Neumathorax and colapsed lung? Heres my story i never had one before

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carly23

New member
Mine happend monday and i was all on my own no coughing or anything different to have set it off. I had woke up and sat up and just all of a sudden could t breathe!..i thought well maybe i just need nebulizers and i went to try and get them and something just really didnt feel right it brought me to my knees and i had my oxyen on..i thankfully had my cell phone and called 911 and first thing i said very out of breath was i have cystic fibrosis and cant breathe!..so then i had to tell them my adress and i was so out of breath it scared me but i knew i had to stay calm..i then realized for 911 to get in the house they need my front door unlocked so i had to crawl and i could not breath it was so scary by the time i had unlocked te front door i was laid there with the door open with the screen door closed waiting and tellling myself its all going to be ok just stay calm..and then i heard the ambulances and knew help was fixing to be there..

They arrive and first thing i told them was i have cystic fibrosis please dont let anything happen to me..they had to pick me up and place me on the stretcher and thought on the way to the hospital that there was air in my front right lung and i knew it was in my back so i was like no its my back but they stuck a big syringe in the front anyway and no relief.. We finaly get to the hospital im telling them all again i have cystic fibrosis please please help me breathe..and xray was done and then it was confirmed i had a colapsed lung and only a 1/3 was working..

So they sedated me right away and next thing i knew i woke up breathing they placed a chest tube in and the nurse called my dad and sister and they were right on there away worried so bad and my sister was crying ovisoly..but yes very scary i have never experienced anything like that and being that short of breath was frightning..i was transfered tuesday from my local hospital to my cf hospital in dallas and my lung still isnt inflating on its own and i been in much pain..morphine wont even help and there going to do a cat scan tomorow to see how much damage is done as they talked about a procedure where they go in and staple your tissue or something together?..but did say this could take a few weeks to heal but can also re rupture which i didnt like knowing..so who else has had any scary episodes if so please feel free to share and what did you have done to close the hole or how long did it take to heal for you :)
 
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carly23

New member
Mine happend monday and i was all on my own no coughing or anything different to have set it off. I had woke up and sat up and just all of a sudden could t breathe!..i thought well maybe i just need nebulizers and i went to try and get them and something just really didnt feel right it brought me to my knees and i had my oxyen on..i thankfully had my cell phone and called 911 and first thing i said very out of breath was i have cystic fibrosis and cant breathe!..so then i had to tell them my adress and i was so out of breath it scared me but i knew i had to stay calm..i then realized for 911 to get in the house they need my front door unlocked so i had to crawl and i could not breath it was so scary by the time i had unlocked te front door i was laid there with the door open with the screen door closed waiting and tellling myself its all going to be ok just stay calm..and then i heard the ambulances and knew help was fixing to be there..

They arrive and first thing i told them was i have cystic fibrosis please dont let anything happen to me..they had to pick me up and place me on the stretcher and thought on the way to the hospital that there was air in my front right lung and i knew it was in my back so i was like no its my back but they stuck a big syringe in the front anyway and no relief.. We finaly get to the hospital im telling them all again i have cystic fibrosis please please help me breathe..and xray was done and then it was confirmed i had a colapsed lung and only a 1/3 was working..

So they sedated me right away and next thing i knew i woke up breathing they placed a chest tube in and the nurse called my dad and sister and they were right on there away worried so bad and my sister was crying ovisoly..but yes very scary i have never experienced anything like that and being that short of breath was frightning..i was transfered tuesday from my local hospital to my cf hospital in dallas and my lung still isnt inflating on its own and i been in much pain..morphine wont even help and there going to do a cat scan tomorow to see how much damage is done as they talked about a procedure where they go in and staple your tissue or something together?..but did say this could take a few weeks to heal but can also re rupture which i didnt like knowing..so who else has had any scary episodes if so please feel free to share and what did you have done to close the hole or how long did it take to heal for you :)
 
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Rebjane

Super Moderator
I have not experienced this with my daughter; just wanted you to know I so glad you got to the hospital ok. That does sound scary; I will be thinking of you and hoping the doctors figure this out soon!
 
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Rebjane

Super Moderator
I have not experienced this with my daughter; just wanted you to know I so glad you got to the hospital ok. That does sound scary; I will be thinking of you and hoping the doctors figure this out soon!
 
