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Collapsed Lungs x4, two Lung operations, one sealed, one stapled - 20 years on

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daragh2350
daragh2350

I had all my lung drama in the 1980s, two collapses on each side, then followed by each a major lung op, one side using a blebectomy (I think it was called) which was a partial lobectomy that was then stapled back together. The other was a filler where they used some seal to fill the space between the lung and the pleura. So many years later, I survived without needing other operations but heres what happened to my lungs...!

Not sure exactly, but my chest cage, lung cage, shrank relatively suddenly - the doctor noticed the xrays looked as if they belonged to different people. Then I experienced permanent shortness of breath, I have now lived with this for six years. It was accompanied by permanent elevated adrenaline and heart pounding, none of which has been diagnosed by the doctor who always say 'everything is within normal range'. I exercise as much as I can to keep my breathing in as good a shape as possible but I feel like if they opened me up they would find an awful mess in their. I cycle a lot and swim as much as possible - I was always super active - but my breathing capacity in exercise is so much less than it was. I am 50 now and know that damage is also due to binge smoking throughout my life but I havent smoked for a long time. I'd love to know if other people have had this or varied reactions from their lung op history and what they did about it, especially what their solutions have been. MY SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN variously holding my breath under water for as long as possible to try and expand my lung capacity - not for the pre-op pneumo people!, Yoga, Stretching, breathing in a spine stretching folded position, meditation, cycle till you are out of breath, Buteko methods of CP and green juicing for best method of getting positive amount of super nutrients to the brain and blood stream oxygene. This might have helped someone, it helped me but it took me years to discover all the different methods I now incorporate. My condition puts me in a state of constant panic that I need to daily manage. Daragh

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • beth02617
    beth02617 daragh2350

    Posted

    Have they checked your heart? My daughter had a pneumothorax. In the process of trying to figure out why, they did an echocardiogram of her heart and found out she has mitral valve prolapse. Her dad had MVP as well. When it started to get bad, he had pounding heart and couldn't finish a sentence without taking a breath. I'm not trying to diagnose, I'm just saying there are other things besides lungs that can cause those symptoms. If they haven't looked at your heart, might be worth checking.
    • daragh2350
      daragh2350 beth02617

      Posted

      Hi Beth,

      Thanks for tking the time to reply! Yes, over the years, at least in the last five years I have had tons of tests done and as they all came back within normal range I stopped having them as the dox always said it was some kind of panic disorder that I assume, if they are right, is coming from shortness of breath. But I dont know. I do know that my lungs have always been  the dodgy part of my body but I exercise as rigously as possible and I am intensely grateful that I still can. How is your daughter now? Did she recover okay? Daragh

    • beth02617
      beth02617 daragh2350

      Posted

      She had a 10% pneumothorax last November. They only treated her with oxygen.Had pain in that lung everyday from 30 sec to 2 hours  long randomly following the collapse. Then in February she started having same pain in both lungs. It got really bad for a while. She felt like she couldn't do any strenuous exercise. Very fatigued. X-rays showed no collapse. Has had every test run. No explanation for it. They just say hopefully it will go away someday and hopefully no more collapses.
    • daragh2350
      daragh2350 beth02617

      Posted

      Hey, I dont know what to say to you except tell her not to worry and live a normal life and you what, if it happens, it happens. Then she can get it fixed. For me, back then, I was a party animal and I worked very hard and I think I forced all this stuff to happen but you dont need to, right? She can take it easy and everything will be fine! Cheers, Daragh
    • beth02617
      beth02617 daragh2350

      Posted

      Thanks. Since we know she doesn't have any of the really bad things that cause pneumothorax, she has relaxed a little. She still has the pain but doesn't talk about it much unless it gets really bad. Trying to keep a positive attitude and not let it stop her from being a kid. She's become super critical of those who do stupid teenage stuff that can damage their bodies though. Makes my job as a parent easier smile
  • gina33008
    gina33008 daragh2350

