Travel With Oxygen

I use supplemental oxygen 24 hours per day. Consequently, when I leave my home at any time, I must make sure that my oxygen needs are met–in the car, train or on a bus; in a hotel room or in a restaurant.  Around my own town, I simply kept an emergency bottle of oxygen in the car so I that I always knew that I could get back to my house and my oxygen concentrator. When I ventured farther, however, I felt insecure.

Oxygen Tanks

If you are like me, when you travel out of the range of your usual oxygen supplier, you need to make sure that you either have sufficient oxygen available in your baggage for your trip or that you have previously arranged a supplier in your destination area.  You must make sure that the supplier at the destination has a copy of your prescription in advance. (Believe me, it is not easy to connect your supplier and your physician on a Sunday!)

Last summer, I was going to be away from home for an extended period.  I bought my own concentrator for my destination, but it was hard to predict how long I might need portable oxygen (for trips to the grocery, restaurants, sight-seeing and other outings). I just guessed at the number of bottles that I might need. Eventually, I convinced my supplier that I needed 26 portable tanks for the journey.

Long Distance Travelers Can’t Use Tanks

Those oxygen tanks made for very heavy luggage, but at least they met my needs. Unfortunately, I later learned that this solution would not work if I needed to use commercial airlines or cruise ships during a vacation. Airlines do not allow oxygen tanks in aircraft cabins. Ships refuse to handle oxygen, which meant that I would have to carry all of my supplies. That is simply impossible for me, since the supplies would have been in excess of 200 pounds (about 91 kilograms).

My Supplementary Oxygen Solution

I own my own oxygen concentrator, which I bought online for less than $800. (To check this out, click here–it will open in a new window.) It is perfect for a hotel room or a cruise ship cabin. It weighs just 32 pounds and can be checked as luggage, so that you don’t have to handle it.  As long as there is AC power, you have oxygen. It is important to have an alternative concentrator or tanks for any time that the power fails, of course.

I also invested in an Evergo Portable Oxygen Concentrator. That ten pound item was a significant cost (under $4000), but I decided to buy it because it actually gave me to ability to take it onto commercial aircraft and cruise ships. Now I don’t have to carry any oxygen tanks with me, and I can be assured of all the oxygen that I need when I am away from my home, my cruise stateroom or my hotel room.  Yes, it cost as much as a nice vacation, but now I can actually take a true vacation–over and over again.

My parents never did for me and now as an adult parent I do for mine and they belittle me…I am also disabled

I just called to wish my mom a happy mothers day and she put the guilt trip on me about not coming up to see them. 1st – I have had brittle insulin dependant diabetes and 2nd 5 surgeries and degenerative disc disease. They have NEVER come here on their own and have gone on 3 vacations a year but never to see their grandchildren. I never had them do for me but now I do for mine and my mom just says you do what you have to do but has also whined and cried about money for years. But she never would get a license or anything for herself. I just can’t take it anymore; What can I do to keep my sanity?

Disabled Travel By Rail – A Guide

Image via Wikipedia

Disabled passengers can be made for arrangements to travel in comfort while travelling by rail. There are stations that have all the necessary arrangements in place but there are those that you may need to ask for special arrangements. This may be done by calling the train company in advance. It is important that you do this in good time to enable them to prepare in advance. Here is a guide on disabled travel by rail.

For those on wheel chairs a ramp can be provided if it is not already available. Some stations have them on the ready but for those that do not have they may be informed in good time so that they put one in place. They may also have someone to assist in wheeling the passenger into and off the train.

For the blind a guide may be requested for alighting and boarding. It is not so hard though for the blind to travel by train because most of them have a good sense of direction. The only problem may arise when reading signs. Many stations on the other hand make announcements regarding the train times so this will not be a huge problem.

When the passenger is deaf they may get a guide for boarding and alighting too. Reading signs will not be a problem for them at all. It is important though that they get all the directions beforehand so that they do not get scared or harassed while travelling.

