{"id":6408,"date":"2012-06-26T11:46:42","date_gmt":"2012-06-26T10:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alisonsdiary.com\/?p=6408"},"modified":"2012-06-26T11:46:42","modified_gmt":"2012-06-26T10:46:42","slug":"pneumothorax-1-2-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alisonsdiary.com\/2012\/06\/pneumothorax-1-2-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Pneumothorax – 1, 2, 3."},"content":{"rendered":"

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When I had a baby I got such a shock I wrote a book about it to try and make other new mums realise they are not alone, it’s normal to feel mad, sad, exhausted and so on. So years later I end up in hospital. I am a healthy woman. So it came as a real slap in the chops. This blog post is about why and how. Not to dwell on it but to hopefully help others who have suffered \u00a0a collapsed lung 1, 2 or 3 times. \u00a0Dont bother reading this if you haven’t had one – there is no point. But having googled loads of stuff I found no-one had told their whole story. So in the hope it helps someone somewhere. Here is the first part of mine. Next part tomorrow….<\/p>\n

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So as I was saying a collapsed lung. I don\u2019t like medical stuff, I really don\u2019t. The mere theme tune to Casualty gives me the vapours and the only time watched ER was when the gorgeous rough hewn Clooney was in attendance in white coat with chocolate brown eyes.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So this post is only for those who have had a collapsed lung once, twice or in this case three times. Or want to know more about it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The posh name for it is a pneumothorax and it\u2019s condition that usually effects tall, thin athletic men.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stand up and be counted you say. Well I did – you just didn\u2019t notice as I\u2019m not that \u00a0tall, In fact I\u2019m not tall at all at 5 ft 6 inches. And I\u2019m not an athlete\u00a0 Or a man, Just to clarify.<\/p>\n

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This is not me. This is a tall athletic man. Spot the difference.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So it can happen to anyone then.<\/p>\n

Sometimes for no apparent reason a lung can just go \u2013 \u2018Bugger it,I have had enough\u2019 and deflates.<\/p>\n

It can happen fast and be extremely painful or, as in my case, it can deflate slowly like a sad saggy party balloon.<\/p>\n

My symptoms were gradual. The first time it was a slow but sure increase in breathlessness over a number of days. So unremarkable was it that it just \u00a0happened I was in at the Dr for something else \u2013 I see the Dr about once every 5 years – and just said \u2018em \u00a0by the way, I might have a chest infection or something\u2019. Thank goodness he had a listen to my chest, tapped it with his fingers and then very calmly sent me to hospital. He didn\u2019t tell me what he thought was wrong he just said I\u2019m going to send you round there for a wee x ray, which s just as well as I would have panicked. The second they took the xray I was wheeched off in a wheelchair and into the emergency room.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So that time they aspirated it. That is they popped a needle into a space between two ribs \u2013 local anesthetic meant \u00a0I didn\u2019t feel a thing \u2013 and my lung came straight back up. Boom! I felt like Pavarotti such air did I feel in my chest and I was out the next day. They said it may happen again but it may not.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Being a writer I ask too many questions. But the answer might help you understand what it is.<\/p>\n

If your lung deflates it\u2019s usually as a result of a chest trauma (accident) or a weakness which for whatever reason chooses this moment to show itself. The air in the lung escapes into the cavity between your lung and your chest wall. The air collecting there then exerts pressure on the deflating lung and keeps the lung down. When they pop this needle in \u00a0to the area between your chest wall and the lung where this air has collected \u00a0the act of removing the air removes the pressure on the lung which allows it to ping straight back up. Whoosh! It can take a little longer. But in this case, in my case, P1, it worked and one night later I was released back ito the wild to continue with life \u2013 with a few tips, take it easy for a week or so. No flying\/scuba diving for 6 weeks.<\/p>\n

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No Jacques Cousteau Impressions from me then.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

To be honest it all happened so quickly it was the day after\u00a0 I got out that it dawned on me what had happened and I had a full blown panic attack. The reason I know it was a panic attack? I went back to the GP and described my symptoms. \u00a0Convinced that my lung was down again. A sudden rise in heart rate to incredibly fast, regular, fast, fast, fast.\u00a0 A definite panic attack was the diagnosis.\u00a0 On reflection I\u2019m not surprised The NHS were brilliant and they reflated my lung instantly \u2013 it was the aftermath of mind dominatin matter that knocked me off balance. So days, weeks, months went on and I honestly, being a shallow individual, I forgot all about it.<\/p>\n

