Portable oxygen equipment keeps Todd on the go

Mike Todd does not let the need for oxygen slow him down. He uses a portable oxygen tank on the go.

Mike Todd of Carthage has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, (COPD) and sleep apnea.

Equipment for both conditions from Sherricks Drug and Medical lets him go about his daily routine as normally as possible and get out about town. Todd is retired after 32 years of driving a school bus and working for the Carthage School District.

“I have oxygen concentration equipment that I use all the time at home. When I want to go out, I have a small oxygen tank I can carry in the truck,” Todd said.

The oxygen concentrator creates its own oxygen as a pump and filtration unit, explained Mike Link, who coordinates the medical equipment services at Sherricks.

“The unit compresses air and filters out the nitrogen and CO2,” Link said. “It ends up with a concentration of 90 to 96 percent pure oxygen. Room air is only 21 percent oxygen.” This unit takes away the need for large, bulky oxygen tanks that must be refilled.

The equipment is prescribed by his doctor, and the cost is covered by Todd's Medicare and supplemental insurance. Once a month, a home health nurse comes to check his lungs and machines.

“I am very pleased with the care they give me. I appreciate having them close and handy if I need something,” Todd said.

To help his sleep apnea, Todd uses a BiPAP machine that keeps his airway open. Wearing a mask, the pressure adjusts from one level when a person exhales, to a stronger pressure when inhaling.

“That helps keep pathways open so that the brain is never deprived of oxygen,” Link said.

To treat his lungs, Todd uses a Pulmo-Aid nebulizer/compressor.

“This aerosolizes his medication, so that it can be taken in to the lungs, keep the airways open and keeps ‘crud' off his lungs.”

Link noted that Sherricks has a large inventory of home care supplies.

Ambulatory aides - canes, crutches, walkers and accessories;

Bath and toilet aids - commodes, tub transfer benches, tub seats, safety rails, raised toilet seats, grab bars, shower massagers, whirlpool baths, bed pans and urinals;

Diagnostic products - blood pressure devises, blood sugar monitors and supplies, stethoscopes and thermometers;

Emergency response systems;

Mobility aids - manual and electric wheelchairs, scooters;

Patient room furnishings - hospital beds and overbed tables, bedside commodes, trapeze bars, alternating pressure pads, patient lifts, seat lift chairs, eggcrate cushions and bedding accessories;

Physical therapy items - ankle/wrist weights, braces and splints, back and cervical aids, TENS units and supplies, compression home, paraffin units and supplies;

Respiratory-related products - oxygen concentrators, oxygen conservers, portable oxygen units, oximeters, suction machines, nebulizers, humidifiers, vaporizers, CPAP units and BiPAP units;

Additional personal items and other medical supplies.