For passengers who are mentally disabled a lot of preparation has to be done beforehand. This is because they have special needs as compared to other passengers. They have to have someone to accompany them for most of the journey. They have several needs such as assistance with going to the toilet and in eating. If they cannot be accompanied one may request for assistance from staff working with the station.

Make sure all the travel documents are in place and secure. They should be easily accessible and at the same time not easy to be stolen. They may be prone to harassment and their belongings could easily be stolen.

In situations where the disabled is a minor make all the necessary arrangements before the journey. The staff must be on the lookout for children more so if they are disabled and are to travel on their own. Inform them in due course and prepare the passengers mentally. Reassure them about their safety before they take off. Make sure their hand luggage is not so bulky.

Related articles

• Smart call to aid rail passengers (eveningtimes.co.uk)
• Scottish rail line voted best in the world | British Airways – Travel Industry News (travelnews.britishairways.com)

Disabled Traveler On Route 66 – RV

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Route 66…Just saying the name of this infamous roadway exudes a feeling of excitement…an impression of nostalgia…a sense of adventure.  It’s a part of Americana; a component of our pop culture; an iconic piece of our country’s history.

That famous thoroughfare connecting Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California, Route 66 was the main road for those traveling west prior to the establishment of our National Interstate Highway System.  For 2,448 miles, it supported economies and communities along its path.  Though some of it has been re-aligned over the years to make it faster and safer to drive and some has been re-routed to bypass busy cities such as Springfield, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, much of it remains a National Scenic Byway for vacationing travelers yet today.

Beginning at Jackson Boulevard and Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, today it ends at Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California where the final “Historic Route 66″ sign stands.  It has been renamed “Will Rogers Highway” where Santa Monica Boulevard meets Ocean Avenue.  Because Route 66 is in close proximity to other roadways, often actually sharing the same pavement, and parallels interstate highways, as it makes its way through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, it is a popular truck route, making it an ideal RV route, as well.

Driving our RV on Route 66 has been a dream-come-true for us.  The sights we have seen while driving on it are memorable; the journey is emotional; the experience is priceless.  Following it as closely as we can, we note that much of it is two-laned, flat, straight, and extends for as far as we can see.  Other parts are curvy, snaking its way up and down mountain-like hills.  Some of it is asphalt-paved with newly painted lines; other parts are graveled, dusty, and bumpy.  Sometimes it dead-ends with little warning.  Other areas easily and seamlessly join another highway, which proceeds for miles until Route 66 exits into itself once again.

Communities along its path have enjoyed the economic boost when Route 66 was in its heyday.  Mom-and-Pop businesses sprang up all along the way featuring gas stations, diners, and motor courts. Some of the most famous that come to mind are Tee Pee Curios, the Wig-Wam Motel, and the Blue Swallow Motel, and Roy’s Cafe.  Advertisements painted on barns and on roadside signs along the way tout the businesses that lie ahead.  Sadly, most of these communities have become virtual ghost towns since its demise.

Some little towns, though nearly deserted, still play up the “Get your kicks on Route 66″ theme for the benefit of the travelers passing through.  Buildings featuring soda fountains and diners, complete with mannequins dressed in 50′s attire lining the streets and balconies.  Old-fashioned gasoline stations with ’57 Chevy’s parked at the non-operating pumps catch your eye at the corner.  The infamous Burma Shave placards line the side of the road as you drive along the vacant countryside…their rhyming scheme both entertaining and humorous; enticing you to find more of them…which does not disappoint you because there ARE more…for miles and miles.

