Oxygen User Tom Thompson shows off his oxygen cart hooks. He has found these hooks tremendously helpful. The two handles of a book bag or plastic grocery store bags may be hung on them and a surprising amount of weight can be wheeled along on the cart. This frees up your hands and takes the weight off your body. The unit was invented by an engineer friend of Tom’s.

He advises you to go (or send someone) to a well-equipped hardware or home building supply store. Buy two automotive-type hose clamps of the right size to go around the cart handle shaft and a small closet hook. Buy two hooks, which may be metal, ceramic, strong wood or even tough plastic. Remember, they have to be strong enough to carry weight.

Place the hook with screw or adhesive side against the front of the shaft on the cart. Wind and thread the hose clamp around the shaft and base of the hook. Tighten and you are done!

Larry Hempsall of Michigan advises those who use the Pulse Dose Oxygen Conserver not to use Energizer batteries. EverReady made a change to their Energizer batteries last year, adding the sleeve that wraps around the negative (flat) end of the battery. Because of this, it won’t work with ‘leaf spring’ contacts. RayoVac and Duracell batteries have no problems with the conserver.

I didn’t feel comfortable in church with the ‘clicking’ noise of my conserver. I attend a small church where everyone knows me. I mentioned to my pastor my concerns about being a distraction to others (he said not to let it bother me.) There is a small room where I keep, and leave, two E cylinder tanks that I use with continuous flow. We replace them from home as needed. I sit in the back row and put the tank behind me. My oxygen supplier gave me an extra regulator to use. Everybody is happy now including me!

Vera Franks

My nose was raw from the constant rubbing of my cannula. The ends curled sharply downward and felt like a claw in my nose. Nasal cream did not give any improvement. I cut off the ends of the nose piece (about 1/15th of a inch) and got immediate relief. The sore cleared completely in just a few days. It is such a simple remedy but had never occurred to me that I could cut the cannula to fit. I straighten my new tubing by putting it in the clothes dryer for a minute or two on hot. I straighten it so that it will cool that way.

Donna Wilson - Anaheim, CA

I put my oxygen tubing inside my shirt and loop it inside my belt. It saves me from getting hung up on doorknobs and eliminates it falling on a live burner on the stove. Richard Thomsen, Tyler, TX

Muriel Mueller of The Woodlands, TX found a way to deal with new cannulas. To straighten and reshape it, she puts it in the hot sun to uniformly warm it. This also helps remove unwanted stickers and labels from all sorts of things and she doesn’t have to stand there holding a hair dryer.

My wife, Pam Viele, who has emphysema, gets her exercise by towing her C-size oxygen tank on a luggage cart. The tank weighs only 5 pounds and has a demand-type delivery system, so that at 2 liters, it will last about 18 hours.

I bolted a piece of 1/4 inch plywood to the bottom of the cart for the tank to sit on. The tank is held on the cart with two short lengths of bungee cord. This makes it very easy to remove and replace the tank.

When we go on a cruise, I can strap two or three tanks to the cart, which makes it easy to get them aboard. I found that two tanks were more than adequate for a 7-day cruise, since she uses her concentrator when she is in the cabin. I also strap her concentrator to another luggage cart and tow it on board myself to make sure it does not damaged by the stevedores.

John Viele - Cudjoe Key, FL

I am on oxygen 24 hours a day. I use a concentrator during my sleeping hours. In Florida, we have a lot of thunder and lightening storms with frequent power outages. Of course, my concentrator stops working. Consequently, I keep a small oxygen tank with a cannula next to my bed so that I lose little time getting back on oxygen. I also have two flashlights beside my bed. I keep six large tanks in reserve in case we have a major, long lasting power outage. This provide approximately 40 hours of oxygen at 2 LPM. This gives me enough time to go to a shelter or hospital that can provide oxygen.

As most concentrator users know, the concentrator heats up the house and also increases the electric bill. The power company has no compassion for people on life-support systems and will not discount your electric bill. By using the large oxygen tanks during the day and limiting concentrator usage to sleeping hours, I am able to reduce the heat in my house and lower my electric bill as well.

