Reddit mentions: The best athletic & aviation pulse oximeters

Oh, where to start!
Her surgery went...okay? They did have some leakage that they had to go in and repair before they could close, so that was extremely stressful. Not sure how old yours is, but ours was 9 months when they did her Glenn and a premie to boot, so working on a heart that small is bound to not always go right the first time.
Immediately after the surgery, they will have your girl so high on pain meds that she won't know anything about what is going on. It typically takes about 4 days for them to get extubated and ready to go to "step down" (not sure what it's called wherever you may be, but it's a less intensive care side of the CVICU where post op kiddos recover enough to go home). Get as much rest as you can in the first 4 days, because step down is stressful for you and her. They are still weaning her off the pain meds and she will be dealing with some pretty severe headaches because of how the Glenn alters her vascular pressures. Our girl was in and out in 11 days for the Glenn, so it's hard, but it doesn't last forever.
Once she adjusts to the new plumbing, she will start eating. I know eating was a major issue for us, and we had to stay on the OT folks to keep trying different formulas until they found one that she would take. Some babies aren't horrendously picky and just want to eat, so you may have an easy go of it. My biggest tip is to woo the nurses. They are the ones who do the primary care for your daughter, so if they enjoy you, they will spend more time there. Not to say that they avoid caring for the ones they don't like, but stacking the deck in your favor never hurts. The doctors, don't hesitate at all to call them out and demand better explanations and a clear consistent message.

Okay, enough about the hospital stay, let's look forward to getting home and the things that we went through and we wish we would have done: Stay on top of her Beads of Courage, if your hospital has that program. Our daughter wears them around the house like a trophy. She's a girly girl, and having that symbol of what she came through helps build her confidence. She also has a scar. You can minimize that, if you want, with the typical treatments, but we opted to let her decide how to handle it after the Fontan. As of right now, she points it out from time to time and says "My scar makes me brave and strong."
Your daughter will not be limited in the way that you or I think of being limited. She will never know a time, until after the Fontan, that running and playing doesn't make her tired, doesn't make her fingers get cold or her lips turn blue. That, in her mind will be normal, not limited. You know how kids are. Attention span of a mosquito. So, she will run and jump and bounce around for 10 minutes, then it will be time to sit down and color or play with her stuffed animals. As soon as she feels better, she will be off again. Trust me, your daughter will not miss a thing. She may not run marathons or be a college basketball star, but how many of us do that anyway? We go for walks and hikes and just adjust to suit what she is capable of. The flowers are just as beautiful at a slow walk as they are at a jog.

Her cardiologist has been very vague as to when they are expecting to start planning on transplantation, but that's primarily because of the wide range of kids with our CHD and how they have reacted to the surgeries. Judging by her performance so far, I'm betting on her being an outlier, but that may be a wishful dad.

We have been very open with our daughter about her chd. She's 4 now and starting to understand some of what is going on. She knows that she is gong to see Dr. Michi (her cardiac surgeon) soon, and that she is going to have another surgery to help fix her heart. She knows every 6 months we go to see her cardiologist who checks her heart to make sure it's all good. I think doing that makes it easier for her to understand what's going on and to be more compliant when we have to sit her down because she's pushing her body too hard.

The only other things I would suggest would be to get a prescription for oxygen and get a pediatric pulse oximeter. If your girl is over active, a few minutes on oxygen will help her recover much quicker and take the scary out of hyperventilating. You can grab a cheap pulse ox like this: https://smile.amazon.com/Pediatric-Oximeter-Carrying-Protective-Batteries/dp/B00UF9W1NU/ref=sr_1_12_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1492181563&sr=8-12&keywords=pediatric+pulse+oximeter if your girl is still fairly small. We use this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B010C92IT4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and it seems to do just fine. The best part about the one we use is the adjustable alarms. Many oximeters don't take into account kids with chds won't run th 92%+ sats, so it's constantly beeping while i'm trying to check numbers with her asleep.