Today, for those interested in traveling on Historic Route 66, turn-by-turn roadmaps are available, highlighting places of interest along the way.  You can see Mustang Corral, the One Stop Pony Shop in Illinois.  Missouri showcases the St. Louis Arch, as well as Meramec Caverns touted as Jesse James’ hideout.  Though Route 66 is only 13 miles long in Kansas, it travels by The March Arch Rainbow Bridge.  Oklahoma features fields of oil drilling wells.  Route 66 in Texas leads you along Palo Duro Canyon and The Cadillac Ranch…an automobile graveyard of sorts with graffiti-painted cars whose noses are buried in the ground with the tail-end sticking straight up.

In New Mexico, you start to get a real feel for the west with the adobe architecture, miles of desert scrub, flat-topped mountains visible in the distance, and Red Rock State Park.  Arizona offers the best part of Route 66, in our opinion, with the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest National Park, Meteor Crater, and especially the Grand Canyon nearby.  In California, Route 66 joins the “Old National Trail Highway”, and is paved, lined, and hilly.

Driving our RV on Historic Route 66 was definitely a highlight of our westward trek.  It was a step back in time…a chance to re-live history…a thrill at every hill.  We wouldn’t change that adventure for the world!  We highly recommend this famous advice:  “If you ever plan to motor west, travel my way, the highway’s best.  Get your kicks on Route 66!”

Disabled RV Camping – Not Like The Old Days

Image by drburtoni via Flickr

Today’s RV Camping Experiences are Definitely Not our Parents’ Camping Trip!

Many Baby Boomers have happy childhood memories.  Many of these memories were created via family camping trips.  Ahh…packing as much as possible into the family car, but not being allowed to bring your favorite toys; leaving just enough space to sit shoulder to shoulder for the long, hot ride to the campground.  Wasting time setting up the tent when you’d much rather be playing; stretching the canvas as far as it will reach, praying it won’t rip and hoping none of the stakes are missing and that they will hold tightly.  Making the campsite your home away from home by carrying the picnic table, cooler filled with food, camp stove, utensils, and lantern within easy reach.  Gathering sticks to start the campfire; the wood-smoke aroma permeating the air, as well as your clothing and hair.  Trying to fall asleep in your cramped, humid surroundings; only to be awakened by the intense buzzing of a mosquito.  Needing to use the bathroom, but waiting as long as you can until the relief is worth the stench of the outhouse…no one can hold their nose and breath that long…but, it’s worth it in the end.  Praying for no rain, which can end a camping trip abruptly.

The day would often begin with waking up at the crack of dawn to the aroma of bacon and sound of eggs sizzling on the camp stove.  The tin coffeepot was heated and slices of bread were toasted on long-handled forks by the campfire.  Faces were quickly splashed with cold water from your supply, or from the hand-pumped water faucet if you were lucky enough to have one at the campground.  Teeth were brushed, spitting on the ground, and rinsing with a sip of water from your canteen.  For some reason, being in the great outdoors makes you famished, so you gobble every bit of food presented to you.

After breakfast, you would stay busy taking walks with your family, exploring your surroundings, fishing at the creek, skipping rocks, and watching for wildlife.  Lunch would often be a picnic basket of peanut butter sandwiches, apples, carrots, and cookies.  The hot afternoons would be spent swimming or wading in the water, lounging in the shade, playing board games, cards, hide and seek, or tag if not too hot.  Evenings were spent fishing (again), hoping to catch dinner.  Everyone pitched in and helped prepare the supper meal, which wasn’t served until dusk.  After supper, the campfire would be stoked and we would sit around it singing songs, telling stories, snacking, and planning the next day’s activities so we would have sweet dreams.

Though many things remain the same, as in enjoying the great outdoors, today’s camping experience is quite different than what many Baby Boomers experienced in their childhood thanks to the Recreational Vehicle industry.  Instead of pitching a tent, RVs offer a very stable, comfortable means of shelter in which you have a myriad of choices to make your camping experience as enjoyable as possible.  Instead of spending a long time setting up your campsite, RVs can be hooked up to electric, water, sewer, Cable TV, and leveled in a matter of a few minutes, allowing you to start the fun almost immediately.

