WHILE MOST PEOPLE simply breathe unaided, Bernadine David needs oxygen from a tank for her daily survival.
The 57-year-old suffers from the progressive disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with COPD have difficulties breathing because irritants have caused permanent damage to the lungs. There is no cure.
David recalled that when she first started to experience symptoms of tightness in her chest, doctors thought that she was suffering from asthma, but X-rays later revealed severe damage to her lungs.
So serious is her condition that David should be using one of the big oxygen tanks such as those used in hospitals, but because of her living conditions, she can only utilise a small tank.
David is presently living in a rented single room at Bay Street, St Michael, as she awaits assistance from the National Housing Corporation in getting more appropriate housing to accommodate a bigger oxygen tank.
Her physicians have already written Government agencies to point out that she was in urgent need of long-term domiciliary oxygen, which the hospital was willing to provide, as long as she gets better housing, along with housing insurance.
However, her situation is becoming more challenging as she is forced to use her tank mainly at night and make regular trips during the week to have the tank refilled.
“The big tank would last me as long as three weeks and I would be able to have enough oxygen to sleep through the night but this small tank only last for about three hours. I do not use this too regular. I does only use it at night because it does not last long. If I use it for the whole day by night time I don’t have any and I really need it at night.
She is also finding it financially difficult to even pay the $7 needed to refill the tank.
“Idoes full this at least two or three times a week and I don’t always have the $7 to pay Carib Supply. Seven dollars to full it and four dollars for bus fare; I don’t always have the $11. So I really need help.”
Barely able to speak because of her difficulty in breathing, David also pointed out that she was also forced to cut back on physical activities which required her moving around.
Apart from the oxygen tank she takes many different medications which also assist in her breathing.
“Right now I talking to you and I short of breath already . . . Iget short of breath very quick, if I bathing or I do anything in the house. I have to take medication at night to open my airwaves and I cannot lay down to sleep sometimes I have to sit up. Once I have the oxygen it gives me energy but because I have to keep the oxygen for during the night, I have to be careful what I do during the day.”
While she gets assistance from the Welfare Department for which she is grateful, since she is unable to work, David said there were still many more things which she needed but which she could not afford at this time.
However, her main focus at this time is improving her living conditions and she is hoping that the NHC is able to assist her soon so that she can get a bigger tank.
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