Isolated chest pains
The nerve damage from the 3 pneumothorax operations aside, experiencing sudden chest pains can be frightening. The saving grace is that they are nowhere near the areas one would consider for a heart attack, but the fact that they pop up randomly can wear a person down a tick. We know many of the reasons for this, thanks to some of the discussions and information posted in this wonderful place, but it can still be a bit alarming. And no one wishes to live on pain killers.
Hi South Paw. What kind of pneumothorax surgeries did you have? Both of my lungs collapse and I had surgery on the one, which has done very well. The only pain I have felt is more in the areas where the chest tubes were. It is indeed a strange kind of pain when it happens but, then it goes away. If your pain is something that is staying long enough that you need some help with pain medication, perhaps have it checked to be sure.
When you have a pneumothorax without an injury, your lungs just decide to collapse, that is one of the scariest times. The DRS. told me it can and will probably happen again. Just knowing it can and probably will happen again scares me. One of those things that linger in the back corner of your mind.
So when things happen that shouldn't, like random pain or a tightening in your chest or more trouble than normal breathing some days, I think it sets off those things lingering in the back of our minds. Just a thought but, sometimes the more we know and understand the better we can handle situations.
Wishing you the best and hopefully you can find some answers to the pain.
MsMerry1My initial collapse was from contracting pneumonia. During a scan, a nodule was located on my left lung. They biopsied arthroscopically but punctured my left lung. I collapsed while getting into the car after I was released. The low O2 was thought to be residual from the anesthesia. During the first insertion, the surgeon broke a catheter off inside me. He stopped by to see me in recovery and claimed it was the first time EVER it had happened. Regardless, a thoracic surgeon ordered more scans a day later and moved the tube about 4 inches south in slightly inboard. I was released a few days later. During a follow-up visit a week later, they noted that the same lung had partially collapsed yet again. Another surgery, this time with no anesthesia or anesthetics was done. So I have a concentration of nerve damage in a small area that on occasion causes some nerve pain. The rest I chalk up to air trapped in the wall linings between the lungs and the chest itself. They go away in a fairly short amount of time, so I bother little with them. Recent scans show nodule reductions overall. S, I am pleased to endure a little discomfort rather than experience more weeks in the hospital.
