So I have pneumothorax.

[Cortexian]

Went to the hospital last night because my chest feels really tight and it's kinda painful to breath, they did some x rays and a cardiogram and found that I have pneumothorax (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumothorax). Apparently I somehow ripped my lung which caused a hole, which cased air to leak into my chest cavity, causing pressure no my lung.

Their solution? Go home and come back tomorrow to have another x ray, if it gets worse come back sooner. However, apparently I just have to weather it out...

[Sel]

If someone told me to stop posting I would burst a lung too, so it's ok freelanncerr :downs:

[AAA]

I'm sorry man, that sucks. What do you think caused it?

[Siliconmaster]

Dude! I had the same thing happen to me last September! Had a slight pain in my chest as well as a cough, and ignored it for almost 2 weeks. Then my friends finally convinced me to go to the school nurse, and she sent me to the local hospital where they x-rayed me. I'm in the taxi back to campus when they call me back on my cell phone and tell me to turn around and go to the emergency room. o_0

They said I should be dead, flipped me over on my side, numbed me, and stuck a tube in my chest. - _ - Ow. A week of having a tube in my chest as well as at least one additional surgery later, I was fine and out of the hospital, but still very sore.

Apparently a pneumothorax has a high statistical probability of happening to tall, thin young men. Are you tall, thin, and a young man? :raise: But yeah, we're all at risk. o_o


And you say they just let you go home and wait it out? They had to suck out all the fluid, stick a 2 foot long tube in my chest, and scrape the inside of my chest cavity so the lung would stick again. D:

And I say this not to scare you, but through concern for your well being. ;)

[Cortexian]

Dude! I had the same thing happen to me last September! Had a slight pain in my chest as well as a cough, and ignored it for almost 2 weeks. Then my friends finally convinced me to go to the school nurse, and she sent me to the local hospital where they x-rayed me. I'm in the taxi back to campus when they call me back on my cell phone and tell me to turn around and go to the emergency room. o_0
Same here, but instead of a school nurse I went to a walk-in clinic and they told me to go to the ER.


They said I should be dead, flipped me over on my side, numbed me, and stuck a tube in my chest. - _ - Ow. A week of having a tube in my chest as well as at least one additional surgery later, I was fine and out of the hospital, but still very sore.
Mine's not this bad apparently, they just want a few follow up x rays to make sure it's not getting worse. It should fix itself.


Apparently a pneumothorax has a high statistical probability of happening to tall, thin young men. Are you tall, thin, and a young man? :raise: But yeah, we're all at risk. o_o
Yes, apparently it can happen until you're about 25.



And you say they just let you go home and wait it out? They had to suck out all the fluid, stick a 2 foot long tube in my chest, and scrape the inside of my chest cavity so the lung would stick again. D:
See answer #2.

[Heathen]

Did you play football or some other lame sport?

[Cojafoji]

Don't die.

[Siliconmaster]

Well, I'm glad yours isn't as bad as mine was. Hope you get well soon!

And to every other tall, thin lanky bastard on this forum, if you suddenly feel more out of breath than usual and have a bizarre cough or pain in your chest, go get it checked out, because these can get really bad- thankfully Freelancer and I seem to have caught it without any real trouble, but it can be dangerous. :eng101:

[Chainsy]

Dude I freaked out just now because I was having a pain in my side and was breathing hard, then I farted and realized I had stayed up till 5 am and got up at 10 am and had just ran a mile. Nearly called 911. :downs:

[Siliconmaster]

Dude I freaked out just now because I was having a pain in my side and was breathing hard, then I farted and realized I had stayed up till 5 am and got up at 10 am and had just ran a mile. Nearly called 911. :downs:

:lmao:

[ultama121]

Well, as long as its small it'll resolve itself... I wish for the best.

[Cortexian]

So I'm back at the hospital and they say I need to come back AGAIN tomorrow because it hasn't changed... Its rather annoying... 5 hours in the hospital isn't a fun afternoon.

Also, I don't play any sports, if you bothered to read up on the wiki page I linked you'd know that it can be sporadic Heathen...

- Posted from Blackberry in the hospital waiting room...

[rossmum]

*has vaguely painful and not particularly life-threatening problem*

*posts about it*

Incidentally, I now see why FP used to have an auto-ban for threads or posts that started with "So...". Can you seriously not relate a recent event in any other way?

[Siliconmaster]

Well you could just start with "I have.... I don't see any problem with posting threads in the off topic section about off topic things. :)

[Cortexian]

*has vaguely increasingly painful and life-threatening problem*
ftfy.

Apparently I've still got it, and it's going to take a couple weeks to heal on it's own as long as it doesn't get worse... So I get to live in pain for a few weeks, yey... :iamafag:

[Siliconmaster]

Yey... feel better, man.

