“Its quite tough moving around with a portable oxygen machine everywhere I go. It feels like an irritating shadow that I can't get rid of. It's quite heavy too, it almost feels counter-productive to carry something heavy to be able to breathe properly.
"It's a nuisance but a necessary nuisance that keeps me alive. I have to wear it wherever I go. The battery life only last two hours before it dies... It's limiting when I go to the shops. I walk really slowly because of my lung problem, so only having two hours to do all my shopping is stressful enough.
"I start freaking out when the light on my oxygen machine starts flickering and I'm nearing the end of my battery life. I genuinely panic because it is a life-and-death situation that I find myself in. Sometimes the light flickers when I am paying for my parking ticket.
"In my panicked state, I can never ever find any change in my wallet and ask strangers for money so I can rush back to my car.
"That said, I'm grateful for my oxygen machine. It gives me the opportunity to go out and get things done instead of being stuck at home all day.”