My experience with a pneumothorax

[Adam007]

 

 

 

On a bit of an unrelated note, how was the hospital food when you stayed there? Recently I worked in a week in hospital catering and, believe you me, after seeing the way these people prepare the 'food', if you could call it that, I'd rather have a pneumothorax than eat it!

 

 

 

At my hospital it really wasn't that bad. There weren't that many choices, but of the food I did have it was all pretty good. I had a lot of fruit, spaghetti one night, a hamburger one night, and for breakfast I had eggs, cereal, and other breakfasty food I can't really remember off the top of my head. None of it really was bad. The eggs were kind of mushy like you'd get at a breakfast buffet, but other than that I thought it was pretty good. That or I just don't have high standards for food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This explained your absence! I have heard of this "disease" before, as it had happened to my friend, also tall and skinny, as well as my doctors warning me about it, I'm ALSO tall and skinny :P. Point is, I'm glad you're o.k., and most importantly, the doctors caught it early. As with every other disease in the world, if it is caught early enough, it can be treated. Good luck getting over your paranoia, I know those can be especially difficult to overcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stop by the TET room sometime :P

 

 

 

Thanks. The doctors didn't really catch it early - actually I kind of came in relatively late. It's not really a disease you can prevent or detect though. It just happens, like a heart attack. And heart attacks aren't diseases. The doctor did say it would have gotten progressively worse and I would have been gasping for air before anything seriously bad happened with my heart. It's not really preventable either, which is the one thing I'm really hating. There is a surgery where they put an irritant on the lung so it adheres to the wall somewhere inside you, but they only do that procedure after a second collapse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your parents waited two hours?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you have chest pains and a tingling arm, its always best to get to the ER first and ask questions later. My first reaction would have been "Heart Attack!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Never hesitate to go to the hospital for serious pains.

 

 

 

The tingling only happened for a few minutes, and at that point I wasn't feeling much pain - but yeah, in hindsight we should have gone sooner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, that's crazy. Hope you get well soon Adam!

 

 

 

I'm pretty much recovered by now. I just hadn't had time to really type this out, but I've been fine for a week or so. I did get a small infection on the surface where the incision was made so every day I have to put some antibiotic cream on it, but I'm feeling fine. I do get weird feelings that make me think I might be having another one, but they go away pretty quickly and I just reassure myself I'm being paranoid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it more painful when you try to move your torso as well? And it hurts up the left side of your chest right? If so it sounds similar to a pain I occasionally get as well although I've never had the tingling in the arm.

 

 

 

Are you talking about during or after (now)? Right now I'm pretty much fine, but then I did have some pain standing fully erect and walking. The arm tingling lasted only a few minutes. Usually pneumothoraxes aren't tension related, so if you'd have one it probably wouldn't be related to your heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aren't spontaneous pneumothorax(es?) quite rare? I know that they're fairly common after chest surgeries, but a spontaneous one? That seems a little odd...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pneumothoraxes themselves are pretty rare. I think a high percentage are spontaneous though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just had one a month or so ago :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I procrastinated thinking it was just muscle pains for about a month...by the time I got to the hospital they said that 60% of my right lung had collapsed, and yea, mine was spontanious...freaky :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So far so good, nothing else has happaned..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

best of luck to ya!

 

 

 

That's pretty crazy. 35% of my lung collapsed within a few hours and it took yours a whole month to collapse to 60? How was your whole experience, and how did you finally decide to go to the hospital? Just because the pain wouldn't go away?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hmmmmmm...... do i know any tall skinny guys.........:walks into bathroom: "aaaaahhhhhhh!" "scream" "gasp" "rofl" "im tall skinny and a male!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", NOT GOOD! :paranoia sets in: "mommy!!!!!!!!"

 

 

 

Heh, there's nothing to worry about. Those are just the type of people who most often get them. That doesn't mean you're at risk for it or anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had this happen to someone I faintly knew in school. And I know what he went through so I can 'somewhat' touch with what you've gone through. I'm glad to see you're doing good, you're pretty lucky you live in Ann Arbor, it's one of the best hospital cities in the nation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What would scare me is the constant unknowing of if it will happen again. Did they suggest you gain some weight?

