My resting oxygen level is 93, after walking shot distance it falls to 88. I have been told that i have moderate copd. Is oxygen use needed?
Hi there... Good question! That's a discussion you really need to have with your personal physician, however. Your oxygen saturation levels are part of the picture, but also important in making the decision about whether to go to supplemental oxygen is your overall treatment plan, your lifestyle, and personal preference. Make an appointment to talk over your options with your physician, OK?
And if you DO need oxygen, you'll find lots of information here on this site!
To your health,
Kathi
My friend's mom has had emphysema and COPD for several years but seemed to be doing extremely well...traveling alone, etc. Recently and suddenly as far as I know, she has been in the hospital 3 times for a total of 2 weeks in the past 4 weeks and has been put on continuous oxygen therapy and is almost immobile. She needs help dressing, etc. Could this be temporary or is progression of the disease that will only continue to worsen? How long can someone remain on continuous oxygen therapy with success?
Hi Ella... I think it's hard to answer all of your questions. It's really hard to predict the course of illness in an individual, because there are so many factors that can come into play. So I will speak from my own experience, which may or may not be helpful to your situation.
My mom was diagnosed with COPD in the fall of 2005, although she probably had it before then, as she'd been smoking for more than 50 years. Her doctor put her on continuous oxygen therapy at that time, but I have to tell you that for at least 3 years after that, we weren't entirely sure she even needed it. There were quite a few instances of her forgetting to turn it on or what not and not even realizing she'd been without it for an hour or more.
Despite that fact, she had a disastrous health year in 2007, which necessitated 5 hospitalizations in 10 months. Only the first one was really connected to her respiratory status. The next to last one, though, she was in intensive care and we didn't know whether she'd recover. She was quite dependent for about 6 weeks after she came home.
However, after that, she spontaneously improved and was even able to walk (with oxygen) for a mile or so. It was quite miraculous.
But in the fall of 2008, she sustained a compression fracture of her spine that put her in bed for a couple of weeks. After that, she slowly went downhill physically and by fall of 2009, we started to notice a big decline in her respiratory status. She's now on 6 LPM of continuous oxygen and unable to tolerate much activity.
But I have no idea if this means she is fast approaching the end, or if she might live for a couple more years. The doctor can't really predict either.
I can tell you people often live on continuous oxygen for years. My mom has been on it for nearly 5 years now. So I wouldn't count your friend's mom out just yet. She could get better and return to many of her previous activities. You never know. I do know my mom has surprised us more than once with her resilience. I think will to live and do has much to do with outcomes.
Hope this is helpful...
Kathi
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