Charles Boyles, Ellenton, FL

To take the curl out of new oxygen tubing, put the tubing in a pillow case in the drier for five minutes or so. Then lay the hot tubing out flat on the floor to cool. Using a swivel on each end will then eliminate those twists and curls. I also treat my 5 and 7 foot dual lumen cannulas in the same manner and it makes them much softer and eliminates the curl. Also, after looking for the best prices for a pulse oximeter, I bought mine from Aeromedix for $379.00. Their number is 1-888-362-7123.

Robert Campbell, Green Valley, AZ

When a power outage occurs at night, a must for those who have to switch from a concentrator to portable oxygen is a power failure light, sometimes called a rechargeable flashlight. This light is kept plugged into an outlet or extension cord near your portable oxygen equipment and provides immediate light should power go off. They can be found in the light bulb or automotive department of most variety stores. Prices range from $7.99 to $16.99. I have seen one manufactured by First Alert for $12.99. Also, since every second counts, oxygen users should practice power outage drills.

Marilyn Gilbertson - Albany, NY

Having problems with E tanks? Go to the grocery store and ask for a plastic container that holds liter bottles of soda. It will work wonders! I just place the container on the floor and put my tanks in the slots. They do not fall over and it can hold up to six tanks.

Rose Ann Eanes - Elkton, MD

For some time, I noticed that my vision had been deteriorating. My physician told me it was a common complaint of people on oxygen. The “pulse dose” of oxygen from an Oxylite or Helios system has the tendency to spill over and dry your eyes. It caused me to have irritation, burning, swelling, light halos, and blurred vision. The doctor handed me a sample bottle of a “lubricant eye drops.” There are many on the market. He suggested I use the drops about once an hour while on oxygen and keep my eyes closed for about a minute. It worked great!

Jerry Leahy - Houston, TX

From the folks who bring you transtracheal oxygen, here is another way to remove the cannula from the forefront of oxygen delivery. The OxyView frames will deliver up to 5 LPM of oxygen without anyone hardly noticing. There are five different frame designs and each one is available in two gold-tone colors or black. Prescription lenses or reading or sunglasses may be fit into the OxyView frames by your eye care professional. These unique glasses are being introduced for a limited time for $249.95. For more information, call TransTracheal Systems at 1-800-527-2667 or visit www.oxyview.com

I find that the “micro” cannula which is 1.2 mm in diameter is much more comfortable to wear than the larger diameter cannula. Because of its smaller size, it will only handle oxygen flows up to 3 LPM, which is its only disadvantage.

Thomas Trimble - Wilmington, NC

Have you ever had to change tanks and panicked to find your “wrench” gone? I tie mine right to the handle of my pulse dose machine and tuck it in my bag. No lost handle!

Barb Johnson - Conde, SD

My 50 foot oxygen tubing always gets tangled up even with the swivels. So a couple weeks ago, I put two twenty-five foot hoses together with a swivel in the middle and another at the cannula. Now the hose does not tangle! I am so excited and hope this works as well for others as it has worked for me. I also attach the cannula, just below the swivel, to my shirt with a small safety pin. Then the hose doesn’t pull on my ears so much at home.

Pat Gottsleben - Lincoln, NE

My oxygen concentrator sits in the hallway outside my bedroom. Unfortunately, the electrical outlet is on the other side of the hall so the cord from the concentrator lays on the carpet. To alert everyone, I have tied three yellow colored pieces of cloth on the cord so it may avoid tripping or accidently pulling the cord out of the socket.

Walter Ehrgott - Richmond, VA

Prior to heading for the golf course, I put my liquid oxygen on a two-wheel luggage carrier, fold down the handle on the carrier and strap it to the back seat of the car. The oxygen tubing goes over the seat for my use. At the golf course, I take a number three iron (which I never use because I can not hit it well) and place it in the rear of my golf bag on the golf cart. I hang the pulling handle of the luggage carrier over this #3 iron and head for the first tee. I have a detachable cannula which I detach at the last moment when it is my time to hit the ball. I hit away, reattach the oxygen, and of course, head for the green where my ball has landed (ha!) At the green, I take the entire luggage carrier off the golf bag and roll it onto the flat surface and putt while still attached to the oxygen. I remain attached to the oxygen until everyone putts out and we had for the golf carts. Without this system, there would be no golf for me.

I have also found the luggage carrier is handy for bringing in groceries or packages from the car.

Joseph Barnett, Sr., Columbia, SC