Bye Bye!

[anzo]

Bonjour, I have returned.

Operation was sucessful and I'm now on a range of drugs for the pain, which suprisingly isn't too bad.

Started at DRI with a chest drain in (as before) and then my lung wouldn't reinflate, they found I had a hole in it and so the air was going through the hole and out the drain, so it was pretty useless, so I had to go to Notts City for an operation, which I wanted anyway to stop it reoccuring (still possible though).

After waiting for about a week, a bed became available (finally) and I got sent there. Operation got delayed a bit because my cousin has MH which means he has a reeeeeeeally bad reaction to certain anesthetics, and because its genetic, they had to flush all the machines out for 24 hours.

Finally had the op, first of all they put drip needle in and put this relaxing agent into it, which they inject in and about 10 seconds you feel pissed out your face, they put an epidural in your back, which is a thin pipe into the back and they pass anesthetic down it to numb the chest area, but mine travelled a bit futher and numbed my thighs and arms.

Then they knocked me out, which is a werid feeling, they inject you and then you just all of a sudden fall to sleep...weird shit when you think about how your body reacts to something so quickly.

Anyway, first of all they put a hollow pipe down your throat to keep the air way open and then put a camera down it to inspect the lungs, after that they make a small cut (all keyhole surgery) just under my right armpit, its about an inch long, they put all the probes and shit through there. They cut off a bit of the top of the lung, and cover the hole with it, like a skin graft on your lung.

Everyone is born with blisters on their lungs, when, or if, they burst, they release air, this is what makes the pneumothorax (air trapped between lung and chest wall), they burst by trama...so coughing, sneezing, sports etc. So to prevent reoccurance, they burst them all manually.

Then they scrap away the top surface of the chest wall, this makes it really sore and taccy. Like when you graze yourself and the fluid makes it sticky. They apply Talc Powder to the chest wall, this asks as an irritant and abrasive, so it makes everything swell up and be sore, thats the operation done with.

They put a bigger chest drain into your back, the pipe is about 3cm thick and they insert about 12inches of it into your body, this is the horrible part. they leave that in and it helps the lung reinflate and stick to the chest wall again, once it touches it it, it wont come off again.

They leave you to recover in hospital for a few days, xrays everyday and all that. Finally came to have the drain removed, which was horrible. You'res still awake for it and they ask you to take a deep breath in and hold it, all in about a second they pull it out and tighten the stitch. The feeling I can't describe, its like being turned inside out, and having all your guts pulled through a hole in your back.

Then they leave you again, more xrays and I get nagged to walk about and stuff, on the day I was supposed to go, they said that the xray showed my lung hadn't fully come up and that I'd have to have another chest drain in (which meant another week in hospital) so I about broke down, lol. Although I had another xray the next day and all was good, so I went home.

I think the past 3 weeks have been the most depressing times of my life, lol. But anyways...I've made a stack of cash from it and I'm fit and well again, so I suppose it was all worth it.

[Trebor]

Glad that you're all better!

That op sounds sick

[Tomm]

Mmmm, sounds nice. Are you all fixed up now then? How long until you can do stuff?

I've made a stack of cash from it and I'm fit and well again, so I suppose it was all worth it.

Cash? How?

[Si-man]

Mmmm, sounds nice. Are you all fixed up now then? How long until you can do stuff?

Cash? How?

Probably from relatives or sick pay?

Edited April 4, 2007 by Si-man

[anzo]

Mmmm, sounds nice. Are you all fixed up now then? How long until you can do stuff?

Cash? How?

Its pretty major surgery, so I cant fly or swim for 3 months, can't drive for 6. I'll be riding again in about 8 weeks I think. Just got to take it easy really, but I'm fully mobile and stuff.

I get cash because I have private health care, which you can take and get nothing...or go on the NHS and get about £200 per day. I prefer NHS, a room on my own for 3 weeks would drive me mad and you still get the exact same treatment. Theres a limit on how much they pay out per hospital visit though, but its a about £2500 or so.

[Tomm]

Blimey, so you're minted then? That's ace

It seems a bit daft that you're allowed to ride trials in 8 weeks but you've gotta wait 6 months before you can drive. I know which one I find more strenuous!

[anzo]

Blimey, so you're minted then? That's ace

It seems a bit daft that you're allowed to ride trials in 8 weeks but you've gotta wait 6 months before you can drive. I know which one I find more strenuous!

My mistake, I can't drive for 6 weeks.

Yup, pretty minted, not bad either because I've not been able to spend a penny in hospital, I've got around 4 weeks wages piled up in the bank

[Trebor]

Every cloud ...

[Haz]

Love the feeling of being knocked out. I was knocked out a few years ago, and they anesthetist never counted down from ten.

But it was jsut the weirdest thing, you can't do anything about it even if you try, within a second, you're gone.

Glad you're back and OK.

[poopipe]

Glad you're back and OK.

agreed. welcome back, and I'm glad you didnt die

[Greetings]

agreed. welcome back, and I'm glad you didnt die

me too, i was getting worried

good to have you back buddy

[yoyoyo]

Good to hear your ok.

£2500.. whats this illness called again.