 

 

 

I won't live in Ann Arbor until next year when I'm at U-M. :P

 

 

 

I live in Oakland County and went to the West Bloomfield Henry Ford first, then was moved to the Detroit Henry Ford, both which were great hospitals. Ann Arbor's obviously great medically too - if I get one in college I'll be close enough to a hospital. :)

 

 

 

It is pretty freaky right now not knowing when/if it'll happen again, and I tend to blow up sensations I feel to bigger things just because I notice everything that goes on. They didn't really suggest I try gaining weight, but I've always been trying my whole life. My parents have been putting in a lot of effort lately to get me high fat foods though, but preventively I doubt it'd make a difference. Oddly enough since I've been out of the hospital, my heart rate's been constantly above 100 though. I'm assuming it's because I'm getting out of shape since I can't do physical activity. It just freaks me out because I'll be at rest and my heart will race, which is really weird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wikipedia says that spontaneous pneumothoraxes are caused by burst blebs. A bled is an imperfection in the lining in the lung.

 

 

 

They did a CT scan and couldn't find any blebs, which was kind of good and kind of bad. Bad because they don't know what caused it and if they had found a cause could eliminate it from happening again, but good because I didn't have to go through a big surgery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yea I'm definitely going to be way paranoid since I'm tall and skinny. Sounds like an interesting experience though xD. Glad you're (kind of?) better now =P.

 

 

 

Yeah, one good thing that came out of the whole experience was that I gained a ton of medical knowledge. I want to go into some field of medicine so in a weird way I enjoyed seeing what the doctors/nurses did. Don't be paranoid though. As I said before, it's extremely rare. Just because it happens mostly to skinny tall people doesn't mean it happens often.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to everyone else's well wishes that I didn't reply to. I didn't expect to get so much support/feedback. :)

[crimsonking]

The exact same thing happened to me last April!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One day there was this school assembly at the end of school, and me and my friends decided to skip it and went to a wooded area behind a nearby college to hang out cause its fun to walk around the path and we caught turtles and stuff around there all the time(Our best catch was a softshell turtle that was around 2 feet in diameter). I had this slight pain around the left side of my chest the whole time, but I had ignored it thinking it would go away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back to my friends car the pain got so horrible that I just sat down in the middle of the sidewalk and would not move, two of my friends went to go get help from the college cop and one stayed behind. When the cop got there around 15 mins later he asked me how it felt and there was pain throughout the left side of my chest and going down my arm, he asked if I felt an ambulence needed to be called and I said no and that I should be fine, but then he said that it was a sign of a heart attack, so then I said fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ambulence got there and on the way there they checked my heart rate and stuff and said I seemed to be alright, so I was thinking that this whole thing was going to be a waste of time and the doctor would let me go home soon after I got there saying that nothing was wrong with me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But they got me there put me in a hospital gown, and had me lie down on one of those hospital beds to wait for the doctor to get there, while I was laying there I started hearing and feeling bubbles popping up in my lower chest area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The doctor got there about an hour later. checked me over, and said it was a spontaneous pneumothorax.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They kept me over night, Stuck a rather uncomfortable IV in my arm and stuck this oxygen thing up my nose(I hated that part the most). Next morning they told me it was healing up just fine on its own so they sent me home after lunch and told me not to do any exercise within the next month or so, which really sucked, cause at the time I was hooked on DDR lol.

[Bubsa]

 

 

 

 

On a bit of an unrelated note, how was the hospital food when you stayed there? Recently I worked in a week in hospital catering and, believe you me, after seeing the way these people prepare the 'food', if you could call it that, I'd rather have a pneumothorax than eat it!

 

 

 

At my hospital it really wasn't that bad. There weren't that many choices, but of the food I did have it was all pretty good. I had a lot of fruit, spaghetti one night, a hamburger one night, and for breakfast I had eggs, cereal, and other breakfasty food I can't really remember off the top of my head. None of it really was bad. The eggs were kind of mushy like you'd get at a breakfast buffet, but other than that I thought it was pretty good. That or I just don't have high standards for food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucky smeg :P

[Keep_It_Real]

I would have fainted.

