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Is pinching pain after a light walk normal 2.5 months after VATS for pneumothorax?

Posted , 3 users are following.

Jimbro29842
Jimbro29842

I went for a light walk outside 2.5 months after VATS for pneomothorax for the first time. The next day I felt an intermitant pinching pain under my arm / side of chest. Breathing was pretty much normal. Intermitant pinch pain seem to return to normal after two days but not completely gone yet. Is this normal?

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • john2496
    john2496 Jimbro29842

    Posted

    In my case, I've done the surgery almost 10 months ago and there is still recurrent pain in both sides of my chest, left and right (surgery was on the left side). The pain comes and goes.
    • Jimbro29842
      Jimbro29842 john2496

      Posted

      Thanks for respoding John. How much time did you stay at home recovering? It's been a few months and I still don't go out that much because I think a small pain can increase to something big.
    • john2496
      john2496 Jimbro29842

      Posted

      I've spent almost a month at home doing nothing, then I started going out a bit. I still feel pain to this day even after 10months. University started so I had to go, you know. But in this period, I rarely went out. It was just home-university routine. I'm trying to live my life normally, ignoring the pain and working on myself. I'm currently doing physical therapy as my physical capabilities aren't that good right now. That'a about it.
    • Jimbro29842
      Jimbro29842 john2496

      Posted

      Cheers John. Would you stay home longer if you could? Do you think 4-6 months with very minium work is too much if your financial needs are met?
    • john2496
      john2496 Jimbro29842

      Posted

      No, it's not too much. It's a very delicate operation, give yourself time to heal.
    • Jimbro29842
      Jimbro29842 john2496

      Posted

      Cheers. I'm not sure what happend, but yesterday I started dancing around a bit jokingly for a few minutes and the next day I woke up in pain and a little shortness in breath. I hope that wasn't the cause but it's so hard to say. 
    • john2496
      john2496 Jimbro29842

      Posted

      well it should be. Sometimes insignificant stuff like dancing or pulling an arm to reach something high, even playing a simple game or pool will cause you horrible pain (personal experience)
    • Jimbro29842
      Jimbro29842 john2496

      Posted

      Thanks for responding John. Do you feel that after you do something like pull an arm to reach something or play a simple game, after you get horrible pain, the duration of the pain (i.e. 3-4 days), gets shorter and shorter as the weeks go by?
  • danny92709
    danny92709 Jimbro29842

    Posted

    I have had reoccuring pain now 15 months post vats pleurodesis. Particularly after walks, I take my daughter for a walk daily sometimes twice. Depending upon weather it can bother me alot more. I had a lot of nerve damage as well because of an initial chest tube that wrapped around my diaphragm instead of going up my side to the apex of my lung so I have shots or pain that are like lightning through my damaged nerve areas. Cold calms it immediately if you haven't tried icing it yet.
    • Jimbro29842
      Jimbro29842 danny92709

      Posted

      Cheers Danny. How much time did you stay at home recovering? I still don't go out that much because I think a small pain can increase to something big. I think I should be stronger in a few more months at the rate I am recovering.
    • danny92709
      danny92709 Jimbro29842

      Posted

      I only stayed home for 6 weeks. Should have been longer in retrospect but I think it largely depends on your own situation. My brother had two collapses, two chest tubes and has been back at work for a while now with minimal pain. I've definitely come a long way from my recovery time.
    • Jimbro29842
      Jimbro29842 danny92709

      Posted

      Thanks Danny. Do you think 4-6 months with minium work is too long recovery time if your financial needs are met?
    • danny92709
      danny92709 Jimbro29842

      Posted

      No, if you can do it then go for it. I had to go back after 6 weeks and had an adjusted work load for 6 months after, no lifting over 5 lbs etc. My doctor wanted me to stay home longer, min of 3 months but I couldn't do that financially.
    • Jimbro29842
      Jimbro29842 danny92709

      Posted

      Thanks for adivising. Sorry to hear hear that Danny. Do you think after 5-6 months one would have enough strength to walk for 30 min daily? Should I be practising / working up to that time or should I wait until I have a lot more strength? Few things I have noticed.

      1. If I get a pain due to moving around too much, the pain will last for a few days to a week.

      2. The duration of the pain from moving around too much or doing somehting to cause pain, over the last two months, has gotten shorter. 

      Q: Can I expect this pain to get shorter and shorter over the next few months and bring me back to good health so I can walk 1 hour per day and lift light and moderate weights?

  • jiffybaglungs
    jiffybaglungs Jimbro29842

    Posted

    Yeah it's normal I'm afraid.

    I'm now the world record holder on vats pleuradisis lol.

    I'm sorry but you will always feel some kind of discomfort. Don't worry you'll get that used to it it becomes second nature. Wait till I go for your first deep water swim lol you'll think you heart n lungs are going to pop out your chest lol.

    It's like mountain climbing your body needs to acclimatise itself and that's not fast.

    Take it from an expert it gets easier.

    • Jimbro29842
      Jimbro29842 jiffybaglungs

      Posted

      Thanks! I will always feel some kind of discomfort? Is that for generally everyone? That is terrible. I am very worried that it will happen to me again. I lost confidence in myself and I am trying to rebuild. I have planned to take time off to heal up to 6 months. I don't go outside much unless to doctor or run an arrend. In that case I have a family member drive me. I feel terrible living this way but I want to be as sure I can that I did everything to heal myself. How many months after the surgery does the pain get better? When do you think I will be able to lift light or moderate weights and not get tired from 30 min to 60 min walking? I like going for morning walks and I have gained some weight.
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