Pneumothorax Support Group
A pneumothorax (or collapsed lung) is a medical emergency caused by the collapse of the lung within the chest cavity. It can result from: a penetrating chest wound, barotrauma to the lungs, spontaneously (most commonly in tall, slim young males who smoke), chronic lung pathologies including emphysema, asthma, acute infections, chronic infections (tuberculosis, cancer).
This is my first time on here, so I'm hoping that I'll get some responses.
I've been trying to find an online support group of people that can relate to what I've gone through.
Here's my story--
2 1/2 years ago I had a spontaneous pneumo on the right side. Went to the doctor and was told that since it was 20% I didn't need a chest tube so they sent me home and said it would resolve on its own. A few days later I sneezed and then felt it immediately collapse further (ended up being over 50% collapsed) so then they put a chest tube in and told me that most of the time people heal in a few days. 12 days later, I'm still in the hospital on the chest tube with no improvement. They decided to do VATS surgery, partial lobectomy (they removed the top portion of the lung where the hole was, as well as another bleb that hadn't popped yet), and did Mechanical Pleurodesis where they just scrub the chest wall to scar it (no talc). The surgery worked, I went home, and thank God haven't had another collapse since.
It was the only surgery I've ever had so I don't have anything to compare it to, but needless to say it was pretty terrible. I decided I didn't want any morphine or anything while I was in the hospital so I just took Tylenol when the pain got to the point of tears. Afterwards over the next year I still had pain and weird sensations on the right side. It does feel a lot better now, but I still get random stabs of pain around my surgery incision and the adhesions from the scars are pretty uncomfortable at times.
And the weirdest thing is whenever its really humid out or hot I get the strangest feeling in my lung. The best way I've found to describe it is that my lung just feels creepy.
All of the physical things I've dealt with are bad, but by far the worst is the anxiety attacks and post traumatic stress symptoms I have. I'm upset that I can't get on a plane, and just generally terrified of having another pneumo. And I get anxiety attacks really bad, and the smallest things will set it off. Like if my stomach growls unexpectedly (I guess maybe my body associates it with the bubbly feeling that I got when it collapsed). I've tried to talk to a therapist about it but I don't really feel like they understood well enough to give me good advice.
Has anyone else had problems with anxiety attacks or PTSD after their pneumo?
sorry for the super long post!! I appreciate any feedback!
Thanks!!
I've been trying to find an online support group of people that can relate to what I've gone through.
Here's my story--
2 1/2 years ago I had a spontaneous pneumo on the right side. Went to the doctor and was told that since it was 20% I didn't need a chest tube so they sent me home and said it would resolve on its own. A few days later I sneezed and then felt it immediately collapse further (ended up being over 50% collapsed) so then they put a chest tube in and told me that most of the time people heal in a few days. 12 days later, I'm still in the hospital on the chest tube with no improvement. They decided to do VATS surgery, partial lobectomy (they removed the top portion of the lung where the hole was, as well as another bleb that hadn't popped yet), and did Mechanical Pleurodesis where they just scrub the chest wall to scar it (no talc). The surgery worked, I went home, and thank God haven't had another collapse since.
It was the only surgery I've ever had so I don't have anything to compare it to, but needless to say it was pretty terrible. I decided I didn't want any morphine or anything while I was in the hospital so I just took Tylenol when the pain got to the point of tears. Afterwards over the next year I still had pain and weird sensations on the right side. It does feel a lot better now, but I still get random stabs of pain around my surgery incision and the adhesions from the scars are pretty uncomfortable at times.
And the weirdest thing is whenever its really humid out or hot I get the strangest feeling in my lung. The best way I've found to describe it is that my lung just feels creepy.
All of the physical things I've dealt with are bad, but by far the worst is the anxiety attacks and post traumatic stress symptoms I have. I'm upset that I can't get on a plane, and just generally terrified of having another pneumo. And I get anxiety attacks really bad, and the smallest things will set it off. Like if my stomach growls unexpectedly (I guess maybe my body associates it with the bubbly feeling that I got when it collapsed). I've tried to talk to a therapist about it but I don't really feel like they understood well enough to give me good advice.
Has anyone else had problems with anxiety attacks or PTSD after their pneumo?
sorry for the super long post!! I appreciate any feedback!
Thanks!!
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I know this is an old post, but I must answer and up...
I had 2 pneumothorax in my life, the last one in 2009. Surgery Thoracoscopy, but since I suffer like the author.
Stress and anxiety are very present but everytime there is a cold or hot weather, my lung are really weird, can't really explain but it's freaky and scary.
I saw a lot of doctor and did research (IRM) but nothing... doctor say it's in my head... what can I do against that ? Suffer alone and deal with it... But this is a pain, a true pain and everyday I have this bad feeling and panic attack.
So if anybody else have the same problem, please tell us if you found a solution ? If you know something to take, medication or plant ?
I still feel out if breath like a heaviness on my chest or like asthma in very hot humid weather and my heart rate will go up too fast in that humidity too. Also very sensitive to pollution and especially any tar smells if a roof or road nearby is being tarred.
I was never a smoker and otherwise healthy
I read there can be a connection wirh a Sclerotic disease that can be genetic , and yes the blebs i was born with. I read this disease can also manifest with kidney abnormalities. I have doyble ureters to each kidney( no issues) and no frontal sinus.
I have had only one bladder infection in my life but i got a high fever and my liver enzymes went sky high. Ghey thought i might have hepatitis (negative) and i am not a drinker.