[Nathaninch]

Glad to hear everything went ewll Adam. :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus, you have an awesome story to tell people! woot!

[anonimu]

I'm scared... I'm really scared... I'm tall and skinny too, (not too tall, but pretty skinny), and sometimes I feel a pain around the edges of the chest... I really don't remember where, but I remember feeling it a few times after eating fries... :ohnoes: I'm really scared...

[None2None]

Rofl yea, the pain just wouldn't go away, so I decided to go to the hospital...aparently I have 'very long lungs' so I never really had shortness of breath, but the pain was terrible...I was in the hospital for a weel with a chest tube...at first they thought they would have to do open chest surgury, but I got lucky :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God luck getting better with yours, hope ya dont havea another, they suck :P

[Adam007]

I'm scared... I'm really scared... I'm tall and skinny too, (not too tall, but pretty skinny), and sometimes I feel a pain around the edges of the chest... I really don't remember where, but I remember feeling it a few times after eating fries... :ohnoes: I'm really scared...

 

 

 

I read somewhere it only happens to 9 out of 100,000 people per year. Everyone has chest pains every so often. That's why I was reluctant to go at first. Don't think anything of it unless it lasts for over an hour or you're in so much pain its hard to walk normally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rofl yea, the pain just wouldn't go away, so I decided to go to the hospital...aparently I have 'very long lungs' so I never really had shortness of breath, but the pain was terrible...I was in the hospital for a weel with a chest tube...at first they thought they would have to do open chest surgury, but I got lucky :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God luck getting better with yours, hope ya dont havea another, they suck :P

 

 

 

Yeah, I didn't have any problem breathing either. I was surprised when I was told the pain was because of my lung. The whole time I was there my oxygen absorption was at 99-100%, which is pretty crazy considering one lung had collapsed.

[zaquierming]

Sounds really scary, glad to hear you're o.k. I've never even heard of this before.

[michiel2]

Interesting read. That must have been a really scary experience, glad to hear you're ok and lets hope you will not suffer another one. :)

[1_man_army]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it more painful when you try to move your torso as well? And it hurts up the left side of your chest right? If so it sounds similar to a pain I occasionally get as well although I've never had the tingling in the arm.

 

 

 

Are you talking about during or after (now)? Right now I'm pretty much fine, but then I did have some pain standing fully erect and walking. The arm tingling lasted only a few minutes. Usually pneumothoraxes aren't tension related, so if you'd have one it probably wouldn't be related to your heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah it hurts when I move during the chest pains. I dont think I have pneumothorax or even anything that serious, but it had me wondering a bit. I get those pains I was talking about from time to time though and they pass after a few minutes so I doubt they're serious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, its nice to see that you're alright though.

[dusqi]

:S Glad that you're OK, I hope it continues to get better for you. Thanks for enlightening me about the condition.

[WolfhunterXZ]

Whoa, scary stuff man. Glad you're still alive though! Sucks that you missed your extended MLK weekend (break)! Anyhow, hope it doesn't happen again, and bleh I hate having anything stuck into me via needle, or having any bodily parts opened. -shudders- Hopefully you get over the paranoia, that's the problem with surgeries like that, people have them, then they become overly paranoid about it happening again and eventually become people who live in their houses forever! Hopefully, that doesn't happen to you! And urg hopefully I never need surgery... But good thing you're still around with us, yep. :

[Errdoth]

That was pretty creepy, you should be some sort of writer. When I saw punamothorax (see, I can't even spell it now after just reading it), I though it was like anthrax or something. Glad to hear you're okay.

[jjrox32]

I like House and ER, so I enjoyed this story. Glad to know that you, you know.... didn't die. :oops:

[Guest]

Good story there Adam. I'm tall and skinny as well, though I'm sure I won't be having one of them anytime soon...well I hope!

[WutangFlu]

happened to a friend i know from florida, except both of his lungs collapses 100% he had to have surgery to fix it, and the doctors said it could happen again, and if it did they would have to remove some stuff from his ribs, or something.. it was either remove the bottom rib, or something inside the ribcage.

