How do you handle seeing somebody on supplimental oxygen?

[Ratatosk]

DH has an uncle with COPD and on oxygen. We don't see much of him as he's very very ill; however, in the past he's asked his doctors to culture him as he's concerned with being contagious to DS. There's also an aunt by marriage who had mrsa pneumonia years ago that we avoid.
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<br />When DS was a baby, I moved in church when a gentleman with a productive cough on oxygen, sat in front of us. They were glaring at us anyway as ds was too loud. I'm just not going to risk DS' health. I figure we can keep our distance and remain vigilant. I'd rather risk being a little embarrassed and offending someone that risking my child's health.

 

[tammykrumrey]

I would be nervous too. But, I think I would had said something like "my girls have cystic fibrosis and do carry bacteria in their lungs. I see you are on O2 and would hate for them to pass something on to you".

My grandmother was on O2 for many years due to COPD, and although was worried about what she could pass on to my girls, I was very worried as to what they could pass on to her. It works both ways and I feel the need to keep others safe from my girls, too.

 

[tammykrumrey]

I would be nervous too. But, I think I would had said something like "my girls have cystic fibrosis and do carry bacteria in their lungs. I see you are on O2 and would hate for them to pass something on to you".

My grandmother was on O2 for many years due to COPD, and although was worried about what she could pass on to my girls, I was very worried as to what they could pass on to her. It works both ways and I feel the need to keep others safe from my girls, too.

 

[tammykrumrey]

I would be nervous too. But, I think I would had said something like "my girls have cystic fibrosis and do carry bacteria in their lungs. I see you are on O2 and would hate for them to pass something on to you".
<br />
<br />My grandmother was on O2 for many years due to COPD, and although was worried about what she could pass on to my girls, I was very worried as to what they could pass on to her. It works both ways and I feel the need to keep others safe from my girls, too.
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[tarheel]

I flipped when I was in the same restaurant as another skinny kid on O2 about my age. It was CF clinic day at the hospital too- so... I made the quantum leap that he probably had CF. I didn't ACTUALLY flip- but my eyes were just fixed on this guy, waiting for him to cough and infect me with cepacia. I kind of wish I'd handled the situation better. <div><br></div><div>ALSO- not to sound alarm without undue cause, but COPD patients can also culture stuff. Like, namely b. cepacia. </div><div><a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/r126h05308344008/">http://www.springerlink.com/content/r126h05308344008/</a></div><div>there's one study I found about it. There are many more, I just didn't want to look. </div><div><br></div><div>This also makes me think of how I judge people on O2. The first thing I look for are obvious signs that they're a smoker. For 75% of them I can place the blame there, and I (honestly I kind of feel awful about it looking back..) look at them with what might be described best as contempt. Like they had something and ruined it. I know, I know, judge not lest ye be judged. The other 25% fall into two groups- CF or some other equally as awful disease with a 20 syllable name. But that's saying pretty much 100% of those people are capable of carrying REALLY bad bacteria. So I stay as far away as possible. </div>

 

[tarheel]

I flipped when I was in the same restaurant as another skinny kid on O2 about my age. It was CF clinic day at the hospital too- so... I made the quantum leap that he probably had CF. I didn't ACTUALLY flip- but my eyes were just fixed on this guy, waiting for him to cough and infect me with cepacia. I kind of wish I'd handled the situation better.<br>ALSO- not to sound alarm without undue cause, but COPD patients can also culture stuff. Like, namely b. cepacia.<a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/r126h05308344008/">http://www.springerlink.com/content/r126h05308344008/</a>there's one study I found about it. There are many more, I just didn't want to look.<br>This also makes me think of how I judge people on O2. The first thing I look for are obvious signs that they're a smoker. For 75% of them I can place the blame there, and I (honestly I kind of feel awful about it looking back..) look at them with what might be described best as contempt. Like they had something and ruined it. I know, I know, judge not lest ye be judged. The other 25% fall into two groups- CF or some other equally as awful disease with a 20 syllable name. But that's saying pretty much 100% of those people are capable of carrying REALLY bad bacteria. So I stay as far away as possible.

