I had a collapsed lung for two days!

[Hobarticus]

Dear DU Forum, I never dreamed it would happen to me....

The week before last, I pulled up the Edward Scissorhands carpet in our kitchen. Butt-ugly, had to go, new tile to put in. Apparently I kicked up a bunch of dust or whatnot, and I ended up with a bitchin' case of chest congestion.

Monday night before last, I had a contractor over to help put in the sub-floor, and I started coughing so hard I had to sit down while he worked. I felt a sharp pain in my upper left chest, took an aspirin and sat quietly to see what was up. Nothing else happened, and the pain subsided, so I didn't think anything of it. I know, I know, stupid male "I'm okay" nonsense.

Woke up next morning and went to work. I was sucking wind terribly, really short of breath, weak as hell, but I figured I was just that congested. I got home and my wife insisted that I go to the doctor the next morning.

I figured I had pneumonia, would get a shot and some drugs, and I'd go home back to bed. Nope. Next morning in the clinic, doc took an x-ray, walked in and told me I had a collapsed lung and would need a chest tube and a four-day stay in the hospital. He asked me when this happened, and I told him Monday night. He just shook his head. I felt like a total dumb-ass.

So they stuck a chest tube in, flash-pumped the lung back up (ouch), and wheeled me upstairs. I had the tube in for three days to keep negative pressure on the lung to make sure it stayed up, and they pulled the tube (ouch) and sewed me up. I stayed another day for observation. Came home last Saturday at noon.

I'm walking around with stitches yet, hopefully they'll pull them early next week.

Anyone else on DU ever go through this? I've heard of athletes and accident victims having a lung collapse, but not people just sitting around coughing. When it happened, did you know it right away? Never in a million years would I have guessed that's what had happened.

[Sugar Smack]

1. God, that's AWFUL!

And of COURSE you tarried a bit, because it just seemed like something that would pass. I'm really glad you're going to be better. Hey, I let a widespread pain in my abdomen go for 3 days (turned out to be appendicitis) before I went to the doctor. Thing was, it didn't feel like intense pain, but cramps. So don't feel like an idiot.

[eyepaddle]

2. Thank goodness you're alright

Was there possibly a sensitivity issue with the dust? I'm not sure if that might trigger a collapsed lung, but Dust sensitivty/sensitization cna often lead to respiratory arrest, See conditions such as Farmer's Lung, etc.,

Obviously you will consult with a Doctor immediately if you have any more seriously breathing issues, but you should talk to one anyhow and see if you need to avoid dusty environments completely. (If that is required I hope it doesn't affect your job>)

Good luck in the future,

[Taverner]

8. I'll bet his coughing collapsed the lung

Seriously, if you cough hard enough, it will collapse

[bigwillq]

3. Glad to see you are alright!

:hug: :hi:

[zanne]

4. Didn't you just hate the chest tube?

Were you able to breathe on your own or was the chest tube "breathing" for you?

[CornField]

5. It happened to my father

He was in his 60s at the time and had been out working in his shop. As usual, he wasn't wearing a mask and sucked in a lot of sawdust, dust and who knows what else. He started coughing and came back to the house. He was pale and weak. Since he was a fellow who never wanted to go to the doctor, I was quite scared when handed me his keys and told me to take him to the hospital. (He thought he was having a heart attack.)

About 15 minutes later, we were outside the emergency room which was a mad house. There had been some sort of emergency and they didn't even have a room available in the ER. The doctor had a couple of nurses hold up sheets around my dad while they inserted the chest tube. (OUCH!)

My father, never one to do as he was told, thanked the doctor and started to get up so I could take him back home -- tube and all. LMAO!! I think he ended up staying for at least 2 days before the nurses couldn't stand him anymore.

Collapsed lungs are scary stuff. Glad you're feeling better.

[Shine]

6. Wow, glad you're OK and lived to tell about it!

Sounds like you got a good lesson in LISTENING to your body. I wish you a speedy recovery and clear breathing.... :toast:

Take good care.
:hug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Welcome back!

Aren't you glad your wife made you go to the doctor? :)

I'm glad you're ok now!

[leftofthedial]

9. no, but I once had an erection that lasted more than four hours

I'm glad you're okay

[Cathyclysmic]

10. Holy crap!

Hope you are OK now.

And I wouldn't let the Doc make you feel dumb about not knowing you had a collapsed lung. With all the dust the carpet brought up, I was just think it was that. I read a magazine article (in Vogue, of all places) where a teenager went skiing and had a hard fall and collapsed a lung. He didn't go to the ER until about two days later. So, it's not just you.

[KT2000]

11. Thanks for the tip

and I hope you are feeling better!

And hey - don't feel like a dumbass. I have a friend who lived downwind of a retired auto exec. The guy kept applying really toxic herbicides to his 5 acres of land (he couldn't decide what to put there so he had it planted, then he would kill it with herbicides and re plant and rekill etc. etc.).

My friend breathed this crap for months - even asked the guy to stop but he refused. My friend ended up in the hospital for quite some time with fluid in his lungs and around his heart. He thought he had a bad cold and just passed out while driving his car.