[Howard Hughes]

Sorry to bring back such an accient thread but I just came accross it... I have had 3 spontaneous pneumothorax's over the past 9 months and am having the surgery next week - similar to what anzo had - they are stapling together all the blebs/lung blisters then sticking the lung in place with the talc. Fun stuff, but as long as it means no more collapsed lungs it's all good!

Anzo (or anyone else that may have had the same op) - were you left with any permanent nerve damage in your chest? I've heard of a few people having being left worse off than before they went in. The surgeon said there is a small chance it could happen (either a permantly sore chest or numb chest) but in some cases it goes back to normal after a few months max.

You can get a pneumothorax doing pretty much nothing - like going up stairs or getting off a bus. I don't think that regular exercise is known to cause or prevent pneuomothoraces so you're both wrong

I'm proof that it's not always exercise related. The first one happened in the middle of night, I woke up with chest pain, second time watching tv and third whilst having breakfast!

[anzo]

Hey Howard,

Sorry I only just caught this topic!

My operation went fine. It was on the second collapse that I had the operation (both times on my right lung) - first time riding trials, second time when I coughed (I was ill for a week throwing up too).

The operation is nothing to be worried about - I gather that lungs are a very specialist area and the surgeon will come and talk you through the process; its a very routine operation.

I have had no problems what so ever after the operation (just over a year ago I think?) Its all keyhole surgery and I've been left with three scars - two from surgery and one from the chest drain. First of all they put in the small drain to see if it can reinflate itself - mine didnt, so I went in for surgery and they insert a bigger drain (you're knocked out so its no problem).

As you said, your lung is full of blisters - then these pop air is released which puts pressure on the outter lung and causes it to collapse. To prevent this happening again they will burst all the holes and make the lung very sore (they scrape at it). They then apply the talc which makes the area tacky. They reinflate your lung and then it will stick back up - its very effective.

I won't lie to you and say its a walk in the park, but its not the most extreme of operations either. Down sides are the pain - everyone is different. Some people feel nothing much than a bit of soreness (which I did) and others find it hard to breathe at all. Another is the chest drain, its fine when its in but removing it is very weird but the relief afterwards is immense.

Another thing is when you've had the op, you get nagged every day by the physio guys - and you have to do one of these respirator things where they encourage to cough up the crap in your throat (which you will have) - but you aways feel better after.

Overall, its not as bad as it all sounds. I suppose the worst bit is the boredom.

Good look mate, email me if you have any specific questions though - tolley.matt AT gmail.com

[Greetings]

Just looked at the date, it seems you made a quick recovery as well since we were riding Derby a month later.

So I guess that's another point in favour of the op.

[anzo]

Just looked at the date, it seems you made a quick recovery as well since we were riding Derby a month later.

So I guess that's another point in favour of the op.

Yep, but I wouldn't recommend it that quickly!

I think the doctor said give it 6 months...but they all say that. But I think when we rode it was the first time I had it and I didn't have an operation to fix it then - but after the surgeory I don't think there is much of a chance of riding again after a month...perhaps even 3 or 4.

[Tomm]

Anzo (or anyone else that may have had the same op) - were you left with any permanent nerve damage in your chest? I've heard of a few people having being left worse off than before they went in. The surgeon said there is a small chance it could happen (either a permantly sore chest or numb chest) but in some cases it goes back to normal after a few months max.

There are no major nerves in the chest wall really, but there are numerous cutaneous (skin) nerves that go all over the place and it's different in all people so there is no way a surgeon would know exactly where each single nerve was in everyone. In fact, you probably can't even see the nerves to avoid them. He has warned you because there is a small risk that he'll cut one of these tiny nerves. They don't really do anything important - they are just nerves which carry sensation information from the skin.

I had a (keyhole) operation on my shoulder and I've been left with a small area of numbness (about 5cm^2 or something) over the tip of my shoulder from a cutaneous nerve being cut. I think it has improved over the 3 years since the operation, too (the affected area has become smaller). It's not quite completely numb, but the sensation is different - if you press on with a needle or something, it doesn't feel sharp. In fact if you've ever had a local anaesthetic, it feels exactly like that. It certainly doesn't bother me.

I don't know about your exact operation, but I'd imagine this is the kind of side-effect you might encounter. It might be worth writing down your concerns and speaking to the surgeon before the op.

[Balman]

You make it sound like a barrel of laughs... i think i might get one over the weekend for a chuckle lol but seriouly howard good luck with the opp im sure everything will be fine best of luck man

[anzo]

It might be worth writing down your concerns and speaking to the surgeon before the op.

Definately the best advice. Thing is when the doctor comes round and says 'Do you have any questions?' your mind will go blank and you'll think of one the second he walks off.

My operation was very late because of a history of Malignant Hyperthermia in the family (allergic reaction to certain anaesthetics) so all the machines had to be flushed through for 24 hours. I'm sure you'll be out in about 2 weeks...if that.

[Howard Hughes]

Thanks for the replys!

Not concerned about the chest drain, already had three of them and my lung has always come up fairly quick. (This is being done as an outpatient thing as my lung is currently in its 'normal' state and was told i'll be in 3-5days)

The boredom and crazy people are always the worst bits! Last time one guy thought it was still ww2 and he had been kidnapped by germans, attacked another patient with his walking stick and had it confiscated!