Post Thoracotomy Pain

[Bamahousewife]

  I had a completely collapsed left lung on 3/28, and went to the hospital on 4/1. Chest tube was installed (OMG! it hurt). Then on 4/8 I had the VATS procedure and the surgeon said he roughened up my lungs a bit, to help them heal. I then blew up like a balloon! I had a leak, and  "Subcutaneous emphysema" which is air being stored in your tissues, My eye lids swelled shut and turned wrong side out, I was not recognizable. A week later, they did the Thoracotomy and stripped my pleura and stapled it to my chest wall. I was in the hospital 4 weeks, but came home on 4/28 and started slowly cleaning my house and in my garden.
   On 5/13 I woke up to congestion in my head and chest, due to a tree allergy. Every cough and sneeze is painful. . to the max. I am a 56 yo female, I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis, former smoker and now I have emphysema. The worst of my pain is my left breast, even though my incision stops before my breast. Getting jarred, shook is a whole nightmare. And now I am having shortness of breath when I exert myself,
  I am on Percocet, Neuronton and Soma. Any advice is greatly apprecited.

[cbailey]

sorry you are having so much trouble. I had rib surgery also and know how bad that hurts. I also know how to get better too! You really need to take something to get rid of the inflammation....thats what causes much pain. I take astakrill (krill oil) you need at least 12 mg aztaxanthin a month. this is the BEST anti-inflammatory in the world. the prescriptions cause stomach problems astakrill is natural, NO SIDE EFFECTS. I also started taking 6,000mg vitamin c, 3,000 in the morning and 3,000mg at dinner. This helps decrease bacteria levels in your lungs....we all have bacteria in our lungs from breathing. bronchitis is due to a overgrowth of bacteria....I am  RN so I have done much work on how to heal the body. Especially after I saw how modern medicine does not really help that much. astakrill, vitamin c, and SAM-e (for happy mood) I am a changed person. It has been almost 4 years since I have had a cold or any other infection. The astakrill reducd my pain by 50% as inflammation actually causes alot of pain. I still have pain in my neck from birth defect, but at least I am not getting sick anywhere else anymore. Also if you have bad allergy you can ask your doctor for allergy medicine....you really also need to see you doctor due to your fragile condition.......I took mucinex for lung congestion back when I had overgrowth of bacteria....that helped alot......hope some of this helps! I just put what helped me get better.

[omhome]

Do what shinty said and also stay the heck away from those trees bama. Any chance you are talking cedar trees? Many folks in my family are deathly allergic to cedar----this is in texas----and the older they get the worse it is. I mean even if they visit a house with cedar paneled closets---well---they try not to. What an obstacle course you have been going thru bama......i really don't think i could do it! Blessings----prayers for You from omhome.

om

[shinty]

Shortness of breath can be a very serious thing, especially with your history. Please try not to exert yourself, and get back to your primary care doctor immediately and get a thorough check-up. Good luck, and message me and let me know how you make out please. Take care,
                           shinty