So my lung collapsed last week

[Crusis]

It was weird. I was complaining about being short of breath for a few days so I went to the Doc at lunch. He listened to both sides of my chest then listened to my back. He called in another Doc. Listened some more and then they took X-rays. The Doctor comes in about 15 minutes later and sits down. "You have a collapsed lung."

"Say what the fuck?!"

The next few hours were a blur as I was piled me into an ambulance and taken to the hospital. Within half an hour a surgeon came down. Sliced through my chest, and ran a tube (I called it the garden hose) into my chest cavity to let the air out. They gave me some amazing drugs just before this. They actually asked me which one I wanted first. The "I don't care about anything in the world." Or the "Pain pain go away." I took the pain stuff first because I've never had it. Wow, talk about floating. For the next 18 hours I was on a constant rotation of some amazing stuff they put in my IV and doses of Oxy alternated every two hours.

I had to have the hose connected to a water seal which is this box with hieroglyphs and crap all over it. It was then connected to a vacuum so my lung could re-expand in my chest. I was in the hospital for 4 days and the cause? Get this. I quit smoking 20 years ago and son of a bitch, I have lung disease attributed to my old bad habits. The good news is that it can be cured, the bad news is that I have to have surgery soon. Blech. I have good insurance but it rang up to almost $16K in claims. So a week on Oxycodone, lots of rest and I feel almost back to normal. I was also so bored in the hospital I believe I saw every episode of Pawn Stars and American Pickers. The History Channel runs them alllllll day.

Yay for lungs.

[Jarrodhk]

Wow! Glad that you are doing okay man... not how you planned to spend a week or so I'm sure.

[Xmann]

As a RN, nothing gets much more brutal than watching a chest tube getting inserted. Thought I would faint the first time I had to help a MD insert one.

Guessing they gave you Fentanyl for pain first and then Versed next for the dreamland state you were in. Good shit.

I remember walking into a patient room once with them holding the entire tube in their hand and asking "should this be connected to something?"

Glad it worked out OK. Pretty painful shit.

Sent from me cool phone

[Crusis]

As a RN, nothing gets much more brutal than watching a chest tube getting inserted. Thought I would faint the first time I had to help a MD insert one.

Guessing they gave you Fentanyl for pain first and then Versed next for the dreamland state you were in. Good shit.

I remember walking into a patient room once with them holding the entire tube in their hand and asking "should this be connected to something?"

Glad it worked out OK. Pretty painful shit.

Sent from me cool phone

I was so out of it when the tube went in that I didn't really care at the time. It was when they yanked it out ...! They just said to bare down and then he pulled it, like it was a 8" long thread coming out of fabid. The feeling of a chest tube rubbing against my ribs along with the noise which was something like cutting meat, was indescribable although I think I just did a pretty good job. Once the tube was out all that redirected pain faded in a few hours.

Yeah, Fentanyl might have been it or maybe that was later. I heard someone say dilaudin though. The happy dream time ended when they wheeled me to my room and I had to get in the bed. MOTHER F! That was tricky.

[Roguetad]

I'm glad you're ok!  And that the prognosis is good with surgery.  That doesn't sound fun...at all.  

[USMC Kato]

Hope you have a speedy recovery. Don't turn into a zombie.

[Isgrimnur]

Wow, glad the prognosis is okay. 

And yeah, what Kato said.

[Xmann]

Ya Dilaudid is what they gave you every two hours afterwards. 1mg of that is equal to around 7mg of morphine I believe

What they need to do for surgery?

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[Crusis]

Ya Dilaudid is what they gave you every two hours afterwards. 1mg of that is equal to around 7mg of morphine I believe

What they need to do for surgery?

Sent from me cool phone

OMG that Dilaudid was something else.

The plan is to collapse the lung again, staple the blebs, scrape the inside of my rib cage, and then button 'er up. I'm good with that.

[Caine]

sweet zombie jesus.  glad you are feeling better Crusis. 

[Ironrod]

That's the kind of thing that can ruin your whole weekend. Glad it worked out ok for you.

[Crusis]

That's the kind of thing that can ruin your whole weekend. Glad it worked out ok for you.

It actually happened on a Friday and did indeed ruin my weekend. I mean I can laugh about it now but I it sure wasn't fun at the time.

[Teggy]

I was complaining about being short of breath for a few days

The before doesn't sound nearly as bad as the after. They should have left well enough alone.

Get well soon.

[Crawley]

That's the kind of thing that can ruin your whole weekend. Glad it worked out ok for you.

It actually happened on a Friday and did indeed ruin my weekend. I mean I can laugh about it now but I it sure wasn't fun at the time.

Couldn't the act of laughing now kill you? 

Sorry this happened to you and hope you get better soon. On the bright side it was a good catch for the lung disease.

[Xmann]

This surgery require having another chest tube post op?

Sent from me cool phone

[Crusis]

This surgery require having another chest tube post op?

Sent from me cool phone

I assumed so since they have to collapse my lung again for the surgery. If I don't have to have that cursed tube it wouldn't be all that bad. Come to think of it they mentioned multiple tubes post op. Blech.

[Xmann]

Ya I was thinking you would.

See if they can give you a Dilaudid PCA.... pump you control yourself to deliver pain medicine. Honestly, that might really help get you through the first 24-48 hours or so.

Feel free to ask me any questions or concerns you may run into. Taken care of alot of people who have been through this.

Best wishes, you'll do good I'm sure.

Sent from me cool phone

[Punisher]

Glad you're doing better.. and look on the bright side... you have a new experience you can add to one of your stories!

[Lee]

Is that you with the AMA on Reddit?

[Crusis]

Is that you with the AMA on Reddit?

Ehhh. I'm not sure what this means so probably not.

[Lee]

Is that you with the AMA on Reddit?

Ehhh. I'm not sure what this means so probably not.

"Ask me anything." Someone had a collapsed lung while gaming and posted about it. Thought of you. :-) (I am aware lots of people probably have a collapsed lung everyday, I was mostly joking.)