Oxygen concentrators

So, what is this machine? An oxygen concentrator. When you or your children have asthma and are hospitalized, they  may discharge you (or your children) with oxygen. If everything else looks good medically, and you just need oxygen for a few days, they would rather have you at home recuperating. I would rather have my kids home too!

If you only need oxygen for a day or two, they may give you an oxygen tank. But those can run out, and they always made me nervous when I had to change the tank. *shudder*

An oxygen concentrator takes room air and converts it to oxygen. Amazing! You just plug it in and hook the oxygen tubing on. Some people use an oxygen concentrator for other medical issues because they only need oxygen at night when they sleep. So they just plug the machine in at night. It's pretty handy! But fair warning, it can be a little noisy, it makes a sort of popping sound every few seconds (maybe it's all part of compressing air or something......what do I know?)

Someone I know uses an oxygen concentrator at night, but they keep it in another room so it doesn't disturb their sleep. But, if you have to get up during the night for a drink of water, you just have to watch out for the tubing on the floor-it trails across a couple of rooms!

Hopefully none of you are in the hospital now with your children, but if you are and you need to bring them home on oxygen, this is an option. The home health care company can also give you a tiny portable tank to strap on your back if you have to leave the house with your child.

Just another fun thing I've learned over the last 12 years of dealing with asthma.....but I love my life! And my favorite saying is, "things can always be worse!"