You can't "make" him be concerned. You can tell him how you feel, that you are scared. But don't harp on it. He is going to do what he wants to do and no amount of stressing, badgering, begging him is going to help. (maybe if he has a true emergency that might "wake him up" but probably not) I hope you have all the paperwork you might need if something were to happen to him. Maybe filling out a POLST, getting POA for finances and health might make this "real" and serious to him.
Joanzie, I assume you have a pulse ox and are monitoring his sat rates?
Do the oxygen drops occur at night, during the day, and/or how often, and are they precipitated by exertion? Are they quick drops followed by stabilization? Or are they of some duration? Are you documenting these?
You don't mention oxygen supplements. Is he using supplemental oxygen, and if so, on a 24/7 basis and at what liter rate? If he's on home oxygen, was it prescribed by a pulmonary doctor, and if so, have you contacted him/her? How long has this been going on?
Sometimes it takes a man awhile to accept that he needs and is reliant on oxygen. That can also happen with a woman, as it did with my sister when her cancer metastasized. How long has your husband been on oxygen?
It could be that he needs to be on a higher level of oxygen; my father experienced that as he aged.
You have good reason to be scared.
Is he mobile enough to go to a doctor, assuming the prescribing doctor is taking patients at his/her office?
I would make a chart of the oxygen drops and either send it to the doctor or take it with you for an appointment.
He does have a pulse ox and he is on oxygen at 5 liters on the home machine but 3 liters on the mobile oxygen. When he is on oxygen he stays above 85 and is often at 90-91. I believe his sat drops at night because he has sleep apnea. Unfortunately, the CPAP machine doesn’t work for him, in part because he has one missing and one malformed sinus. Exertion causes a drop, also. He is seeing a pulmonologist and is scheduled to have a more comprehensive breathing test later this month. He drives himself everywhere and can easily make his doctors appointments at this stage. I will keep track of his O2 trends the best that I can, but I work full time and drive 120 miles round trip. I can ask him, but he is stubborn and will wait until his doctor tells him to do it. 🤷♀️ I appreciate your support and all the information.
You can tell him how you feel, that you are scared.
But don't harp on it. He is going to do what he wants to do and no amount of stressing, badgering, begging him is going to help.
(maybe if he has a true emergency that might "wake him up" but probably not)
I hope you have all the paperwork you might need if something were to happen to him. Maybe filling out a POLST, getting POA for finances and health might make this "real" and serious to him.
Do the oxygen drops occur at night, during the day, and/or how often, and are they precipitated by exertion? Are they quick drops followed by stabilization? Or are they of some duration? Are you documenting these?
You don't mention oxygen supplements. Is he using supplemental oxygen, and if so, on a 24/7 basis and at what liter rate? If he's on home oxygen, was it prescribed by a pulmonary doctor, and if so, have you contacted him/her? How long has this been going on?
Sometimes it takes a man awhile to accept that he needs and is reliant on oxygen. That can also happen with a woman, as it did with my sister when her cancer metastasized. How long has your husband been on oxygen?
It could be that he needs to be on a higher level of oxygen; my father experienced that as he aged.
You have good reason to be scared.
Is he mobile enough to go to a doctor, assuming the prescribing doctor is taking patients at his/her office?
I would make a chart of the oxygen drops and either send it to the doctor or take it with you for an appointment.
I believe his sat drops at night because he has sleep apnea. Unfortunately, the CPAP machine doesn’t work for him, in part because he has one missing and one malformed sinus. Exertion causes a drop, also.
He is seeing a pulmonologist and is scheduled to have a more comprehensive breathing test later this month.
He drives himself everywhere and can easily make his doctors appointments at this stage.
I will keep track of his O2 trends the best that I can, but I work full time and drive 120 miles round trip. I can ask him, but he is stubborn and will wait until his doctor tells him to do it. 🤷♀️
I appreciate your support and all the information.