Hi all,

I'm losing my health insurance on June 30. My current health provided has been paying the $150 month O2/regulator prescription rental. Looking for ideas to transition.

Here what I currently have:

• Regulator 0-15 Flow
  
• 10 Aluminum Oxygen Cylinders (always try to keep 10 full cylinders on hand)
  
• Mask (However, I just suck down O2 via the tube)
  
• Cylinder cart
  

Not sure If I will try to keep the my current plan (via COBRA), look into ACA, or try risking without insurance. I still need to do my homework on all the options as I'll be leaving my employment on a 6 month severance package. Hopeful to get another job, but you never know.

My cluster headaches hit me once a year for about 6-8 weeks. Thank God I'm on the tail end of the recent attack. Interesting note, I went 2 years without an attack until this year and the attacks only hit from 10:30p, through the night and ended around 7:30a the next morning. Didn't have to take one day off from work this year. My sleep was off but O2 works magic for me. Aborting within 5-10 minutes.

Thoughts ideas on if what I should do? Years ago I read on the forums about welding tanks and thinking maybe I should go that direction and start buying the needed equipment.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Recommend you go the O2 welding route and don't have to be concerned with appointments, prescriptions, limitations, etc.

-Gregg in Las Vegas

Lunch,

Gregg is spot on about using welder's O2.  You essentially buy the first M-Size oxygen cylinder for $300.  When it's empty, you turn it in and pick up a fully charged M-Size O2 cylinder for ~ $35.  I suggest you buy a cylinder cart.

You've got Airgas and WestAir Gases and Equipment outlets all around you in La Mesa.  Just don't tell them how you intend to use the oxygen. 

You've a couple options for regulators.  You can pick up a CGA-540 25 LPM oxygen regulator for $35 tp $65 over the Internet that will work just fine with the welder's O2 fill fitting.  You can also pick up an O2 Welding Regulator for $35 to $65.  If you go this route, you set a pressure to get the desired flow rate as these regulators do not have a flow rate selector.

If you use the latest oxygen therapy procedure I developed, the M-size welder's cylinder will last you well over a month.  You can find this procedure and the "How To" BYO for making a Redneck Oxygen Reservoir Bag Breathing System.  They work great.

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Take care and please keep us posted.

V/R, Batch

Thank you for the reply. Trying to estimate how much a M-Size cylinder will last. When CH hits I can go through 10-15 E-Size cylinders. Any ideas?

Mr Lunch wrote on Mar 31^st, 2017 at 2:54am:

Trying to estimate how much a M-Size cylinder will last. When CH hits I can go through 10-15 E-Size cylinders.

The O2 page is really useful for questions like this - START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE.

An E tank is shown having 20 cubic feet of compressed oxygen and an M has 125 cubic feet, so an M has a fraction over the volume of 6 E tanks.

So 2 M tanks is similar to 12 E tanks.

The page also mentions that the regulators for M and E tanks, so make sure you have one that will work with an M tank and capable of at least 15lpm, ideally more.

What Mike said! I used to wrestle a half dozen+ e's up the stairs...Lincare here FINALLY got
M's...and while individually a bit heavier... they got HANDLES...it was SOO much more convenient. The FIRST time you blow through what woulda been an e...and keep huffing...you'll get a tear in your eye that is NOT beast juice.....................

I have one large tank, welding tank, it's over 3 feet tall, and such a hassle to transport back n forth for refills at the welding supply store. The nice thing about the larger tanks is that you won't go empty as often.

The reply you received here from Batch about pricing on these tanks and refill pricing is exactly what I paid at AirGas which have hundreds of nationwide locations.

Recommend smaller tanks for travel convenience, and a big tank like what I described mine as, for home use.

And if you get the big one and it's a welding o2 you are using, recommend a dolly/hand cart to secure it on for wheeling to/from your vehicle as they are extremely heavy and awkward to carry.

Make sure you check the regulator to ensure you have the correct fitting for your specific tank. Definitely minimum of 15 lpm. Personally I have only been able to hyperventilate with 25 lpm or higher.

And the NON-rebreather mask such as the ones sold at CH.com Store is crucial to your o2 success.

Keep in mind, a welding supply store such as Airgas will not fill medical tanks with o2. They will only do refills on welding tanks.

And if you do purchase a welding tank or o2 refills, NEVER let them know you are using it for medical purposes or they will not rent/sell to you. Tell them, if asked, that you are building a koi pond and this is part of the aquatics aspect, or tell them you are welding if you are familiar with being asked about it, etc. Come up with any kindof story except for medical.

Good luck. ;)
-Gregg in Las Vegas