I'm sure things are progressing now, so you may not read this until after she is out, but we are praying for your daughter and for you. Please don't hesitate to stay in touch.

this is highest on my list because I need it to help my husband and I to concieve a child together. I have PCOS which unfortunantly has left me infertile without the help of fertility drugs. I have 2 step children who I adore, but we would love to create a life together.
This is second on my list because I need to help me to lose weight so that I can possibly cure myself of PCOS (it's been done before).
This is 3rd on my list because it is for work and up there in importance.
And last but not least This I need due to the PCOS making my hair fall out. It creates high levels of testosterone which makes the hair go bye-bye. I have some bald spots I cover with my own hair.

Sorry if it sounds like a sob story lol But, these are the things I feel are a priority. Creating life, work, and fixing some problems with myself :) Thanks for the contest, you are VERY generous. <3 Sort my priorities :)

your issue isn't clotting, it's OCD and anxiety, and I don't know that we're the right people to help you with that. We can give you all the reassurances in the world but your OCD/anxiety will say "yeah but what about...". Have you tried posting in r/OCD or r/anxiety?

If you're not on hormonal birth control now and you don't have any genetic factors and you don't have other risk factors (as listed on the sidebar) you're unlikely to clot. your doctor felt you were well enough to come off anticoagulants.

you know what the symptoms of a PE are, and you know what they aren't. you remember what symptoms you experienced when you got your PE, that's what you need to watch for. you know that finger pain is not a symptom of a clot so remind yourself of that in a positive reassuring way. Remind yourself that you are okay, you are safe, and you know how to get help if anything does happen.

What some folks do is they get an inexpensive pulseox device to monitor their blood oxygen and reassure themselves they are getting enough oxygen.

At this point you probably have some PtSD from your experience and your therapist is the best person to help you work thru that along with your other anxiety disorders.

I do box breathing for anxiety, it can help with mild to moderate anxiety, I don't know if it helps panic. you might also benefit from a mind-body practice like yoga or t'ai chi or qigong. they are not a quick fix, it's something you have to practice regularly.

For what it's worth I have anxiety disorder as well, been dealing with it off and on most of my life. I do know it has a life of its own and does what it wants, logic be damned. I did a lot of medication, a lot of therapy, and do a lot of yoga and meditation. It still rears its ugly head now and again.

I am 3.5 weeks into cpap therapy, and it really got a LOT easier on me after a couple of weeks.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an untreated AHI of greater than 5.

What kind of treatment are you getting for your anxiety? Over the counter stuff like GABA or L-theanine? Pharmaceuticals? Therapy? Be sure you're exploring all your health options- I wish I had done so years earlier than I did, because it improved every aspect of my life. Interestingly, my hypochondria was significantly improved when I treated my anxiety.

You are clearly interested in investing in your health. I have been really happy with the logging oximeter I bought. Based on recommendations here and the cpap/apnea boards, I got one of these: www.amazon.com/Contec-Wrist-worn-Oximeter-Software-Download/dp/B00LN4LCMC, and it has been really interesting. My partner wore it for a night, and we learned that the occasional snoring was not indicative of a breathing problem- blood oxygen never went below 90%. Mine is a whole other story! My sibling used it a couple of times during a visit, and is now headed to a sleep doctor to get checked out. It can't give you anything like an AHI, but you could easily compare your blood oxygen levels with and without the cpap to see what it is doing for you.

Good luck to you! Work on that leak. Raise your pressures a little at a tiem if you feel like you're suffocating. I started at 5-10, and now I'm far more comfortable at 7-11.

