OMG. That is horrible!
I would not use anything not recommended to be used around oxygen concentrators or tanks. Oxygen saturates the objects around the user such as clothing and even tubing that supplies O2, making them more combustible.
1 Like
The hair on your head can become saturated with oxygen so becomes more flammable with a heat source hence no hair dryer (also may be source of sparks).
To use a hairdryer youâre supposed to shut off the concentrator, move to another area and wait a few minutes for the oxygen to dissipate.
Not supposed to use hairspray around concentrator either because not only are they flammable you donât want the aerosal getting into the machine. Safer to use a pump spray or gel, apply away from the machine and dry completely before going back to machine.
6 Likes
I huess I never use a blow dryer not hairspray so never encountered any of these issues.
1 Like
My mom called today.
Again on speaker but she puts the phone to her ear. Keeps asking me to FaceTime.
Asked if she had her hearing aids in, nope. When I try to tell her that she needs to take her phone away from her face, she gets upset, defensive and tells me that since this doesnât work, she doesnât have to talk to me. Sigh!
She forgot how to pay her credit card, instead of using auto pay, she insists that she transfer money and uses bill pay. She also texted me while my daughter was here and then obsessed about it. I guess she finally figured out how to do it.
Iâm usually available but all she has to do is tell me how much she wants to pay and I can do it from my phone, I have her bank app on my phone. A vague text to call when Iâm available and then not sleep isnât productive, she knew my daughter was here. Again sigh!
13 Likes
@gouf78 Will you call my mother and break the bad news to her? 
I guess she can take the cannula out of her nose, dry her hair for a few minutes, then put it back in, and repeat! The concentrator is a good 15 feet away, but I understand the safety aspect. Luckily she only does her hair about once a week. I do wonder how we do this when she goes to next get color, as the stylist is not going to want to wait while we take the oxygen on and off, and possibly take the tank out of the salon.
I just canât imagine people with oxygen donât get their hair dried and/or go to a salon where multiple blow dryer are being used at the same time.
2 Likes
The issue is that you can do something thousands of times without a problem ⊠but itâs that one time that it causes a problem that is the reason for the caution.
5 Likes
Whelp! Knowing mothers youâre talking to a brick wall. But one thing you could do is buy her a new hairdryer (good brand) to use so (hopefully) there is less chance of failing wiring or overheating. And a caution to use it on cooler temps (also better for your hair.)
4 Likes
With the help of Preferred, Mom signed the papers for the sale of the house today. Iâm proud of how we all chipped in to get this done. This weekend a cleaning crew comes in and then next week it goes on the market, I think. Preferred leaves for a 18 day vacation and Local holds the fort while I get some medical stuff done. Mom is genuinely delighted to have this all completed.
Side note â Local bought an item from the house auction bc he believed the $8 selling price was unacceptably low. And yesterday he sold it on eBay for $292!
18 Likes
Well done on the family teamwork! Best wishes on your upcoming medical stuff.
4 Likes
Thatâs great! Iâm glad you are all working together.
DD1/SIL are continuing with SILâs parents making âbaby stepsâ on their move to AL in their other sonâs city. The attorney appointment for last Wednesday was rescheduled to next Wednesday (after their son would be gone) - if they made the appointment for when their son first arrived, there would have been room for a one week reschedule. Oh well, so it goes.
His parents chose not to make the time to see the AL when DD1/SIL went to great efforts to get their flights lined up, get the rent car, son drove rent car while DD1/family and one of his parents caravaned the miles to a family event and when they could have scheduled to see the AL but didnât. Now they are flying in, their son is taking additional days off to drive them to see AL while staying in hotel - fly in Saturday and leave Wednesday. Hopefully he made his final trip to their home in GA. His parents just were not ready to make the transition until it has become almost detrimental to make the move. DD1 worries more than the rest of them, in part because of her knowledge and work experiences in nursing. DD1/SIL have made the sacrifices with using their leave time for his parents beyond what should have been happening.
DD1 is now going to be left for 5 full days with the 5 children - 5-month-old baby, 2, 4, 6, and age 7.
Hopefully the storm brewing off the eastern coast will not impact their home and them. They are getting their roof replaced since it needs it and will help with sale. IDK how much of the cosmetic and other repairs will get done.