    Posted

    I had a collapsed lung 6 years ago my breathing was bad so i went to the hospital and they confirmed a collapsed lung after poking me in my chest with very big needles they said they had to operate the next day so they put tubes in me and a drip then in the morning they put me to sleep and put 2 more tubes in me then they attached my lung to my chest wall they said it won't collapse again but since I had the op I get shortness of breath a lot if I excercise for a couple of minutes I feel like I've ran the marathon I'm that out of breath and my chest hurts really bad I've been for X-rays my lungs are ok. The doctors said it might be asthma so I'm on inhalers which didn't improve much so now there saying it's anxiety attacks which in some people can be severe and they don't know the reason behind them im stressed but only because my breathing ain't right no more and all tests have come back normal except one my prolactin levels are high so they gave me a head scan and they they I have no tumours of my piritual gland so my breathing is never Gona be the same and I won't get the answers I need I'm Gona have to see what other tests there is to have its a nightmare trying to do things and then getting breathless its scary hope you feel better soon Hun 
    • daragh2350
      daragh2350 gina33008

      Posted

      Hi, Good to hear from you and come here to me, that sounds very familiar. How old are you and have you ever or do you smoke? I'm only asking because smoking has a very big impact on anxiety and of course on breathing but especially if you have had that op that I had - I'm not sure they still do that operation anymore and it may be that that op produces these side effects. Actually, with me, what I figure is hapening is that the lung causes adrenaline to be produced because the area of the chest is not functioning as it should  and breathing difficulties make you panic. But here, there are some things you can do to feel better. I recommend swimming because it helps to bring oxygen more fuly throuhgout the body - I feel soo much better after swimming, you cannot believe it. Also, if you have access to a sauna, getting really hot does something to the cells in my chest and sweating takes a lot of the nervousness away too. I also recommend something called Buteko breathing.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buteyko_method check this out. Basically it is a system of breathing exercises that help you hold your breath for short periods. This, apparently, helps transport oxygen more effectively through the blood stream by attaching it to Carbon Dioxide - I dont know the science, I just know this. It really works. I practice it in the swimming pool and hold my breath underwater and wow! I feel great after it. also, just o make you feel better and reduce your anxiety, drink green vegetable juice as much as possible and that will make you feel happy! Cheers, Daragh
    • gina33008
      gina33008 daragh2350

      Posted

      Hi nice to hear from you, I'm 36 I used to smoke when I was younger from the age of 17 to 25 and used to go to the gym 6 times a week when I gave up smoking I felt really ill all the time then my lung collapsed 4 years later, I've not tried swimming but thank you for the tip I will give that a go see if it helps me smile I've tried breathing excercises as I'm on a patient programme at the moment with a group of people with different illnesses and I find sitting still and doing the breathing relaxes me. Your right about the panic as I only start to panic when my breathing starts to play up and my chest goes tight and sometimes feels like my chest is burning inside and I sometimes get stabbing pains but I think that's the scar tissue, I've tried saunas before but find I always get miagraines when I've come out the sauna i feel more relaxed knowing its not just me that's having these breathing problems as the doctors look at me like im crazy when i tell them i cant breath properly haha and thank you for the tips hopefully I will feel a bit better after a swim and I will also try those breathing excercises you said in the water i think your op was like mine how long did you stay in hospital after your op as I was in for a week
  • gina33008
    gina33008 daragh2350

    Posted

    You had 2 collapses so you must feel really poorly at times as it was both lungs mine was just the one side but I still feel like crap rolleyes hopefully when I start swimming and relax a bit more I will feel a bit better hope your breathing improves soon Hun 
    • daragh2350
      daragh2350 gina33008

      Posted

      Hi there, Actually, my lungs collapsed four times but since I had both of them fixed, my breathing was really fine for a long time then suddenly it changed. I have no shortness of breath exactly, just limited capacity I suppose but I can still exercise with the best of them. I stayed in hospital for ten days both times to recover but it was 20 years ago and so the technology and understanding of the condition would have been limited. Also, it really affected my ability to function. I felt very weak and scared for a good month. The operatio was very heavy and before I asked the surgeon what it would be like afterwards and he said, typical Irishman, "Well, to be honest, you will feel like you run over by a truck but dont worry."
    • gina33008
      gina33008 daragh2350

      Posted

      Will feel like you been hit by a truck that would of scared me when i woke up from the op i was very weak and in loads of pain and i felt like somebody was sitting on my chest but they gave me morphine which knocked me out smile I'm going to join the gym again and start off with some light cardio I've been missing the gym let's hope we both don't get any more collapses don't think I could handle another collapse lung with all them tubes it kills when they pull them out when your awake 
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