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That was a year and a half ago.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I am not, nor have I ever been a particularly happy flyer. In fact I didn\u2019t actually fly after this first episode until \u00a0a few weeks ago. Not because I was worried about my lung just because the opportunity hadn\u2019t arisen and work just got in the way of life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So I zipped off for a 10 day holiday with my Mum. I felt fine on the way out, a little puggled when out there but I hadn\u2019t had a holiday for 1 and a half\u00a0 years so that would be expected.\u00a0 It was when I got home I was\u00a0 just not 100%. You know when you get back from a holiday you feel like standing on a hill singing \u2018June is Bustin\u2019 Out All Over\u2019\u00a0 well I do. Normally. But not this time. I had a vague sensation of pressure on my right side but \u00a0gave myself a good talking to \u2018paranoid woman stop it your lung is fine\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A few days later I drove to Aberdeen for business and stayed with an old old friend. When with the friend I had a horrible feeling of anxiety \u2013 another symptom of\u00a0 a pneumothorax \u00a0as you have less oxygen in your system than you need. I knew something was up and rather than spend my day doing what I had planned I drove south early. That night I went to Casualty, was x-rayed and much to my horror told yes it had happened again.<\/p>\n

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This time they inserted a chest drain.<\/p>\n

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Well one sensible picture illustrates it pretty well<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0 job it does is similar to the needle described above but in this case a tube is inserted between two ribs into the cavity where your lung should be. The chest drain is in for a day or two though it\u2019s not an instant fix like the first time.. The other end of the\u00a0 tube is put into a container full of water and you can see bubbles emanating from it which shows\u00a0 the unwanted air from your chest is leaving and your lung is reflating. Over two days. \u00a0But bloody hell that drain is sore.\u00a0 Really. As \u00a0soon as your lung comes up the tube is rubbing against the lung which frankly makes childbirth seem a little like a dull throb.\u00a0 On strong painkillers, oromorph, codeine, paracetamol it dulled the pain but ooocha. The sorer it is the better the result as it means the lung has come back up. \u00a0In the bed opposite me was a 24 year old girl \u2013 we kept each other sane \u2013 her lung had just gone down really fast for no reason he had been sitting watching TV with her mum. Whap. Just like that.\u00a0 And it was bloomin sore. So even between the two of us there were few similarities in how it happened. So cut to the chase a \u00a0few days later chest drain was wheeched out, lung reflated I was off again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This time I was told it if happens twice, it will happen again. It is just a matter of when. This was not what I wanted to hear. The thought of another chest drain was enough to drive me to drink \u2013 well when the painkillers were out of my system. But as the last one took one and a half years then who knows this one might take longer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But of course. It might not, I was tentative. Waiting. Of course\u00a0 So every day. Every night I thought about it. When would it happen again. At night alone. On\u00a0 a plane in two years.\u00a0 In the middle of presenting a TV show. The thoughts whizzed round my head and it seemed no matter what the scenario it was not going to be good. As fate would have it\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have long to wait at all.<\/p>\n

10 days passed but I just had a feeling\u2026.an instinct, an inkling. On the Saturday I cancelled going to a friends birthday party up north and as I have said to my teenwolf since he was born, \u00a0never ever \u00a0ignore your gut because \u00a0bang the very next day I had that sinking\/deflating feeling. I waved at the long suffering husband one and called the ward that had taken care of me twice\u2013 this time they sent me to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary \u2013 the other side of town, new shiny one soon with a shaking Aberdonian on a gurney. I was in with the big boys this time. Heart and lung or Cardiac &\u00a0 Thoracic \u00a0Ward as they call it.\u00a0 Beam me up Scottie . I said BEAM ME UP SCOTTIE. I shouted. \u00a0Nope that didn\u2019t work\u2026so here goes\u2026.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You may feel sick now.<\/p>\n

Or worried.<\/p>\n

Or bored.<\/p>\n

So I am going to stop now and write up the next stage in a separate page.<\/p>\n

Pneumothorax III The Return.<\/p>\n

Maybe of interest may not \u2013 up to you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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