Kayaking and camping with oxygen

Well, first of all, I love the water and was raised on it.
Last summer, my son Tim came over and told me he wanted to take me for a ride and had a surprise for me, I had no idea what he was thinking.
I live just above the Susquehanna river and he drove right down to the river, parked under a tree, and then began unloading two Kayaks.
I was very worried about attempting this, I am on oxygen, and have about 22% FEV1 so you can imagine my concerns. (the kayak flipping, drowning,getting that awful panic with low oxygen etc.)
But I knew my son really wanted me to try it, so he helped me to the Kayak, and in I went. I put my oxygen on the right side of me, and Tim pushed me out.
I was raised on the water and boating of all types was nothing new to me, so I began paddling along, and it was fantastic, and so freeing.
Tim and I spent a few hours out, the water was calm, and I was amazed that just using my upper body to paddle didnt seem to make me awfuly breathless.
The hard part was getting from a very low Kayak to a standing position, and then having to walk to Tims truck, now that was hard and made me so breathless I felt sheer panic.
After that first time, my daughter Kim bought she and I each a Kayak and we have spent so much time out on the river.
Its been a great adventure, and we have had some scary times, there are huge rocks just under the water, and you cant always see them, if you hit one, it can pitch you into the water, we have lucky so far with that!
Sometimes we go out in the channel where there is a huge currents and if you get caught in one it moves the Kayak around like a needle on a Ouija board, spinning and spinning, it can be fun but also dangerous!
The last time we went out the current was so strong, that it was hard to get anywhere, cos if you stopped paddling, the current pushed you very quickly back several yards.  Most people out on the water that day turned back.
Kim and I kept at it and made it all the way to to our special place, once there we had to position our Kayaks behind large rocks in the water to keep our selves from being pushed back.
It was a challenging time on the water but we did very well and felt satisfied afterwards with a feeling of accomplishment.
I still have that awful panic and oxygen drop when I get out of that low Kayak to a standing position and it takes a good while for to recover even with oxygen turned up to 8L, but you know what, that time on the river is such a special time, its worth that awful panic afterwards, and both kids park their trucks as close to the waters edge as they can so I dont have to walk very far to get in.
Paddling, even paddling into the swift currents is so much easier most things I do these days.
I have seen so much beautiful wild life on the river and enjoyed the sunshine, and sun rise and sun sets on the water, and the special time with my kids who are such a great joy to me.
I am feeling so very blessed, and I know I am lucky... I wish everyone could have this experience.
We tried camping this summer at Assateague Island with the wild horses, it was fun but the smoky fires at night were a challenge even with a mask and my oxygen.
The wonderful park rangers do offer beach ready wheel chairs for free for handicapped campers, we found they are good in the sand, but very hard to turn.
They offer them for free in Ocean City too so people like us can still get to the ocean if we want to and someone is willing to push. 
I am finding that being pushed makes doing some things so much more pleasureful than to be so winded trying to enjoy a vacation.
Next time we go, I think we will stay in a hotel in Ocean City like we usually do, and take the Kayaks over to Assateague island, the water is calm there near the marsh lands, and the boat launch is an easy one.  Wild life everywhere, I think my camping days are over:)
Love Holly