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Havoc

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><em>Originally posted by: <strong>carly23</strong></em>they had to pick me up and place me on the stretcher and thought on the way to the hospital that there was air in my front right lung and i knew it was in my back so i was like no its my back but they stuck a big syringe in the front anyway and no relief.. </end quote>
Needle decompressions are always done between the 2nd and 3rd rib at the mid-clavicular line or the 4th and 5th rib at the mid-axillary line. Usually we go for the mid clavicular and leave the mid-axillary for the chest tube. Even though it's a big needle (usually 12g), it's small compared to a chest tube. Also, some medics forget about using a flutter valve or the fact that they can use suction to help clear the pneumothorax. It's also a rarely performed skill. In ten years I only did 3, so you can see how some medics would bolllocks it up.

Hope you're feeling better
 
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Havoc

New member
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><em>Originally posted by: <strong>carly23</strong></em>they had to pick me up and place me on the stretcher and thought on the way to the hospital that there was air in my front right lung and i knew it was in my back so i was like no its my back but they stuck a big syringe in the front anyway and no relief.. </end quote>
Needle decompressions are always done between the 2nd and 3rd rib at the mid-clavicular line or the 4th and 5th rib at the mid-axillary line. Usually we go for the mid clavicular and leave the mid-axillary for the chest tube. Even though it's a big needle (usually 12g), it's small compared to a chest tube. Also, some medics forget about using a flutter valve or the fact that they can use suction to help clear the pneumothorax. It's also a rarely performed skill. In ten years I only did 3, so you can see how some medics would bolllocks it up.

Hope you're feeling better
 
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vivalafran

New member
So sorry this happened to you. My boyfriend has had several pneumos and they're all scary. I would ask your doctors about the pleurodesis (the "stapling" you're talking about). They never had him do that pleurodesis because if there is even a remote chance of you getting a lung transplant later the pleurodesis makes it difficult (not impossible) to remove your old lungs. Just some information I thought I'd pass along. Get better soon!
 
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vivalafran

New member
So sorry this happened to you. My boyfriend has had several pneumos and they're all scary. I would ask your doctors about the pleurodesis (the "stapling" you're talking about). They never had him do that pleurodesis because if there is even a remote chance of you getting a lung transplant later the pleurodesis makes it difficult (not impossible) to remove your old lungs. Just some information I thought I'd pass along. Get better soon!
 
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holmbers1

New member
I hope you are feeling better and healing quickly. My hubby had this happen twice in a month. That was 6 years ago. It was scary. He was actually doing his vest or it was after his vest...and he was in pain. He thought maybe it was a plug that needed to come loose and had me pound him but didn't help. He had been sick prior to this-on IV meds. We didnt know what was wrong and went to see his doc the next day and they told him an x ray showed a collapse lung. He said it's not as noticeable in someone with CF because the mucous etc causes the lung to collapse slowly and if he were healthy he could feel it much more and be more out of breath. They put the chest tube in and we eventually went home but it happened again a few weeks later. He ended up having some of his lung removed-some pus pockets that the surgeon believed to be the cause of the collapse. Since then he has been fine. It was a long and hard recovery but he is doing better now than even before all this! He started on the hypertonic saline shortly after- and that has done wonders for him.
He thought it was the end for him and I was concerned too...but he is the strongest person I know and he fully recovered and you can too. Praying you get well soon and have complete healing.
 
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holmbers1

New member
I hope you are feeling better and healing quickly. My hubby had this happen twice in a month. That was 6 years ago. It was scary. He was actually doing his vest or it was after his vest...and he was in pain. He thought maybe it was a plug that needed to come loose and had me pound him but didn't help. He had been sick prior to this-on IV meds. We didnt know what was wrong and went to see his doc the next day and they told him an x ray showed a collapse lung. He said it's not as noticeable in someone with CF because the mucous etc causes the lung to collapse slowly and if he were healthy he could feel it much more and be more out of breath. They put the chest tube in and we eventually went home but it happened again a few weeks later. He ended up having some of his lung removed-some pus pockets that the surgeon believed to be the cause of the collapse. Since then he has been fine. It was a long and hard recovery but he is doing better now than even before all this! He started on the hypertonic saline shortly after- and that has done wonders for him.
He thought it was the end for him and I was concerned too...but he is the strongest person I know and he fully recovered and you can too. Praying you get well soon and have complete healing.
 
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lilmac7

New member
I just replied to your other thread, but for what it's worth the times I've had it it took me a month or 2 IIRC to get back to how I was before it.
 
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lilmac7

New member
I just replied to your other thread, but for what it's worth the times I've had it it took me a month or 2 IIRC to get back to how I was before it.
 
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