SILâs mother had Covid before her son arrived, and she only got her energy back a day before he left.
I am happy to have had the bonding time with the 5 grandkids and helping out DD1. I leave Monday morning and will stop at my friendâs home (a few hours from DD1/SIL) for the day and night - had fun there/catch up with those friends (last time was 2020) and my friend extended the invitation for me to stop again.
Our family is celebrating my 69th birthday (a few days early) tomorrow. DD1 is making the easy to put together meal I requested, and cupcakes are getting picked up.
Glad to leave DD1/SIL/family doing fine.
9 Likes
It sounds like a lot of foot dragging that is really hard on the sandwich kids who have jobs/career/kids and elders. Iâm so sorry but glad youâve been available did at least part of the time.
5 Likes
Itâs hard to watch people make their own life harder, for sure.
We saw my MIL/FIL a few days ago. I was helping clean up MILs tablet and laptop â she had no access to her email, for one problem âand found a bunch of refi conversations and an angry note from one of their (many) realtor contacts. Theyâve been âlookingâ for a home by BIL for 2-3 yrs, this realtor is on to their lack of intent and is cutting them loose.
Turns out their idea is to buy a home sort of near BIL, rent it out, and when one of them dies, theyâll sell their current (2500 sq ft) home and just move to this rental. They are 83 and 84. For a couple who regularly have bad ideas, this is a new bad idea. We just said âoh, okayâ and are hoping that like so many ideas they get, theyâll never follow through on this. Who leaves their kids 3 mortgaged properties? (they already have 2 in Florida â I asked how those are going and FIL glumly says âbarely breaking evenâ)
7 Likes
Sounds like a very bad idea. Hereâs to hoping that if they find a house⊠they wonât be able to qualify for a mortgage.
Ha, I should mention that my super sharp 98 year old Dad has thrown out ideas to rent out his house (or AirBnB it) if he moves elsewhere to have fewer stairs etc. Umm⊠NO. I explained that if he leaves the house he needs finances and chores (now hired out) to be simpler, not more complicated.
7 Likes
Update: the unofficial read is that my dadâs cancer in his face/neck has spread to some lymph nodes and a spot on his lung. They are going to do some genetic testing to see if he is a candidate for immunotherapy, but are not recommending surgery given the spread.
Even though I knew this was a real possibility, itâs hard to hear it be real. I need to see if I can gently suss out how much my folks want visitors over the next few months, and then coordinate with my sister about whoâs visiting when. This is my first foray into mortality with a parent, and it both makes other issues feel like small potatoes and feels like a heavy cloak just got placed on me.
31 Likes
That is tough news and it truly sometimes just hits you in the face. How kind of you to put your parents needs first - they will appreciate your thought and support.
4 Likes
And even if they donât always (it can be so complicated!), you know youâre reflecting your love and concern for them, and we know it too. 
Weâll be here for you.
8 Likes
Sorry for you to be dealing with that heavy cloak burden.
I hope the doctors can find some optimism for treatment. And if at some point down the road Hospice care is suggested, encourage your parents to consider taking advantage of their helpful services.
5 Likes
Iâm so very sorry! I hope you and your loved ones and work together to make things as comfortable as possible.
2 Likes
Before I left Monday morning, SIL made a point to thank me for all my help with DD1/Gkids so he could go 2 weeks and help his parents again on the way to getting ready to relocate from one state to another, selling their home and moving into 2 BR assisted living near SILâs brother/family. He also made a point to thank me before he left for his parents - w/o my help, DD1 would have needed to take time away from work the entire time her husband was gone w/o the extra help from me. His sweet mother also conveyed her thanks.
His parents should have been ready after this trip to pull the trigger and made the move, but SIL says they talk about things but donât actually get a lot of things into action. It seems the new roof will get put on soon, they at least have a market appraisal by a realtor they trust, but are not committing to moving within the 30 days with a spot opening up at the assisted living for the 2 BR unit they want. Since they didnât see the Assisted Living the last time they flew in from out-of-state and were at their sonâs place, SIL is taking more days off for them flying in to a city about 2 hoursâ drive from SIL and he will drive them the rest of the way to the city to see Assisted Living - during the week of Columbus Day.
3 Likes