Meals can easily be prepared inside your RV via oven, stove top, or microwave as well as a portable gas grill for outdoor cooking.  Grooming and personal duties are achieved in the comforts of your own bathroom and shower.  Beds are comfortable; furniture is stylish; space is abundant, especially with room-extending slide-outs.  Too hot?  Turn on the climate-controlled air conditioner or ceiling fan.  Too cold?  Turn up the forced-air heater.  Undesirable weather conditions that would ruin a camping trip in the past are handled simply and efficiently in an RV.  You can simply move indoors and enjoy dancing to the stereo, watching your surround-sound television show, or go online through your Wi-Fi connection.  Family board games, cards, and charades can even be played indoors.

Extra amenities are available through your selection of RV and can enhance your RV lifestyle.  These consist of items that make your RV unique to your personal tastes and desires.  Leather furniture, a u-shaped dinette, granite counter tops, a double-sized refrigerator with ice maker, a built-in dishwasher, a washer and dryer, a king-sized bed, a fireplace, and even a second bathroom are examples of some of the options you have.

The option of camping in an RV is especially attractive to those with disabilities.  The familiar surroundings of the living space keeps everything within easy reach.  The private bathroom facilitates the needs for grab bars, shower seats, and raised toilets.  RVs can be outfitted with special equipment such as wheelchair lifts, ramps, lower countertops, and push-button controls.  With today’s innovative technology and clients’ creative requests, RVs can be personalized and specialized in a variety of ways.  In addition, many campgrounds offer handicapped sites in barrier-free areas and try to incorporate the needs of those who are disabled into their recreational programs.

Campgrounds, today, offer a range of activities in which to participate.  Hiking is still a popular activity enjoyed by campers; especially with today’s sturdy, breathable hiking boots, lightweight gear, and eco-friendly water containers.  Maps outline various hiking trails and rate them in difficulty; many are paved and wheelchair-friendly.  Wildlife viewing and birding is enhanced by state-of-the-art binoculars which are practically feather-weight and small enough to fit into the palm of your hand, though more powerful than anything available years ago.  Park programs teach you about environmental issues we’ve created over our lifetime.

Even with today’s comfortable RV options, the camping experience is still full of excitement, and wonder.  Baby Boomers’ childhood camping trips were considered “roughing it”.  Today, “roughing it” in an RV simply means no full hook-ups.  Either way, camping creates a lifetime of memories.

What does legally disabled mean?

I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from sexual stalking/harassment (I’m not sure how to really label it) when I was a minor and triggered by a separate assault several years later.

I have significant trouble being able to go to bed at night, unless I have someone else with me (or, when I’m at my family’s house on vacations, I’m accompanied by my dog at night). I am constantly vigilant and just can’t relax, no matter how exhausted I might be. I’m seeing a therapist and psychiatrist, and have tried pharmaceutical treatments for this, but am still having this trouble.

In addition, I have major fears and uneasiness about going outside after dusk or at night, unless (as above) I have someone else with me or am accompanied by my family’s dog. (A note about the dog: she’s a toy dog, so I suppose I benefit more from her companionship–it calms me–than by any idea that she might protect me, which she definitely couldn’t!) Unfortunately, I’m only at home with a dog a couple times a year, and I don’t often have someone who can go out with me to run errands at night, meaning I almost never go outdoors after 4 or 5 pm in the winter, and later in the summer.

I’m grasping for any solution, trying to figure out how to deal with these problems: sleeping and going outside.

I’m wondering: do these long-term problems count as being legally disabled?

Also, now that I see that I can function better when I’m accompanied by a dog, even though she’s a toy breed, I wish there were a way I could have my own dog where I’m currently living, who can help me sleep at night (and wake up in the morning), and help calm me to the point where I can go outside and run errands at dusk and later, each day. I doubt these count as “tasks”, so I doubt I could justify getting a service dog. Is that true? Do you have any other suggestion?

Thank you so much!