[Dwood]

Dude... those symptoms describe me. No coughing yet but man...

Not as severe if it is...

[Rook]

This has happened to me twice lancer I know you're a tall skinny guy like me heh. Sucks for you man it's happened twice so far for me, once in each lung. If it happens again I gotta have surgery and that will cost so much. I'm confused though why they sent you home I got the chest tube immediately both times.

This was from July 08, first lung collapse. My second and longest being on December 08 with the hospital stay from December 21st to Jan 3rd.
http://i28.tinypic.com/33yjrrs.jpg
That was shortly after the chest tube being removed I think, they just got that bandage over it or something..

e: just read your saying it wasn't that bad so that's why you didn't getr any further treatment. I Remember both times I was almost crying in pain lol.

Also it was spontaneous as well, and just happened for no good reason.

[Siliconmaster]

This has happened to me twice lancer I know you're a tall skinny guy like me heh. Sucks for you man it's happened twice so far for me, once in each lung. If it happens again I gotta have surgery and that will cost so much. I'm confused though why they sent you home I got the chest tube immediately both times.

This was from July 08, first lung collapse. My second and longest being on December 08 with the hospital stay from December 21st to Jan 3rd.

e: just read your saying it wasn't that bad so that's why you didn't getr any further treatment. I Remember both times I was almost crying in pain lol.

Also it was spontaneous as well, and just happened for no good reason.

Once in each lung? o_0 That's terrible... theoretically once they fix one it's good for at least a long while, but the chances of it happening in both are... concerning. D:

[n00b1n8R]

Wait, is this that thing where (primarily) tall skinny guys have their lung burst (I think it's to do with their ribs?)

My best mate started having this last term. Happened like 4 times (often while he was driving :v:). He flew (for the first time in his life) to Townsville 2 weeks ago today for surgery to put some shit between his lungs and ribs to (hopefully) permanently fix it. Had reactions to the general and also morphine and his holidays been pretty shit but hopefully he's fixed now.

Have fun with that!

[Cojafoji]

Don't die.
Is this what you call "a joke in bad taste"?

[Cortexian]

If it wasn't as serious, yes.

I got back from the hospital again from my 3rd x-ray and I have to go back again in two days... They're monitoring this like hell, however they actually gave my mom (a nurse) and dad (porter supervisor, training to be ultrasound technician) a kit for an emergency cavity deflation in case it starts leaking A LOT. They showed us exactly where to shove the needle into my chest, and it doesn't look fun at all...

If you guys that have had this before ever saw your x-rays, my lung is depressed four ribs down so it's not THAT huge.

[PopeAK49]

Ya I noticed after I do squats sometimes I get some sort of pain in my chest.

[Rook]

Ya I noticed after I do squats sometimes I get some sort of pain in my chest.

I don't think this thread was intended to make people paranoid. :p

[Joshflighter]

Wow, sad to hear man. Don't die on us though, I barely just got you your domain. :\

[Amit]

Hey Lancer, how ya doing? Still in the hospital?

[Cortexian]

They've sent me home again, I just need to go back every couple days for a checkup chest x-ray so they can monitor my condition. They say my pneumothorax isn't bad enough to warrant a chest tube or anything yet, and it should just fix itself. Basically the rip or hole in the lung will heal over and the air in my chest cavity will get absorbed into my body.

[Chainsy]

You fucking pussy, a real man would consider that fucking tear another hole to smoke out of!!!!:downsdance:

[EX12693]

Lol?

Ok well, no clubs for a while eh?

[Cortexian]

You fucking pussy, a real man would consider that fucking tear another hole to smoke out of!!!!:downsdance:
Real men don't smoke.

Lol?

Ok well, no clubs for a while eh?
Unfortunately not, especially now since they stuck a chest tube in on today visit... Now I'm stuck in the hospital overnight.

[Amit]

Real men don't smoke.

Unfortunately not, especially now since they stuck a chest tube in on today visit... Now I'm stuck in the hospital overnight.

Well take it easy man. Make sure you get out of there soon so you can wield your shotgun against all who are currently clustering the hell out of your lawn with "ATTN: Freelancer, Don't Die!" signs.

[EX12693]

That't sucks. Hope the food is good. :eekdance:

[Cortexian]

Fuck, don't remind me of food I haven't eaten antthing in ten hours... Parents are bringing me some food though.

[Ganon]

Real men don't smoke.

and real men dont need shotguns to defend themselves. :downs:

[Sel]

So, Ganon, I see you died and became a great poster :downs:

[rossmum]

Fuck, don't remind me of food I haven't eaten antthing in ten hours... Parents are bringing me some food though.
Yeah, that's easily the worst part of being hospitalised. When they thought I had appendicitis (I didn't) they didn't let me eat for about three or four days running in case they had to rush me into surgery - and even when they let me have something, it was basically just watered-down chicken flavouring - shit burned like acid.