To answer your question directly: get an oximeter that records a full night of data, USB to transfer to a computer, and ideally integration with OSCAR (sleep apnea tracking software) for later use with a CPAP. The cheapest option, $40, will need to be taped onto your finger and it's surprisingly uncomfortable to wear all night:

https://www.amazon.com/CMS50D-Plus-24-hour-Uploaded-Computers/dp/B07KWY9KZQ

At $84, here's a much more comfortable version:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LN4LCMC/

But, the real question is "do you have sleep apnea"? Obviously an overnight sleep study (polysomnograph) is best and the at-home versions are pretty good too (sometimes as low as $200). With an oximeter, you're not going to get anything conclusive - at best you might find some denaturations that might suggest sleep apnea. Without something to monitor breathing, the picture is incomplete.

You should also run through a few self-assessment tests might help get a sense of the probability of sleep apnea and the severity of symptoms:

For sleep apnea. This is also what most primary care docs will use:

http://www.stopbang.ca/osa/screening.php

These are also useful:

http://www.sleepapnea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/snore-score.pdf

http://www.sleepapnea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/berlin-questionnaire.pdf

For daytime sleepiness, try this:

http://dev.healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/narcolepsy/diagnosing-narcolepsy/epworth-sleepiness-scale

How scary! I'm so glad you are here. I had my PE a little over a year ago. Massive bilateral, no known cause (maybe birth control). I don't know what the future holds, so I can't tell you that the worst is over, but I can say that you are getting treatment, so bad things are very unlikely to happen right now. I'm guessing that your doctor will have you on anticoagulants for life. That can be both good and bad. Coping is hard. Research about clotting helps me a lot. Contributing to this board helps. You have every right to be scared. Fear is normal, especially at first. You have gone through something terrible. Trust me when I say that I really do understand. You may want to look into getting yourself a pulse ox for those times that you are afraid. you can check to see that your oxygen is ok. That you are really breathing. I know that has helped me. You may also want to look into genetic testing for your children. If they are factor V also, it would be good to know early. Your daughter is likely at least heterozygous (a carrier).

Did your doctors find any clots in your legs? Were you sick at all before this? You really will be ok. You have a loving family to support you through this. You will get better. Feel free to ask us any questions or make any comments you need to!

A pulse oximeter can be purchased online or at most pharmacies for $20 - $40. It will give you a ton of insight into what's going on, especially if you get a more advanced one that shows your plethysmograph like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NATPX6I/. This can alert you to basic arrhythmias like PVCs as well.

The heart's job is to keep organs oxygenated (perfused). The general consensus is that as long as it's accomplishing this, there's no such thing as too low of a heart rate.

I'm looking for a heart rate monitor that will display my heart rate while I'm running (without needing a bluetooth connection). I don't need any other bells and whistles -- if I could get a fingertip pulse oximeter to stay attached, that would be fine.

So far, most of what I've found requires bluetooth (e.g. Polar H10), has reviews saying it doesn't work with sweat (?!), or is more expensive because of the extra features (e.g. running watches).

Any recommendations?

> ..I think every little pain in my chest is a PE..

Get a [pulse oximeter] (http://www.amazon.com/Santamedical-Deluxe-Finger-Pulse-Oximeter/dp/B000ORVXPA/ref=sr_1_9?m=A8YXBQ7YB5YFQ&s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1420598121&sr=1-9&keywords=santamedical+pulse+oximeter) and ask your hematologist what readings you should look out for, for example I've been advised to go to the ER if my oxygen saturation falls to 93% and has been accompanied by other symptoms.

32/F Currently on Pradaxa. Last July I survived a massive bi-lateral PE which also resulted in a pulmonary infarction, this was followed by a second smaller PE a week later. Having a finger pulse-ox gave me much needed peace of mind during the healing process.

Feel free to PM any questions or if you just want to chat/vent :)

Eh, my work is pretty cheap and bought a ton of $20 ones to give to us… that way if we lose it we have to pay to replace in the future… they work pretty well, actually. They take a bit longer if the patient keeps flicking their finger or moving it up and down to try and look at it themselves.

http://www.amazon.com/50-DL-Pulse-Oximeter-Neck-Wrist/dp/B004BJT9OE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420650946&sr=8-1&keywords=pulse+ox

that what we use… comes with a nifty little pouch, two separate lanyards for the device and the pouch, a loop on the pouch to attach to your belt (my favorite) or wherever.. and the display has little bars to show the strength of the pulse by pulsing up and down. about the same quality as the $60 ones I see RNs use.

