September 2014

An In-Review of the AirSep Companion 5 Oxygen Concentrator

AirSep has been a quality manufacturer and provider of oxygen concentrators for a number of years. Their latest release, the Companion 5 Compact Stationary Oxygen Concentrator, may be their best yet. Combining modern technology with easy-to-use controls in a sleek, innocuous case, the Companion 5 is an excellent machine for providing oxygen therapy while at home or on the road.

The Companion 5 is relatively easy to transport and very durable, though somewhat large when compared to many other similar concentrators. The Companion 5 is designed and built with reliability, quality performance, and ease-of-use in mind. .

September 25, 2014March 11, 2022 Scott Ridl

An In-Review of the Respironics SimplyFlo Home Concentrator

Philips’ Respironics SimplyFlo Home Concentrator is the most compact and lightweight stationary oxygen concentrator available on the market. With a 2 liter per minute (LPM) continuous flow supply of oxygen, fewer than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms) of weight, and very small dimensions, it is perfect for a patient who travels frequently or wants to maintain an active lifestyle without compromising his or her oxygen therapy.

It represents the middle ground between full-size home oxygen concentrators and fully portable ones. It has much smaller dimensions and weight than the former, but unlike the latter, it still requires an external power source to work. As the manufacturer states, it is best suited for overnight use as an alternative to the large, intimidating oxygen concentrators that cause many patients to reject oxygen therapy.

September 24, 2014April 8, 2021

User Perspective: Visiting Disney World in Orlando with Grandchildren

My son was taking his family, my three grandchildren to Orlando, Florida to get the Disney World experience. When he told me he was thinking of going, I jumped at the chance. I was there when I was younger when it was much different than it is today, and of course I had to see my grand-kids faces when they saw their favorite characters walking around the park!

I use the Airsep Freestyle 5 for my oxygen therapy, and I need to use it for most of the day. Since I knew I would be doing a lot of walking around while I was there, I went ahead and ordered a couple more external batteries to go along with my Airbelt. I already have an external battery that I use, so that made for three all together. That was enough to cover me for the flight there, which the airline was pretty strict on how much battery life I had to bring with me. Better safe than sorry, right?

September 24, 2014April 8, 2021 Scott Ridl

An In-Depth Look at the SeQual eQuinox Portable Concentrator

The newest offering in SeQual’s product line, eQuinox is designed to combine plenty of power in a comfortable package. Though sizable for a portable unit, its design and features more than offset its size, making it an excellent investment for anyone that requires an easy-to-transport, flexible solution for oxygen therapy.

Located in the upper bracket of portable oxygen concentrators when it comes to size, the SeQual eQuinox mobile unit is nonetheless still well below the size and bulk of full-sized home concentrators. It comes with both a battery pack and AC power cord to facilitate use both at home and on the go.

September 24, 2014April 8, 2021 Scott Ridl

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – What You Should Know

Every October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and you’ll likely see many things in stores have either turned pink, or now have pink labels to raise money and awareness for this dangerous disease. It’s unfortunate that some stores and companies will try to capitalize on this disease, and say that most of the proceeds go to organizations like the Susan G. Komen foundation, when all of the proceeds go back into the company. To make sure your money is going to breast cancer research, you can always donate to the National Breast Cancer Foundation via their website at NationalBreastCancer.org.

Breast cancer is one of the more prevalent types of cancer among women, the only other type of cancer that is more prevalent is lung cancer. According to BreastCancer.org, 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in her life – that’s a little over 12%. Invasive breast cancer is the most dangerous, because it can quickly spread from the breast to the healthy tissue in the surrounding areas through the blood and lymphatic system. The stages of breast cancer of I through IV are invasive.

September 23, 2014April 8, 2021 Scott Ridl

Palliative Care and How it Benefits Anyone with Chronic Illness

When one part of our bodies gets sick, it’s usually not confined to that part of the body. Everything in the body is connected in one way or another, which means everything, can be affected. If you have COPD, other parts of you can be affected, such as your heart, circulation, and even your mental state.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic illness or something like cancer, your body will go through some changes. If you have severe asthma, you will probably find yourself unable to exercise, which can cause weight gain and even make you have trouble sleeping. The fact is something serious like this can cause a chain reaction of other medical problems. If we know this, why not prevent them or treat them right away?

September 22, 2014April 7, 2021 Scott Ridl

Facts About Oxygen Therapy

Just finding out that you do need oxygen therapy, or you might need it, can be a scary thing. It doesn’t need to be so scary though, since it should be treated just like any other type of medication. Your doctor is the only one that can say if you need to use oxygen therapy, so you should heed his or her advice over all. If you’re curious about how oxygen therapy is prescribed and why, here are a few facts on the subject.

Why do I need oxygen therapy?

Medical oxygen therapy is necessary when you cannot bring enough oxygen into your lungs to disperse throughout your body. Every cell in your body needs oxygen, and if you aren’t getting enough, your health will begin to decline pretty quickly. Even if you aren’t getting enough oxygen over the course of a few days, you will begin to feel very run-down. Feeling run-down will lower your quality of life, and over time, lack of oxygen will cause your organs to fail.

September 19, 2014April 8, 2021 Scott Ridl

Users Perspective: My Trip with oxygen to Pikes Peak

One of the things I’ve always wanted to do, among my very long bucket list of amazing places to visit n my life, was to hike the trails of Pike’s Peak. I had read so much about this place and saw all the beautiful pictures, and I couldn’t wait to go.

I’ve been to a few great places already when I was younger, but Pike’s Peak kept getting put off for this reason and that reason. Life throws you curve balls and you have to deal with them, and your dreams have to get pushed to the side for a while.

One of those curve balls hit me pretty hard when I was 49 – that’s 4 years ago already. I was diagnosed with COPD and had to start oxygen therapy to get my blood oxygen level back up to where it’s supposed to be. I was pretty upset when I heard this news, but I also didn’t know much about it yet.

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September 19, 2014April 7, 2021 Alec W

Users Perspective: Traveling to Yellowstone National Park with Oxygen

My family brought up that they wanted to take a trip to Yellowstone National Park last year for the family vacation. Two years before that, they traveled to The Redwood Forest to go camping, and I was unable to go because I had oxygen tanks, and we would have had to travel by plane. This past family vacation, I was able to go with a portable oxygen concentrator rental from American Medical!

I was sad at first, because I thought I would have to miss out on yet another family vacation. My 8 year old grandson was getting to see these amazing things, and I wasn’t able to go and see them, or see the wonder on his face while he saw them. I’ve seen pictures of Yellowstone and I so badly wanted to go. I mentioned this to my son-in-law and he suggested that I look into getting a portable oxygen concentrator, just for the trip.

September 18, 2014April 8, 2021 Scott Ridl

2014 American Lung Association’s Run the Rocks 5K

“Run the Rocks” is a 5K put on by the American Lung Association, to help raise research money and awareness for a variety of lung related diseases and important issues. The 8th annual 5K run/walk will be taking place on October 12th 2014 in Red Rocks Park in Morrison, Colorado. This run sounds like a lot of fun, as the runs and onlookers will be treated to live music throughout, as well as the beautiful scenery of the park. The end of the 5K run/walk is at the top of the historic amphitheater, but you’ll have to climb the steps to get there.

Even if you can’t participate as a runner or walker, you can help raise money for the cause by pledging to a participant. You can do this, and find other important information about the event by visiting RunTheRocks.org. You’ll be able to search for a particular team or individual participant by entering their name if you know someone who is participating, or you can just give directly to the cause.

September 17, 2014April 8, 2021 Scott Ridl

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