 

[tarheel]

I flipped when I was in the same restaurant as another skinny kid on O2 about my age. It was CF clinic day at the hospital too- so... I made the quantum leap that he probably had CF. I didn't ACTUALLY flip- but my eyes were just fixed on this guy, waiting for him to cough and infect me with cepacia. I kind of wish I'd handled the situation better.<br>ALSO- not to sound alarm without undue cause, but COPD patients can also culture stuff. Like, namely b. cepacia.<a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/r126h05308344008/">http://www.springerlink.com/content/r126h05308344008/</a>there's one study I found about it. There are many more, I just didn't want to look.<br>This also makes me think of how I judge people on O2. The first thing I look for are obvious signs that they're a smoker. For 75% of them I can place the blame there, and I (honestly I kind of feel awful about it looking back..) look at them with what might be described best as contempt. Like they had something and ruined it. I know, I know, judge not lest ye be judged. The other 25% fall into two groups- CF or some other equally as awful disease with a 20 syllable name. But that's saying pretty much 100% of those people are capable of carrying REALLY bad bacteria. So I stay as far away as possible.

 

[Ratatosk]

I guess I've had a similar reaction as April's because when DS was a baby, our local hospital was one of those that got a bad batch of cepacia laced mouthwash and 7 older patients died from it, several more got very sick from it. Plus our local hospital has gotten very poor ratings in terms of cleanliness, germ control practices..

 

[Ratatosk]

I guess I've had a similar reaction as April's because when DS was a baby, our local hospital was one of those that got a bad batch of cepacia laced mouthwash and 7 older patients died from it, several more got very sick from it. Plus our local hospital has gotten very poor ratings in terms of cleanliness, germ control practices..

 

[Ratatosk]

I guess I've had a similar reaction as April's because when DS was a baby, our local hospital was one of those that got a bad batch of cepacia laced mouthwash and 7 older patients died from it, several more got very sick from it. Plus our local hospital has gotten very poor ratings in terms of cleanliness, germ control practices..

 

[SARAHSARAH253]

I'm so glad to see this post. I brought this up with my sons cf doc last month, and he looked at me like i was crazy. I told him early on that I had read posts about this very topic, and decided to avoid visiting retirement homes with him. I also go out of my way to avoid people that our 02. To me it isn't worth the risk!

 

[SARAHSARAH253]

I'm so glad to see this post. I brought this up with my sons cf doc last month, and he looked at me like i was crazy. I told him early on that I had read posts about this very topic, and decided to avoid visiting retirement homes with him. I also go out of my way to avoid people that our 02. To me it isn't worth the risk!

 

[SARAHSARAH253]

I'm so glad to see this post. I brought this up with my sons cf doc last month, and he looked at me like i was crazy. I told him early on that I had read posts about this very topic, and decided to avoid visiting retirement homes with him. I also go out of my way to avoid people that our 02. To me it isn't worth the risk!

 

[Ratatosk]

Last week I had a gentleman come to my office and he began mentioning his health issues -- that he'd been going thru albuterol like crazy. And I just said something like "allergy season has just been crazy this year". No, he says -- "because I have to do so many nebulizer treatments (for whatever reason), I got an infection called pseudomonas. They give me antibiotics for a while, but then it comes back".

I have no idea if this guy had asthma, copd or what -- he wasn't that old; however, I was using hand sanitizer and clorox wipes like crazy after he left.

 

[Ratatosk]

Last week I had a gentleman come to my office and he began mentioning his health issues -- that he'd been going thru albuterol like crazy. And I just said something like "allergy season has just been crazy this year". No, he says -- "because I have to do so many nebulizer treatments (for whatever reason), I got an infection called pseudomonas. They give me antibiotics for a while, but then it comes back".

I have no idea if this guy had asthma, copd or what -- he wasn't that old; however, I was using hand sanitizer and clorox wipes like crazy after he left.

 

[Ratatosk]

Last week I had a gentleman come to my office and he began mentioning his health issues -- that he'd been going thru albuterol like crazy. And I just said something like "allergy season has just been crazy this year". No, he says -- "because I have to do so many nebulizer treatments (for whatever reason), I got an infection called pseudomonas. They give me antibiotics for a while, but then it comes back".
<br />
<br />I have no idea if this guy had asthma, copd or what -- he wasn't that old; however, I was using hand sanitizer and clorox wipes like crazy after he left.

 

[augiee]

As I write this as a 30 year old not a parent, my history is I was sick young one until 6 and very healthly until 25. I've lived on 3 continents, been in the army for 4 years. Normally when I read comments like this I bite my lip because I'm not a parent, but when I was young, I had a Very Great Cf Dr by the name of Hans Vesell(or something like that) at children's memorial in Chicago. He told my parents that being super clean in the long run can be worse then good, because our body's need to learn how to defeat in coming viruses, bacteria, and such. It's like allergies, people who live in cities develop them, and farmers or people in the country do not. I know studies have said that being in a super clean environments can have a lot unforeseen problems, like getting minor viruses and bateria that the body should be able to fight on it's own but needs help, antibiotics and such.

