A writer for Pulmonary Fibrosis News explains the struggles he faced after receiving a supplemental oxygen tank, specifically when taking a shower.
As my disease worsens, I’ve had to transition to 24/7 oxygen use. My last hold-out was using oxygen in the shower. It was the one time I allowed myself to be oxygen-free for 15 minutes a day. Once I started to dip below 90-percent oxygen saturation when standing in the shower, I gave in and wore it in the shower, too.
It was amazing to see how my attitude changed about having to make this transition. For months, I would tell my husband how wonderful it was to not use oxygen in the shower, and how I didn’t know how I could ever adjust in the future. Once I started needing it, my attitude changed. I saw it as a friend that I really needed to help me take a soothing shower.