Thanks! Got the preliminary results of the sleep study, no AHI or anything on there. They did call and tell me that I'd get the final results this week or early next week once they finish scoring it. This would be ~3 weeks after the study, does it normally take that long? Anyhow, the preliminary report is short and sweet:

> Sleep: Adequate sleep was recorded. He slept in the supine and bilateral decubitus positions.

> Respiration: Some sustained flow limitation was observed, interrupted by occasional respiratory effort related events. Events were most notable during the combination of supine REM.

> Lowest O2 saturation: 81 %.

EDIT: As far as keeping the oximeter on, it just stays there??? I was a little surprised myself, but it hasn't come off in 3 nights of use for me. I must sleep in a common single position :)

Though I bought this without much research, but the CMS50F might be better for you - it looks similar to the oximeter they used in the sleep study, and what they had me do is tape down past the end of the part that goes on the finger - i.e. the small part where the cable comes out - with Coban (self-adhesive tape)

I was in a position to be looking for these a while back.

Avoid the watches that measure from your wrist - they are not reliable. Use one that relies on a chest strap. Here is one that I use and LOVE. The battery on the watch lasts for friggin' ever, and the strap is rather comfortable as far as these things typically go. You an also download the data to get an accurate idea of how your heartrate fluctuates.

Alternatively, just get one of these, if you aren't moving your finger too much or just want to check intermittently. It gives you info not only on heartrate, but on blood oxygen level, which may give you a better idea of when you are close to fainting.

(I admit that I just read the TL;DR)

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: pulse ox


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
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|Germany|www.amazon.de||
|India|www.amazon.in||




To help donate money to charity, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

Absolutely. I just went to the er again last week because it scared me so much. The nurse told me that pharmacies sell the finger things that show your oxygen levels and heart rate, and ever since I’ve gotten one of those I feel a lot more comfortable. I got mine at Kroger. here’s one on amazon with really good reviews.

FYI, Advair's patent has lapsed, so there's generics now! My mother in law uses Wixela Inhub (Mylan phama). Might be worth looking in to!

Maybe get one of those finger clippy pulse oximeters? If it's your asthma making you tired, likely that would be due to inadequate oxygenation. A little pulse ox like this one would show you your blood oxygenation percentage in real time. Anything below 95% would definitely cause fatigue, and anything below 90% is urgent care worthy, if not ER.

Until I started looking back through the IG, I'd forgotten that she hashtags asthma. I am extremely skeptical. I have never heard the wheeze or the asthma cough and am very personally familiar with both.

Also, seconding what's being said about inhalers doing a number on your HR.

EDIT: I just hit the pulse ox video in my archiving spree. I have the same one. It's medical-office-accurate when used correctly, but you can throw the thing off in all sorts of ways-- I mean, I've done it for fun! [I am stuck inside a lot; please don't judge!] I imagine anyone reading here can guess ways to do that, so I'm not going to provide instructions. But, yes, can confirm that you can make that particular pulse ox "perform."

Here's the pulse ox she's using.

Please invest in these
https://www.amazon.com/Santamedical-Generation-Fingertip-Saturation-Batteries/dp/B000ORVXPA

You can look for other kinds. It takes your heart rate and oxygen. I used to use it very often but slowly not need to have them around. They are very helpful

Well you know there is a way to check it... Take your pulse :). It's pretty easy to do also you could buy a sp02 monitor and use the pulse reading off of there to double check.

Get a pulse oximeter that beeps when it detects a heart rate. This is the one I use for work and it has that option. Right now it’s only available through third party sellers though and they charge way more than they should. Just look for one around $20 that has that option, most do.