I know with having/being Cfer's we deal with a lot of stuff, one thing I did realize when I turned 30, I've done very stupid things in my life, but I learned from them, and some of them were fun. But what I did learn is that being scared of what could happen, is not a way to live. What I'm saying is if something is going happen it's going to happen in my experience. With Cf and our bugs, I've had msra from what I read in my medical file for close to 20 years or more, in 15 years I did not pass it to anyone or did I get something else, why 17, because in the past 3 years Mrsa because of it flaring and have to be delt with vanco and now zyvox. But I have not gained any new bugs or have my bugs change much other then normal change with the antibiotics.

Im try to pass on what I've learned in my time, like I speak like an grandparent, but I never thought I'd live this long. I've have the great fortune to live in a time where when I was born/dia with Cf at 6 months my life expectancy has increased as of this writing 10 fold. So I can tell you when you with young ones now will like see a cure or something that is able to manage it.

 

[augiee]

As I write this as a 30 year old not a parent, my history is I was sick young one until 6 and very healthly until 25. I've lived on 3 continents, been in the army for 4 years. Normally when I read comments like this I bite my lip because I'm not a parent, but when I was young, I had a Very Great Cf Dr by the name of Hans Vesell(or something like that) at children's memorial in Chicago. He told my parents that being super clean in the long run can be worse then good, because our body's need to learn how to defeat in coming viruses, bacteria, and such. It's like allergies, people who live in cities develop them, and farmers or people in the country do not. I know studies have said that being in a super clean environments can have a lot unforeseen problems, like getting minor viruses and bateria that the body should be able to fight on it's own but needs help, antibiotics and such.

I know with having/being Cfer's we deal with a lot of stuff, one thing I did realize when I turned 30, I've done very stupid things in my life, but I learned from them, and some of them were fun. But what I did learn is that being scared of what could happen, is not a way to live. What I'm saying is if something is going happen it's going to happen in my experience. With Cf and our bugs, I've had msra from what I read in my medical file for close to 20 years or more, in 15 years I did not pass it to anyone or did I get something else, why 17, because in the past 3 years Mrsa because of it flaring and have to be delt with vanco and now zyvox. But I have not gained any new bugs or have my bugs change much other then normal change with the antibiotics.

Im try to pass on what I've learned in my time, like I speak like an grandparent, but I never thought I'd live this long. I've have the great fortune to live in a time where when I was born/dia with Cf at 6 months my life expectancy has increased as of this writing 10 fold. So I can tell you when you with young ones now will like see a cure or something that is able to manage it.

 

[augiee]

As I write this as a 30 year old not a parent, my history is I was sick young one until 6 and very healthly until 25. I've lived on 3 continents, been in the army for 4 years. Normally when I read comments like this I bite my lip because I'm not a parent, but when I was young, I had a Very Great Cf Dr by the name of Hans Vesell(or something like that) at children's memorial in Chicago. He told my parents that being super clean in the long run can be worse then good, because our body's need to learn how to defeat in coming viruses, bacteria, and such. It's like allergies, people who live in cities develop them, and farmers or people in the country do not. I know studies have said that being in a super clean environments can have a lot unforeseen problems, like getting minor viruses and bateria that the body should be able to fight on it's own but needs help, antibiotics and such.
<br />
<br />I know with having/being Cfer's we deal with a lot of stuff, one thing I did realize when I turned 30, I've done very stupid things in my life, but I learned from them, and some of them were fun. But what I did learn is that being scared of what could happen, is not a way to live. What I'm saying is if something is going happen it's going to happen in my experience. With Cf and our bugs, I've had msra from what I read in my medical file for close to 20 years or more, in 15 years I did not pass it to anyone or did I get something else, why 17, because in the past 3 years Mrsa because of it flaring and have to be delt with vanco and now zyvox. But I have not gained any new bugs or have my bugs change much other then normal change with the antibiotics.
<br />
<br />Im try to pass on what I've learned in my time, like I speak like an grandparent, but I never thought I'd live this long. I've have the great fortune to live in a time where when I was born/dia with Cf at 6 months my life expectancy has increased as of this writing 10 fold. So I can tell you when you with young ones now will like see a cure or something that is able to manage it.

 

[Gnome]

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