Liquid Oxygen

Everyone, and I mean everyone told me, “You can’t get Liquid Oxygen (LO)!”  They were wrong.  It took over six years for me to figure that out and buy a liquid oxygen reservoir from eBay.  A year later I knew LO was what I needed and bought a second reservoir that worked properly and held more LO.  For the next six months I had a steady supply of LO.  I knew where to buy it in the Northwest, found a source in Nebraska and Oklahoma but when I got to the Southeast It took over six months to find a place to fill my Liquid oxygen reservoir.

After I got my companion liquid oxygen reservoir, I could fill a Companion 1000T with the equivalent of 1,000 liters of oxygen in less than five minutes.  With two Companion 1000Ts I could play three hours plus hours of pickleball(went from tennis to pickleball), come home and fill the 1000Ts and spend the afternoon out and about.  I can go camping because liquid oxygen reservoirs doesn’t need electricity.  I can visit family where I grew up and actually and be active for more than a few hours at elevations above 4,500 ft.  Liquid oxygen is a game changer.  My world expanded!

For the three years I used an Inogen One G3 to provide portable oxygen my blood oxygen levels could drop to the 70s and I had a few readings in the high 60s.    I preferred staying above 86 when active but if I wanted to be active I would drop lower.  The G3 did not supply the oxygen I needed.

In 2018 I started using an Respironics UltraFill self-fill system with tanks that could be filled to 3,000 psi.  It became easier to keep my blood oxygen levels out of the 70s and was spending more time in the mid-80s and above.  My at rest blood oxygen levels started creeping up from 90% to 93% over the next two years.  I was able to be more active.  Still not getting the oxygen I needed.

After several years of having liquid oxygen my blood oxygen levels are higher across the board.  My blood pressure lower and the swelling in my lower legs is gone.  I am getting the oxygen I need.  I don’t believe any of the improvements in my blood oxygen levels or health happened only because I was getting more oxygen, but they would not have happened without the oxygen I need to be more physically active.

I still take medications for COPD.  I still get short of breath.  I still need to plan so I have the oxygen to get me through the day.  Before COPD I used to just jump in a car and go. Now I need to plan.  I like to know where the next bathroom is.  But now know if I really need to get to a restroom I can crank my oxygen up to 10 or 15 LPM, catch my breath and the need to visit the bathroom will lessen and I will make it there without rushing.

Liquid oxygen has made my life easier and increased my quality of life.