Small portable size makes it easy to handle and carry. Helpful for athletes and pilots to obtain quick and precise oxygen saturation readings.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Santamedical-Generation-Fingertip-Saturation-batteries/dp/B000ORVXPA

I bought one of these, I'm high anxiety and will stop and check, okay... I'm breathing enough, okay my heart rate is a little higher. I'm not dying, and make myself calm down.

https://www.amazon.com/Zacurate-Fingertip-Oximeter-Saturation-Batteries/dp/B06Y2FFQB9/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=oxygen+monitor&qid=1557481440&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&s=gateway&sprefix=oxy&sr=8-4

Yeah, Amazon. This is a cheap one you can use with the sleepyhead application. May need to tape it to your finger to prevent it from falling off during sleep though. https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Finger-Pulse-Oximeter-Sofware/dp/B00B8L8ZXE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495823798&sr=8-1&keywords=pulse+ox+usb+record

This is a bit more expensive one that will definitely stay on your finger and more akin to the one's they use in medical settings. https://www.amazon.com/Wrist-worn-Pulse-Oximeter-Software-Download/dp/B00LN4LCMC/ref=pd_sim_121_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00LN4LCMC&pd_rd_r=Y69Y7NB1659GK7GKS1FG&pd_rd_w=a977l&pd_rd_wg=1XO02&psc=1&refRID=Y69Y7NB1659GK7GKS1FG

Grab an Oximeter just in case you have an anxiety attack while on Ket and feel like your heart is going to beat outta your chest.

If it does happen:

• Put Oximeter on finger.
  
• Lie down.
  
• Control your breathing; in through nose out through mouth.
  
• Heart rate between 60bpm and 100bpm is good/normal.
  
  Also, I get IM Ketamine for about $80 per visit. I'd look into the book Ketamine for Depression. It will give you some really great information not only about it's use for Depression but a malady of other issues.

A CNA probably doesn't need a stethoscope. Most places use electronic blood pressure cuffs to monitor that stuff and a CNA never listens to lungs or heart sounds anyway. She would definitely use a pulse oximeter every day though, and those things disappear like no body's business.

Some are way less than that. Our doctor friend bought us this one for our kids. It worked just fine on our newborn.

What I started with: Stethoscope, sphygmomanometer or a sphygmomanometer for the lazy, pulse oximeter, reflex hammer, tuning fork, a pen light, notebook, Maxwell, pocket medicine, clipboard, 48 pens (of which I somehow only have 2 left), and finally a pack of decoy pens to hand out to people that need to "borrow" a pen but never give back.


Seriously where do all of my pens go??? It turns out half them went into my gf's bag x(.

What I was given or picked up along the way: scalpel, needle drivers, tweezers, scissors, various types of vicryl, bandages, gauze, alcohol wipes, surgical lube (that I took from the hospital when no one was looking ;) ), and a pocket CPR mask. I took a bunch of normal saline and IV kits as well but they don't fit in the bag.

Oh! The occupational therapist took it yesterday with one of those things and at one point after working out it was about 89 then she told me "This shouldnt be 89 after just walking, BREATHE DEEPLY!" She actually said it loudly, to breathe, so I breathed and it went up higher..not sure what that was about. Most of the results came back about 125 to 150 or something?

Is this what it is? https://www.amazon.com/Acc-Rate-Fingertip-Saturation-batteries/dp/B00SCPB9KU/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1500514694&sr=8-1&keywords=finger+pulse+ox

Don't overlook something like the CMF 50F logging pulse oximeter CMS 50F. It will give you an idea of Saturated Oxygen levels overnight.

I haven't looked at those in a while, but check on the latest. It takes a while for FDA to approve those, so irony was latest version, when I last looked, was direct ship from China and not a USA retailer. It's been a few years, but for $90 it will help get data to show your doctor.

