tbird legacy

[kellansmommy]

the vent we are being sent home on is a tbird legacy. it is HEAVY:eek: . has anyone else used this vent . kelly will be on it 24/7 . a couple of people asked on the stroller thread what vent kelly was coming home with and i didn't know at the time . it must weigh 30 lbs. darned heavier than the baby by far . maybe a double stroller would work better . i don't think we are going to have issues with positioning because he does well sitting up . we were told he may have to have a car bed instead of a carseat awhile back , but hw isn't having any issues sitting up .

[Melisande]

The t-bird is a dinasour! We were sent home on it at first, but Donovan didn't have to be vented 24-7. Thank God, because I wouldn't call that monster portable. You can request a newer, MUCH smaller vent, especially if you're going to be on it for a while. We use the Newport HT50 and more people use a LTV, which is about the size of a laptop computer. Our Newport weight about 12 lbs and is about 1/2 the size or less than the t-bird. I would discuss this issue further with your supply company and doctor. The t-birds are old and outdated. They are good vents, but technology has come a long way in making things really portable and MUCH smaller.

[Mom2TwinsPlus1]

We are LTV uses but I have a friend who had the T-bird and they had to order a stroller from a physical therapist, they had issues getting it to work in a double stroller. I do know that when we take Emma out I am pushing about 100 lbs since her LTV weights 13, her battery 25, she is 29 and her cbair is an estimated 30 lbs. Not to mention diaper bags and supplies, but its MUCH easier to push all that weight then to carry it

[Dylansmom]

the vent we are being sent home on is a tbird legacy. it is HEAVY:eek: . has anyone else used this vent .


We had the Tbird for about year before the LTV was certified for children under 22lbs (that was almost 4 years ago now)... Yes it is HEAVY. If you can not switch vents- which I would definitely ask the doctors why the decided on the tbird instead of a more "portable" vent- the Tbird is manageable.

For traveling I used a wagon at first-then switched to a double stroller-then to a wheelchair that had a specialized vent try made for the LTV.

At home- to make this monster more portable so Dylan could wonder through out the house I put it on a suitcase carrier. (I'm not sure if that is what the proper name it, but the little stand made for suitcases that has 2 wheels,handle...) Along with the vent I put his pulse ox on it, feeding pump, this made our life so much easier at home b/c he could be carried and I could just roll all his equipment behind me around the house.

I will try to find so pictures of "our" setup with the Tbird and post them this week.

(Sorry so long..)
Brittany
________
BLONDE GIRL LIVE (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/webcam/blonde-girls/)

[Mom2TwinsPlus1]

We had the Tbird for about year before the LTV was certified for children under 22lbs (that was almost 4 years ago now)...

When Emma got on her LTV-950 in June 2005 we had to sign a waiver saying we understood it was not approved for children under that weight by the FDA. I wasn't aware it had been approved. Hmmm...that is good to know, I guess our supply company was slow to find out

[tj's mom]

No experience with this vent. We are LTV 950 user. It is about as portable as it can get. ????those doctor's????

[drct1245]

If the HAVE to give you anything but the LTV, I believe you should look for an acheiva PS2 - that's the updated version. I am told by our nurse that it is much lighter, although, it is still a 12 inch box. That is the machine that Ayden came home on b/c he didn't like the LTV - but I think he would have done OK if the RTs hadn't pushed him so much.
Good luck -

[mia'smommy]

Mia is on the LTV as well, we really like it and are fortunate that we have 2 of them in our home. We leave one stationary and the other is for traveling. We use a regular tandem stroller for all of Mia's stuff. We've worked out a system so that everything fits and she sits in the front seat.

Have you asked about getting the LTV instead?
Do you already have the tbird in use at the hospital?

[kellansmommy]

we got the tbird because we didn't have a choice at this point . it is allready in the hospital . i hate it . it drives me nuts . his lines are allways popping off or filling up with water .

[mia'smommy]

I'm really sorry! I understand your frustration, I hated the vent tubes at first. Does your hospital have a discharge planning nurse working with you? We worked very closely with ours to get the preparations going for sending Mia home. We also had a couple care conferences with her team of doctors. That was a great arena to voice our concerns and get all of the issues out on the table with all of the doctors present. We made "friends" with our respitory therapist from the medical supply company. She was able to hook us up with the supplies we needed and more...
Of all the things I've learned through this experience it is this: Trust your instincts! Don't take everything the doctors say as gold, sometimes they are wrong... I was told Mia HAD to have a g-tube guaranteed, well I fought it and worked hard with her and guess what? The doctors were wrong, she eats just fine without a g-tube! My point is this, your are your child's advocate, and it is up to you to fight for his rights. If you are this unhappy with the vent you should strongly voice your concerns, ask about options and talk to your pulmonalogist. Set up one of those care conferences and see where it takes you. If I can be of any help to you please let me know. Good luck to you and your family!

[babysupermansmommy]

I Believe Anthony Was On A Tbird First In The Hospital It Looked Huge And Old I Didnt Like The Way Anthony Was Breathing At All On It So I Told Them I Would Not Take Him Home On It For That Reason, A Month Before We Went Home They Put Him On A Newport Ht50 And He Has Been On It Ever Since....now If He Was Only Able To Be On The Other One Of Corse I Would Have Bit My Tounge And Dealt With It.

[kellansmommy]

i talked to the DME and asked about a different vent . they said it's the only one they stock . they said it is a reliable vent and it is a workhorse .it will meet his needs as he grows and need more or less support . they said it is the one they feel the most comfortable with .

[Becky]

Talk to you doctor, ask him if he can write a script and/or a letter of neccessasy stating you need a more portable vent, like the LTV or the Newport. I did this in order to get my LTV. I had to do this because my dme did not want me to have it due to the of the expensive it cost them! My dme was rather po'd at me but they had to fill the orders of switching me to an LTV because it was the doctors orders. Hope this helps.

Becky

[Ann]

I ditto what Becky says. Don't let your DME run the show. Get the LTV -- it IS the vent of choice and you will be glad you have the more portable vent.

[drct1245]

There are many things our DME has said they don't carry, but after further prodding, we got it! Mind you it wasn't as big as the vent. I would have LOVE to come home on an LTV, but he didn't like it. You will have so many more options for strollers and portability. I was told a story of a little girl who got to see the grand canyon w/ her LTV. Her parents rigged a back pack so that they could just hike to where ever they wanted to see w/ her and her vent. :)