Editor’s Note Welcome to our annual review of Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs)! While we wait and wait for a smaller machine that will give us continuous flow higher than a setting of 3, Ryan has updated his data on the POCs currently on the market. Through an independent testing and consulting company, Valley Inspired Products, Ryan…
Editor’s Note We met a man who was big in stature and using oxygen with one of the smallest portable oxygen concentrators (POC) on the market. He said the unit was recommended to him by his home care company, but he was always short of breath. When he tried a POC with a bigger oxygen…
Editor’s Note The definition of compassion is the sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. It literally means to “suffer together.” Many times we are caught up in our own concerns that we lose sense of what others around us may be coping with. Try not to make it all about…
Editor’s Note You may have heard that there was a hurricane in Florida soon after one devastated parts of Texas. The news was relentless for a week urging people to prepare by boarding up their homes, to stock up on water and non-perishable foods and, if things looked too bad, to get ready to leave.…
Editor’s Note Clowning around is ok! Meet Kolo – aka Fran Etzkorn – the first oxygen-wearing professional clown I have ever met and her husband John, a really nice guy in his own right. Fran is one of those people you love to be around -she is always smiling and has a surprise or two…
Editor’s Note The definition of exploration is the action of traveling in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it. This could mean reading about a subject you are interested in, attending a class or touring a region to see, touch and feel things with your own senses. A professor once advised…
Editor’s Note Even though it is the season – don’t be fooled! Oxygen users have been trying to understand the confusing language of portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) since they came on the market. It doesn’t help that the machines all deliver different amounts of oxygen when set at the same setting. We were pretty upset…
Editor’s Note Lots of changes are in the air besides the color of the trees! My husband Mark is retiring and we will have big news about a new addition to our family soon. Change can be welcomed or dreaded, anticipated or unexpected, shocking or soothing, depressing or joyful and life changing. Adapting…
Editor’s Note The power of pride of being an American can be an important tool to help us through recent dark days! With the insane and brutal headlines that have been bombarding us lately, it is hard to find anything to smile about. Senseless killings happening around the world got me thinking about how proud…
Editor’s Note Over the years, I am totally amazed at the determination people with lung disease exhibit! We recently took a group of Sea Puffers all the way to Europe. Lots of planning went into the trip and everyone was excited and ready – even when our flight was delayed seven hours. We amused ourselves…