Do you think there is a correlation between vo2 max and sp02 levels? Because I took a vo2 treadmill test a year ago and my results were quite poor. Anyway, I noticed this oximeter is currently on sale at Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SCPB9KU Would this be useful?

Also, could you ever recommend a CPAP machine based solely on oximetry results? Or would you always want a sleep study first before recommending one? If my oximetry results were poor enough, I'd be attempted to go out and buy a used/rent a CPAP machine and try it out to see if my bruxism goes away. I'm a 29 male, not overweight, do not snore -- not sure I would fit the classical definition of sleep apnea -- but wonder if a CPAP could alleviate some of my symptoms nevertheless. I do feel like I'm a "shallow breather." My yoga instructor of the past commented on this.

Maybe not shoes let the person pick them out themselves. What about cute nurse socks or knee high compression socks. Also I use my own pulse ox and find it life saving (literally).

Zacurate Pro Series 500DL Fingertip Pulse Oximeter Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor with silicon cover, batteries and lanyard (Royal Purple) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016J60WB0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7zf3BbDMKJNN7

https://www.amazon.com/FaceLake-Oximeter-Saturation-Carrying-Batteries/dp/B01FRAFTZI/ref=sr_1_19_a_it

You can get a fingertip pulse oximeter for $13-25 on Amazon. I have this one. It won't track it for you, but you could keep a log if it's really that important to you. Just keep it on your nightstand and use it before getting up.

Yes this one.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BJT9OE/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_cx42tb1YECYH1CZT)

I bought this little guy on Amazon after I noticed my heart beating fast in the morning, especially when I got up to pee.

http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-SM-110-Display-Finger-Oximeter/dp/B003TJH3LI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1457755272&sr=8-5&keywords=heart+rate+monitor+finger

I have this one, and I like it very much.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BJT9OE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

we use this one. it works very well

IMHO researchers of RC's, especially stems would benefit from a finger HR, oxygen saturation, graphed HB and HB volume meter. http://www.amazon.com/Acc-Rate-Generation-Fingertip-batteries/dp/B00TCWF3VI/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1463683162&sr=1-2&keywords=heart+rate+monitor+fingertip
It might shock you to see the missed heartbeats and your HR dip to 30 bpm from 120bpm and bounce around varying 40bpm each time. A-PHP, Hex-en and others fuck with the heart varying with dosage and the individual. 20 bucks well spent.

Think I'm going to buy this one from Amazon. Maybe I can experiment a little bit.

I found the user manual, and it claims +/- 2% accuracy.
Here it is on amazon https://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-SM-110-Display-Finger-Oximeter/dp/B003TJH3LI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484498002&sr=8-1&keywords=Deluxe+SM-110+Two+Way+Display+Finger+Pulse+Oximeter+with+Carry+Case+and+Neck%2FWrist+Cord

https://www.amazon.com/Zacurate-Fingertip-Oximeter-Saturation-Batteries/dp/B06Y2FFQB9

the price has gone wayyy up. but it’s still on the cheap end of things.

I own a masimo HR and pulse oximeter and it just so happens that apple hired an expert at Masimo to work on the apple watch. I can say from experience that the pulse oximeter is proven technology and used in the medical field.

If you buy a fingertip pulse oximeter (I have this one), it'll tell you your heartrate so you can compare.

I purchased one off Amazon - the only problem I had was figuring out how to keep it on my finger all night. It records data and you can connect to computer via USB to download. I don't remember the model, but it was similar to this: http://smile.amazon.com/Acc-Rate-Fingertip-Saturation-batteries/dp/B00DDYMHV0/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1419009045&sr=1-4&keywords=pulse+oximeter

I have this one it’s always been accurate Zacurate Pro Series 500DL... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PQ8WTC4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

And you can get a little case that clips to your belt or whatever Hard Storage Case for Fingertip... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077B3XGBZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I'm fine with one I can just look at. I'm considering this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NATPX6I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

because it also measures perfusion index, and I think it would be helpful to see how severe the disparity is between sitting/laying for my poor purple feet, and whether it shows a measurable change when my hands go skinny/cold/white vs when they are red/itchy/hot/swollen.

