This being banned is getting a bit boring. [Needs medical O2 to travel]

[sinophile888]

I admire your determination to travel regardless of any impairment. Maybe trains are a long / longer distance (within Australia) option? But I guess you have already considered that !

I have priced the train from Perth to Sydney. The cost, from memory, is about $2700 per person in each direction. Makes the total cost of the 7 day Opera cruise pretty expensive.

 

[sinophile888]

Also may be relevant as people with higher pCO2 levels are at greater risk of AF.

I was heading for the world record number of AF episodes, but 2 ablations seem to have done the trick.

 

[Pushka]

I have priced the train from Perth to Sydney. The cost, from memory, is about $2700 per person in each direction. Makes the total cost of the 7 day Opera cruise pretty expensive.

Yowsers that’s expensive.

It’s no wonder people travel overseas. We priced a 3 night trip up the River MURRAY for my mother on the River Queen. It was much cheaper to do a Pacific Island cruise for 7 nights!

 

[sinophile888]

I had the High-Altitude Simulation test today and it was quite interesting.

After establishing that my resting O2 level was 95%, I was given air containing 14% O2, which is what is contained in cabin air at cruising altitude; sea level is 21%. This was while seated. My O2 level dropped to 82 % after a minute or so, at which point the technician stopped that part of the test. She hadn’t seen the numbers drop so fast before.

Then I had cabin air plus 2L of O2 for 10 minutes, seated, and maintained at 95%, which I was very pleased about. Then the same conditions but walking on the spot for 5 minutes and I only dropped to 90%. That was to simulate walking around the cabin.

Looks like an O2 concentrator is now on the shopping list. At least I know my response is real and measurable and hopefully has an easy solution.

 

[Quickstatus]

That’s a rapid drop. In any case all it means is a portable o2 concentrator with some extra batteries

 

[sinophile888]

Do you recommend a particular brand?
Inogen looks interesting but I am having trouble finding detailed specifications.

 

[Quickstatus]

No experience but generally:

Not eBay for quality medical equipment
Portable that is capable of battery power with spare batteries
Most come in shoulder pouch
It is better to get one which is approved by the airline you want to fly with
Qantas has a list of approved medical equipment:
https://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/flying/beforeYouTravel/medical-support-equipment.pdf

The size is determined by your O2 requirements

Also the cost may be rebatable against some private health insurance plans.

The prices are generally eye watering but add independence to one’s life. Many companies also do a hire - which may be useful if using it only for air travel.

And you will need a prescription to get one

 

[sinophile888]

No experience but generally:

Not eBay for quality medical equipment
Portable that is capable of battery power with spare batteries
Most come in shoulder pouch
It is better to get one which is approved by the airline you want to fly with
Qantas has a list of approved medical equipment:
https://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/flying/beforeYouTravel/medical-support-equipment.pdf

The size is determined by your O2 requirements

Also the cost may be rebatable against some private health insurance plans.

The prices are generally eye watering but add independence to one’s life. Many companies also do a hire - which may be useful if using it only for air travel.

And you will need a prescription to get one

Thank you, Quickstatus. I will look into all your points.

 

[Quickstatus]

Addit:

Everytime you hire you will need a prescription...

 

[kelvedon]

Addit:

Everytime you hire you will need a prescription...

Why do you need a prescription for these when you don’t need one for bottled oxygen?

 

[Quickstatus]

Why do you need a prescription for these when you don’t need one for bottled oxygen?

I believe you do (I’ve never been involved with this but that’s my understanding)

http://www.enable.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/262616/adult-home-oxygen-ppg.pdf

 

[drron]

You need a prescription if the Oxygen is to be subsidised.However you can purchase direct from suppliers without prescription but you then are responsible for all costs.

 

[kelvedon]

You need a prescription if the Oxygen is to be subsidised.However you can purchase direct from suppliers without prescription but you then are responsible for all costs.

Ok that makes sense. Thank you

 

[sinophile888]

I am pretty well decided I will buy an oxygen concentrator. The cost is about $4000 - $4500. I prefer the convenience of having my own machine rather than having to arrange to hire one every time I travel. Hiring is about $120 pw for a minimum time of 4 weeks with one company to 6 months with another.
There is still a lot I need to research about which machine to buy, but then there is the thought of not seeing my granddaughter when I feel the frequent overwhelming urge to fly off to Melbourne.
I don't imagine I would be eligible for a subsidy as I only need the O2 when flying.

 

[sinophile888]

Slight change of plan. I am feeling a lot happier.

I rang a couple of companies today and priced the concentrator which I thought was the best. It was $4500, plus an extra battery, plus a battery charger plus regular servicing etc. Also the unit is not for intermittent use but is made for all day use every day. Otherwise the unit has to be run every couple of days and the battery run down to empty every week. A few other requirements as well.

But one company with an office in Perth hires the unit at $100 per week on a week by week basis. So a 4-day trip to Melbourne is only $100.

We are booked on a cruise out of Hong Kong back to Fremantle next year, but I was worried about the 8-hour flight to Hong Kong. My clever daughter suggested that we just get on the boat 5 days earlier in Singapore. That way it is only a 5-hour flight and QF now appear to be using A330 aircraft for PER to SIN. The A330 has much more comfortable J seating. This clever girl also pointed out that it would be much easier to get QF to provide the O2 for that flight as the next 30- 33 days will all be a sea level.

Lucky she got her brains from my side of the family.

 

[Quickstatus]

This clever girl also pointed out that it would be much easier to get QF to provide the O2 for that flight as the next 30- 33 days will all be a sea level.

.

QF can provide O2 on international flights. Just beware that sometimes the airline will demand you purchase an additional seat even if it’s for one cylinder plus the cost of the cylinder(s) at around $100 per bottle. You might find it easier to just BYO an oxygen concentrator. There is a small/remote possibility that if the flight diverts you might not have enough to resume the flight. And the cylinders won’t necessarilty follow you if the flight is cancelled and rebooked either to a QF or partner airline

5hrs @ 2L/min = 600L/min
Add 50% reserve = 900Litres

The CD and ZD oxygen cylinders come with integrated regulator and flowmeter and are the standard hospital O2 cylinders when transporting patients. However I believe I’ve never seen a ZD in Australia.

Here are the specs:

CD
460L
LxD 520mm x 100mm
3.5kg

ZD
600L
LxD 535mm x 102mm
4.06kg

They look like this:


Those 2 are the most practical sizes. I suspect you will need maybe 2-3 depending on what the airline seems as a reasonable reserve and your O2 flow requirements. There are other sizes but these are the ones with the integrated regulators which are preferred by hospitals and are within the 5kg airline limit

Usually the department to speak to is Qantas Special Handling - as with anything out of the ordinary you need to give a lot of time for the usual “to and fro”.

 

[Quickstatus]

@sinophile888
Maybe this thread title can be changed to:
Medical oxygen while travelling”?