Hi all- I'm new here.
I will be getting O2 in the next few weeks and have questions about what my options will be. For the record, I'm a youngish 62 year old female. I have emphysema, not sure of the stage at this point, but probably somewhere in stage 3 (based on my tests a couple of years ago). A couple of months ago I started pulmonary rehab, and after a few weeks I was exercising hard enough that they had to put me on O2 so that I could keep progressing. Since they want me to keep exercising when rehab is finished, I have to get a script for O2. So here's the thing...
I don't need O2 24/7; just when I am "under exertion," and really, only when I am really under exertion. Most of the time at home or even out and about (shopping, visiting, appointments, etc, and for now, even work) I will not need it.
I will need it to go to the gym, walk my dog, and for working around the house/yard (all of it; I'm single so I do it all). I live in a 2 story house with the laundry in the basement and a walk-up attic that I use, so sometimes when I'm doing stairs and carrying a load. For those purposes I'll need 2 lpm.The results of my nocturnal oximeter test have not come back yet, so I'm not sure if I'll need it at night. I use a cpap so they think it is likely.
The POCs that I have been looking at don't seem like they would be both portable enough and powerful enough to meet my needs. I don't mind using tanks as long as they are small.
So my question is about home fill oxygen systems. How likely is it to be approved for a home fill system so that I could have some small tanks to fill as needed, using the home oxygen concentrator that will be provided? It seems like the ideal solution for me, but no one has mentioned that possibility to me; they just keep saying "tanks or POC" and talking like I'll get as many tanks delivered at a time as I'll need.
I appreciate any information that folks can give me.