[Adam007]

happened to a friend i know from florida, except both of his lungs collapses 100% he had to have surgery to fix it, and the doctors said it could happen again, and if it did they would have to remove some stuff from his ribs, or something.. it was either remove the bottom rib, or something inside the ribcage.

 

 

 

Are you sure he said both lungs collapsed 100% at once? How could he breathe if both lungs were completely collapsed?

[Duke_Freedom]

Hey Adam, don't scare me like this and make sure it doesn't come back. :P

[crimsonking]

Hey Adam, don't scare me like this and make sure it doesn't come back. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like they said after it happened to me, its doubtful(Though possible) that it will happen twice in one lifetime.

[WutangFlu]

 

happened to a friend i know from florida, except both of his lungs collapses 100% he had to have surgery to fix it, and the doctors said it could happen again, and if it did they would have to remove some stuff from his ribs, or something.. it was either remove the bottom rib, or something inside the ribcage.

 

 

 

Are you sure he said both lungs collapsed 100% at once? How could he breathe if both lungs were completely collapsed?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

he did almost die, he sent me pics of the scars on his sides. although i dont have them anymore...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as for "how could he breathe", he couldnt... it happened to him after he got off of an airplane and he was rushed to a hospital that was luckily close by and they resuscitated him ect. ect...

[Adam007]

 

Hey Adam, don't scare me like this and make sure it doesn't come back. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like they said after it happened to me, its doubtful(Though possible) that it will happen twice in one lifetime.

 

 

 

I've heard it's actually pretty likely. I've read statistically there's a 50% chance of it reoccurring, and my doctor said about 40%. I wasn't too happy that a lady who was X-raying me (for like a 15th time over the week) asked me if I'd had one before, I said no, and she confidently said I'd be back. :s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@LP - Yeah, that does sound absolutely terrifying. Now I'm somewhat nervous about flying. They did tell me there's a risk with flying (which I do yearly), as well as that I could never for the rest of my life scuba dive. :(

[jjrox32]

 

 

Hey Adam, don't scare me like this and make sure it doesn't come back. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like they said after it happened to me, its doubtful(Though possible) that it will happen twice in one lifetime.

 

 

 

I've heard it's actually pretty likely. I've read statistically there's a 50% chance of it reoccurring, and my doctor said about 40%. I wasn't too happy that a lady who was X-raying me (for like a 15th time over the week) asked me if I'd had one before, I said no, and she confidently said I'd be back. :s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@LP - Yeah, that does sound absolutely terrifying. Now I'm somewhat nervous about flying. They did tell me there's a risk with flying (which I do yearly), as well as that I could never for the rest of my life scuba dive. :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geez, nurses these days. That's worse bedside manner than Dr.House!

[crimsonking]

 

 

 

Hey Adam, don't scare me like this and make sure it doesn't come back. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like they said after it happened to me, its doubtful(Though possible) that it will happen twice in one lifetime.

 

 

 

I've heard it's actually pretty likely. I've read statistically there's a 50% chance of it reoccurring, and my doctor said about 40%. I wasn't too happy that a lady who was X-raying me (for like a 15th time over the week) asked me if I'd had one before, I said no, and she confidently said I'd be back. :s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@LP - Yeah, that does sound absolutely terrifying. Now I'm somewhat nervous about flying. They did tell me there's a risk with flying (which I do yearly), as well as that I could never for the rest of my life scuba dive. :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geez, nurses these days. That's worse bedside manner than Dr.House!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My girlfriends a nurse... -.- (Well technically a certified nurses assistant but shes well on her way to nurse)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I was told its doubtful it will happen again for me, but even if it does, it happens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As an asthematic I've had experiences similar several times over my life, though now I've pretty much all but conquered my asthema, I find the experiences nothing to worry about as long as you get to them fast enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since you have already experienced it, you would know what it feels like next time and more than likely get it treated fast enough for it not to become a real problem.

[runescape_rocks]

My friend's lung collapsed a week ago, it sucks. Well, at least you lived and there is no permanent damage haha.