how he sees it. Too late. And he's probably right.
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Veem
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Post by Veem on Nov 5, 2023 19:41:41 GMT 1
Years ago a lovely old retired head teacher of my acquaintance began to show a few worrying medical signs. He was asked by his doctor if he drank or smoked. He replied honestly that he drank 6 pints of Guinness most days with whisky chasers and he smoked smoked 40 cigarettes every day. His doctor's advice was, 'Don't think of stopping now. It would probably kill you.'
Sometime later on his way to Sunday mass he dropped dead outside the house where he and his wife had lived for many years raising their huge family. But he died a happy man. Each to their own.
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Post by norfolk on Nov 6, 2023 9:26:16 GMT 1
Blimey, before reading the posts on this topic I had never heard of CPAP the machine or why it is required. I have never had these kinds of medical issues (loads of others mind !) and my heart goes out to all of you having to combat such issues on a daily basis. Good luck veem.
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Post by mangetout on Nov 6, 2023 15:12:51 GMT 1
Years ago a lovely old retired head teacher of my acquaintance began to show a few worrying medical signs. He was asked by his doctor if he drank or smoked. He replied honestly that he drank 6 pints of Guinness most days with whisky chasers and he smoked smoked 40 cigarettes every day. His doctor's advice was, 'Don't think of stopping now. It would probably kill you.' Sometime later on his way to Sunday mass he dropped dead outside the house where he and his wife had lived for many years raising their huge family. But he died a happy man. Each to their own. That's one way of going. The other is agonising and slow. I watched my husband's fear as his secondary lung cancer slowly closed down his lungs and he gasped for breath. He wished he'd never touched a cigarette.
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Post by Sizewell on Nov 7, 2023 18:19:28 GMT 1
I was on a CPAP machine for about 4 years. You get used to them although wearing a mask which is pumping in pressured air all night long does take some getting used to. I was given a letter of authority for when I was travelling to the UK to be able to take it through customs etc. I had a quadruple bypass earlier this year which I did also suffer a small stroke which effected my left hand. but that all cleared up within a week. followed by an operation on my left Carotid 2 months later. Then soon after I was told that I no longer needed the CPAP machine, which was quite a relief.
Today, I just started a re-education program at a hospital which is 50km away and I have to go twice a week for about 20 sessions.
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