My Angel

Well this day started out to be so horrible that I was not sure I would make it. 

I woke up at 3am gasping for air, my bi-pap had stopped working.  My heart was racing as I was struggling to get some air.  My oxygen concentrator was plugged in so I could get my oxygen level up, but it was not working right.  Things were going downhill so rapid we did not know if I would live the next few hours.  My pulse ox had dropped to 82 and my heart rate was at 156, things were just horrible.  We think there might have been a brownout that blew my fuse.  I have been struggling for the past few days because of the exposure to carbon monoxide from the furnace, so did not need this bs.

I have a portable oxygen concentrator but it was acting up because it could not go to the 4 liters I was needing.  I just hoped we could find someone to fix my large machine.  That did not happen, my machine is over 10 years old.  
I was gasping for air till 10am and we managed to get me to up to 90 on my pulse ox, I told Al he could go to school and if I needed him I would call him.

Needless to say, our wake up was bad, high adrenaline to say the least. Poor Al was woke up with me gasping and begging for help.
After we got up and I could make some sense I started to trying and find a place for help. Whenever I could breathe a little I would call places trying to get my machine repaired, or rent one.  The trouble is I have no insurance and without it, can not rent. I put out calls to everyone that might know someone, and just kept calling and looking on line.  The company that I had bought my machine in 2002 was out of business.

I did have a repair man's card who had worked with the company that I had bought my machine, Gary had did the yearly maintenance on it until the past couple of years when I could not afford it.  I found his card after trying to remember where I might have it.  Gary did not do the maintenance on oxygen machines anymore, but said he would check around and see if he could find me a used one.  He called me back a couple of hours later and got me a deal of a life time.  He is my angel, without him I know I would not be getting through the night. 

He helped us with information on how to repair my Bi-Pap, so now that is working.  I can not sleep without it because of the Polio, my diaphragm is semi-paralyzed, so I hold onto my CO2 and turn blue.  Life can really suck for me when my equipment starts to fail me.

So if anyone needs medical repairs or equipment I want to give you Gary's card.

Not only did he find me a new machine, it had been completely rebuilt, he delivered it to our house and set it up.
Gary is our Angel....Thank God I was able to find him.

I have to go to the doctor tomorrow, need to find out why I am going sour......