What is Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a cancer of the lungs characterized by the presence of malignant tumours. Most commonly it is bronchogenic carcinoma (about 90%). Lung cancer is one of the most leth...
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Surgery Recovery Time
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I had surgery on July 15, 2009. They started with video assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS) to do a wedge resection, but the mass/spot that was removed was determined to be bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) (a rare, noninvasive, slow growing type of lung cancer, associated with non-smokers) and ended with removing the upper lobe of my right lung. I was in ICU for 5 days (my heart didn't like the epidural pain meds) and regular hospital care for an additional 2 days. I was discharged on July 22, 2009. Most of the incisions have healed. One of the openings from the chest tubes is slow to heal and having to heal from the inside out. My questions is: What is the average recovery period and home? When can I expect to not need pain meds? When can I expect to not get short of breath from walking up a flight of stairs? When can I drive again? I need some sort of guideline to compare to my recovery progress. I have another chronic illness and I cannot figure out how much that illness is affecting my progress. Thanks, I'm new here.
Posted on 08/08/09, 05:08 pm |
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HI, you just caused me to join this site as you described my case: BAC, removal of left upper lobe on October 12, 2009, a 9 day hospital stay with 6 nights in ICU, discharged Oct. 21. Like you, I have questions about what I should expect during recovery. While my good doctors well prepared me for the surgery, they said nothing about what is/is not "normal" during my recuperation. Some days I feel I am gaining on it; others, I'm disappointed and frustrated.
~Here is where I am: extremely tired (active all my life -- a garden designer), sometimes nap afternoons, still coughing a lot, shortness of breath comes and goes, skin around my waist area is too sensitive to touch-- tightness everywhere, feels like I'm in a vise. Another concern: I now have what feels to be indigestion every time I eat anything or even drink water. My doctor said it can't be related to the surgery, but I've never had it before in my life. Anyone else have this?? I did start driving a little this week (Doc told me to do so "when you feel like it"), and I'm down to taking Tylenol for discomfort -- I can't take many drugs as I have A-Fib. Hopefully someone out there can weigh in on your concerns and mine to help us better understand our situations. 
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