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Thank you for writing this informative and precise article. My mom had COPD and was on oxygen 24/7. It was extremely difficult going anywhere, as you stated there was so much planning and 'what if' forethought involved. Of course she was embarassed at times and people make comments; many assume those on oxygen deserve it and deserve to struggle. We take each breath for granted, I can't imagine a more difficult condition to bear and I watched this horrible disease take my mom's life at an all too early age of 64. Everything you describe is accurate and you're right; anyone suffering and struggling to breathe is brave and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. They are disabled and we need to remind everyone that noone knows why someone is on oxygen and even if it is due to smoking, let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Thank you again for taking the time and thought to put yourself in someone elses shoes. Well said!
People who need supplemental O2 are VERY self-conscious about how they appear in public and indeed it DOES take courage to go out in public. We need to have more silent options or accommodations for them so that they can breathe WITHOUT worrying that they will lessen anyone's enjoyment. This can be possible if special seating is made available to them, they have access to a silent oxygen delivery device (a silent tank).
it's sad that people are MUCH more willing to accommodate some special needs than others, e.g. wheelchairs and crutches are readily accommodated without a second thought while needing to use supplemental O2 is considered a BIG DEAL and deseving of irritation.
We who use supplemental O2 CAN start asking management what accommodations they have for us so they can start thinking about how to allow everyone enjoy the performance. We also need to arrive early enough so we can get properly situated and enjoy the performance. When management does NOT have accommodations, it is really something we need to encourage them to work on. We also have to work with our O2 providers to have systems that are as quiet as possible for these very quiet venues.
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I enjoyed reading this post. I am a nurse and caregiver for a person with COPD. I've seen this sort of prejudice that you describe before, a couple of times within my own family. In one case, it was the sound of the nebulizer that someone found annoying. These lifesaving treatments help my mom keep her lungs going, and yes, the machine is noisy and distracting, but how much worse would we feel if it were us feeling tethered to that machine 4 times a day?
As a young mother, I once had a woman in a store complain loudly, "These people and their ** strollers!", much the same attitude as the theater patron you tell of and the person with the oxygen. It's so easy to be self-centered and think only of your own comfort, without considering the person you're complaining about. Whether it's a stroller with your toddler, a crying infant, a blind person with a cane, or a COPDer on portable oxygen, we each need to pratice more tolerance. Live and let live...
Thank you, Kathi, and welcome to the COPD Community on Health Central!
There's no doubt that our readers need to know the facts about medications, lung function numbers, and all that goes with staying healthy with lung disease. Yet, it is things like this, things that happen in everyday life, like you said -- the misinformation, ignorance, and lack of awareness -- that can really knock us down. In my posts I try to talk about the human element in living life (and it can be a good life!) with COPD that I've for so long seen as neglected and dismissed.
Thanks again!
Jane.
Thanks for the welcome, Jane! Glad to be here. Even though I'm a nurse, I'm also interested in presenting the human side of COPD and caregiving for COPD. I think it's one of the things that sets the HealthCentral sites apart from many other medical sites.