You can get a home pulseox and wear it at night, and then upload your data into Sleepyhead. If you make sure the clock on the CPAP and the recording pulseox are in sync, then you can line the data up. This one is the one I got:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LN4LCMC

Get your T checked as sleep apnea can fuck up your hormones. Sometimes they recover with CPAP treatment and sometimes they don't and you need to start testosterone supplementation.

My grandmother was given one by my family while she was in the waiting room after a procedure. It very accurately predicted her heart attack as her BPM and O2 sat plummeted. She made it just fine, but I'm sure the early warning helped.

Just keep in mind that the first initial readings are usually a little off. If it makes you nervous, I would wait 5 or 10 seconds before actually looking at the unit or you might get startled by a high/low number.

Anxiety sucks big time- I'm sorry you're stuck with it. I can say that it definitely helps with my grandma's anxiety levels.

P.S. This is the one that I own and it works fine: http://www.amazon.com/50-DL-Pulse-Oximeter-Neck-Wrist/dp/B004BJT9OE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425918570&sr=8-1&keywords=pulse+oximeter

My MIL uses this one. It seems to have held up well over time and we've only had to replace it so far twice when she couldn't figure out where she put it. No problems with the actual machine.

That's what I was thinking. I mean, >300 for cardiac monitoring? I could probably buy my own EKG machine (ok, well, it's for kids) for that price.

Also, you could literally buy two pulse oximeters for that price and still have change for a cheeseburger. I know, I have one.

Shit man.

1. Having to stop while walking to class due to shortness of breath (SOB) is not normal for a young healthy person. I watched the movie and that is impressively abnormal. Have never seen/heard anything like it. You can be sure that somebody has, and will know what that is, but you may well have to go to a cardiologist at an academic medical center in order to find that person. If I were you, I would do that.
   
2. You can buy a good pulse oximeter from Amazon for less than $30. Like this one. It would be good to know if your oxygen saturation falls during your SOB episodes while walking. That would be important information. If your saturation goes below 90% while you are having SOB, then you have a significant medical problem with either your heart or lungs or both. If your saturation remains normal (close to 100%) while you are SOB, you could still have a medical problem, but it does rule out a bunch of things.
   
3. It's a fair bet that whatever is causing your SOB is the same thing that is causing your fatigue. It's not a certainty, but it is a fair bet. I don't see much utility in trying to find a cause of the fatigue until/unless you've cured the SOB problem and find you are still fatigued. Odds are that fixing the SOB problem will resolve the fatigue problem.
   
4. Should you be concerned? I'd say yes, you should be concerned enough to seek an appropriate evaluation from a heart specialist. SOB on exertion is not at all normal in your age group.
   
5. When a smart cardiologist finds out what this is, let us know.

Automatic cuffs are nearly always inaccurate for me, especially when my blood pressure is misbehaving. I switched to a manual cuff made to be used on yourself; the stethoscope is sewn into place on the cuff to aid in one handed use. I had no clue how to take blood pressure when I purchased it, and was a little intimidated at the thought of learning how. However, as it turns out, it is simple!

Omron Adult Home Blood Pressure Kit

I figured out my automatic cuff was giving me inaccurate readings when I took it with me to the doctor to check it against their manual cuff. Prior to that, I had no clue! The systolic measurement was off by 10 or more each of the 3 times we checked it. My cardiologist said automatic cuffs are inaccurate for a decent sized chunk of the normal population - by far not enough where they are useless, but enough where it is worthwhile to check if they provide you with the same reading as someone gets manually at a doctor's office.

I use a pulse ox for my pulse.
CMS 50-DL Pulse Oximeter