53 ~ My life support equipment ~

According to progression, in various chapters there are several detailed discussions regarding the various meds and machines that support my life force

However, upon request, below is a quick tour in a nutshell version

[ IMAGE ]

1⃣ White & orange machine is the home oxygen concentrator which creates its own o2 with purified water.

Numbers on the front is to set a timer & below it records the amount of hours being used.

Once it reaches 1000 + something hours, the machine goes in for a service & you alternate with another for that period.

I’m often asked if i’m confined to 1 place with o2 & unable to move around with a short pipe. Actually not.

Collaged in the picture is a 15 meter pipe (purchased from a fishing shop) which allows freedom throughout the house & a portion of the garden. Also have an additional 6 meters to attach when needing it longer.

Special thank you goes to Aunty H.W. & Uncle A.K Fazel for speedily assisting me with the pipes & home concentrator machine. May the Almighty reward them abundantly.

2⃣ Two images are the Inogen1 G3 portable oxygen machine.

https://kayborninmay.wordpress.com/2018/02/17/36-a-drama-saga/

3⃣ , 4⃣ Water retention drops & buchu capsules are diuretics to remove excess water build up from the lungs & abdomen.

5⃣ Tasly danshen cardiac capsule (assists in cardiac output + shortness of breath) – discussed in chapter 18.

https://kayborninmay.wordpress.com/2018/01/10/18-positive-proof-of-clicks/

6⃣ Next is the bipap device mentioned in chapter 40

---

《 BREATH NOT DETECTED 》

Inogen has an alarm signal that alerts the person himself or a companion when “breath is not detected” by beeping with an orange light. The home oxygen machine does not have this feature.

2 months ago, mom & dad observed that whilst sleeping with Inogen on (because we were out), the monitor frequently alerted “breath not detected”. Wearing ear plugs, I didn’t hear anything.

Finding this extremely odd & concerning, they became somewhat alarmed & continued monitoring my breathing during that duration.

The machine is not faulty!! Greatly confused, I inquired regarding this issue from a medic who provided an opinion:

🔸There are two types of sleep apnea.

1) Obstructive

2) Central.

Obstructive is when their is an obstruction in the upper airway. Example the epiglotis blocks the airway or due to obesity additional tissue blocks the airway.

Central is when the brain fails to send breathing messages. What is not discussed is the possibility that nerves are unable to send appropriate messages causing sleep apnea.

I am no doctor but it makes sense that nerves cannot send an appropriate message.

Example;
Take your house phone. You are the brain…the phone is the nerves and the person called is your leg. You tell your leg to kick but due to a problem with the phone the message is not received or is confusing.

A sleep study supposed to have been conducted whilst in hospital as was promised, then pushed aside with no reasoning provided.

A perlexing matter because my last Pulmonary function results conducted in Feb 2018 proved airway obstruction. Again the Dr there did not provide reasoning regarding the obstruction considering it too lightly unfortunately.

In my uneducated opinion & bodily symptoms;

* Obstruction is most likely from CHF, the reason why i cough up fluid – clear, pink & red.

* The reason why bipap helps.

* In actual fact, during the night with bipap on, the fluid is so much that it awakens me by coming up several times, clogs the throat until I’m awakened and spit or cough it out.

* An ECG tracing of July 2017 gave a few diagnosis information, among them stating:

“LOW VOLTAGE CHEST LEADS” Which in simple terms means there’s something like fluid or another factor between the organ & recording activity.

* These make perfect sense (to me at least) & add pieces to the puzzle.

The problem steps in when many Dr’s do not take into account their patients opinion when dealing with confusing / rare cases. I’ve witnessed repeatedly that a lot of patients are the ones who assist in making the situation less of a mystery.

Because our intuition speaks to us & intuition is a GPS of the soul which seldom or never allows us to step in the wrong direction unless gone against its dictates.

---

Machine care

The home o2 concentrator comes with a remote 👇

It also comes with this mask 👇 initially used while in hospital. Depends what the person needs & is comfortable with as well. Many alternate.

And a couple of these green cannulas 👇 – not comfortable unless you tape the sides on your cheeks because it moves all the time & sits skew.

These colors of pink, blue & yellow are nice & funky, if anyone knows or sees them somewhere please inform me. In benoni I purchase nasal cannulas from glynwood hospital. They stock the most comfortable ones.

Cannula pipes have to changed every second week and the nasal part has to also be cleaned or kept closed if not in use, for hygiene purposes. Toothbrush holders work.

This pipe of bipap with a little white lid open is an optional attachment if required to attach the oxygen concentrator pipe for usage of both at the same time.

There are different bipap masks to suit your comfort.

I use the dreamwear nasal cushion and now alternate with the N20 as well.

Masks need to be washed weekly with a mild soap. For daily cleansing I use hygienic swabs to wipe the nasal part before usage.

Bipap filter changers need to be changed / can be washed as well 👇

When leaving home, my trailer load of baggage is as follows:

✔ Handbag with cell phone & personal belongings.

✔ Oxygen bag.

✔ Emergency medication + water & food bag.

When going out longer than 2 hours, a trolley containing all my emergency & respiratory back up supplies are carted along!

✔ Oxygen car charger fits into the cigarette hole.

✔ Normal socket charger.

✔ Backup charger incase of power outage or mishaps.

✔ Pulse oximiter.

This is a gorilla power battery that charges the portable oxygen machine

May the Almighty greatly reward the uncle (a friend of my brothers) who gifted it with the bipap.

✔ Powermax for bipap use during loadshedding.

✔ A pack of toilet wipes / seat covers for frequent toilet trips due to a weak bladder / water retention meds.

✔ The purple bag contains a bottle for toilet cleansing, spray bottle for ablution if needed & a mini towel.

---