Considering I was in there for stomach pains, they probably could've alleviated the problem considerably by NOT STARVING ME.

[Siliconmaster]

Ouch. My recommendations are to get a laptop, find a position in bed that twists the tube the least (*wince*), and sap the hospital's internet connection for as much bandwidth as they can give you. That's what kept me entertained for a week. :P

[PopeAK49]

and real men dont need shotguns to defend themselves. :downs:

Wow, I guess I would have had to use my fist against a full grown brown bear instead of having a shotgun that could save my life in order to achieve such man hood :iamafag:...To long of a story to explain.... Anyways I hope it's nothing to serious freelancer.

[Lateksi]

I had this two years ago and I never found out how it all started. Anyway, I had two operations, first time while sleeping and second while I was just given some drugs. It was a pain to have a fucking huge tube pumping air to my other lung but I'm all fine now with some scars though. Best of luck for you man! :)

[Cortexian]

This is awesome guys:
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/8681/img00084200907151631.jpg

[PopeAK49]

ohh god.....I guess you should of listened to the warning. Well, I hope you feel better.

[EX12693]

Tube's not as big as i thought it would be... is that supposed to reinflate the lung?

[Siliconmaster]

Tube's not as big as i thought it would be... is that supposed to reinflate the lung?

Technically a collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, is a misnomer. It actually occurs when air leaks through the lung into the chest cavity, and the pressure outside the lung is greater than it is inside, causing the lung to shrink. At least in my case, the tube sucked out the air in the chest cavity, allowing the lung to reinflate by itself and adhere to the chest cavity walls. Getting it to stick there may require another small surgery, but that's the general idea.

[Cortexian]

Siliconmaster speaks the truth.

[Limited]

Damn pretty bad eh? Explains the lapse in posting. Get well soon Freelancer,

[Bodzilla]

holly shit theres 3 teekups on this forum :O!!!

oh and get better soon.

[EX12693]

Ok I had it backwards... freelancer, you didn't give an update. :smith:

[Chainsy]

Well there goes the peach fuzz covering you call chest hair, those bandages are gonna make you as bald and red as my testicles after volunteering for a Nair for Men experimental products release.

[EX12693]

Imlplying you have testicles, that is... :ohdear:

Lol. Update please?

[Cortexian]

Lol chains, that pretty much happened already when they gave me a CT scab. They pulled off little sections of bandage all along my chest, and the ones in the middle basically left little bald squares where my chest hair used to be... Other than that they've just increased the suction from 10cm to 20cm (whatever that does except cause more pain is beyond me). Probably going to be here until Friday at least though...

[EX12693]

Probably increases suction from 10 cubic cm per day/week to 20. So now there's a pump hooked up to your tube? heh... pump on tube.

[Atty]

God, I want chest bandages. Girl hates my chest hair and shaving it is a pain in my ass. Would love for someone to remove it whilst saving my life.

[EX12693]

I could stab you a few times...

Or waxing...

[Cortexian]

So since I'm still in the hospital the news can't be good...

Apparently my pneumothorax isn't getting smaller so they're keeping me on suction until tomorrow... If its still not smaller they're going to surgically fix the hole in my lung.

[EX12693]

So you're still leaking, and they have to keep sucking? heh. Does it feel wierd?

[Rook]

So since I'm still in the hospital the news can't be good...

Apparently my pneumothorax isn't getting smaller so they're keeping me on suction until tomorrow... If its still not smaller they're going to surgically fix the hole in my lung.

I was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks on my second occurrence there. They told me that exactly and I was better the next day so no surgery ^__^

however I'll get surgery asap next time it happens apparently.

[Cortexian]

Well they're thinking that if they just surgically fix t, there won't be any risk of it happening again. Since I play the bagpipes they're thinking surgery is the way to go...

[Siliconmaster]

Bagpipes= epic win.

[EX12693]

Bagpipes? whoa... another thing we don't know, lol.

So, have a good surgery? (dont die):woop:

[Cortexian]

July 14th - 21st... 18 days... 2.5 weeks... 25,920 minutes... finally home from the hospital!

But I need to go back in 4 weeks for an operation.

[Sel]

If you die can I have the sign?

[Daishi]

Very nice...sounds like fun lancer. D'ya know if they're gonna gas ya? Or just dope you til you can't see crooked?

[Siliconmaster]

Glad you're home. Hope recovery goes well, and the second operation is easy. Also, wow- 2.5 weeks. That's rough. I was sick of the hospital after just one week. :gonk: