@A MyCOPDTeam Member.......Roxanne, there are large oxygen tanks, small oxygen tanks, oxygen concentrators, and portable oxygen concentrators that are small.
Many of us on Oxygen 24/7 have a large oxygen concentrator to use at home. Its a large machine about the size of a suitcase that runs off electricity and has long tubing attached with a cannula to wear around the house and for sleeping. My tubing is 50 feet long so I can mover around the whole house.

I have three things:
1. Oxygen Concentrator
2. Oxygen tank for emergencies
3. Oxygo (POC) for leaving the house

The large oxygen "tank" is just as you said.....for emergencies at home when the electricity is out due to an emergency.

For leaving the house people usually have either small metal oxygen tanks or a POC (portable oxygen unit). It sounds like the portable unit they gave you is larger than most if it takes a cart on wheels to carry it around. Most portable units (called POC for Portable Oxygen concentrator) are small and carried like a purse over your shoulder. I have one called Oxygo. Another popular brand is made by Inogen. I have a plug to recharge mine, two rechargeable batteries, a carry bag, plus a cord to charge it in the car if needed. If you are out longer than two hours then you carry the charged up extra battery or sit somewhere and plug it into the wall for it to recharge.

Using oxygen does change your life, but you can adjust. I find wearing the tubing all over my house annoying but lifegiving. I have tripped over the tubing more than once. I use my Oxygo portable unit when I leave the house. When I first was given oxygen they gave me small tanks to use when I left the house. They were about the size of a bottle of wine. I had a little bag to carry the tank. I raised cain about how difficult it was to manage the little tanks and they gave me the Oxygo after about one or two months. It has been a wonderful improvement over the little tanks. Talk to your pulmonologist.

I wish you well. The oxygen is sometimes hard to manage, but use it because I need it. I got over what others think. Its all about what keeps you healthy and breathing.

Breathe easy and good luck.

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A MyCOPDT...

Which POC is appropriate for you depends on your O2 needs. It sounds like Roxanne needs continuous flow, so her POC is larger, but it provides her with the continuous flow she needs. None of the smaller POCs provide continuous flow; they only provide pulse dose and not everyone can manage with pulse dose. The pulse dose machines also only provide very limited O2. Your Oxygo on a maximum setting of 5 will produce .067 LMP assuming you only breathe 15 times a minute, which equates to a little over 1 LPM. You're lucky you stay saturated with that.

Do you have a stationary concentrator at home? I hope you weren't just given the POC and expected to use it all the time. You can ask for tanks; they could easily last longer than some POCs. You can also ask for another battery or two; that will give you more out and about time. As for using O2, many of us do so all the time. I use O2 for most things and I do everything I ever did before, including travel, so I go through airports regularly and no one pays any attention at all. If they do, it's basically to ask where I got my machine and they'd love it if their family member with COPD would get out and do things. You want to, now you have to find the means by which to do it. More batteries will certainly help!

I use a inogen one and was like you, very useless time. Bought a large battery instead of the stock one and now get up to 6-7 hrs on 3 liters pulse.
My inogen one gives me up to 5 liters pulse. I have a larger portable for nightme as I need min 3 liters continuous with my cpap. It is a Sequal 5. the only portable able to go that high.

@A MyCOPDTeam Member. I don't know what a POC is. I have an oxygen thing that has wheels on it. I can plug it in and it will run continuously, or I can unplug it and it will run on a battery that lasts 2 hours. The battery is rechargeable. They also gave me an oxygen tank in case my home would lose electricity during a storm.. I'm not sure how long that one lasts. I think it would look awfully stupid carrying the big tank in public...it has no wheels. It's just for at home...for emergencies (loss of electricity). I will ask about extra batteries.. thanks. I never thought of that.

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A MyCOPDT...