spontaneous pneumothorax

[senator69]

hello everyone, my name is simon, i am 45 years of age was a heavy smoker till two years ago when i had my first lung collapse, i was rushed to hospital and within 2 days the hospital said everything was fine and sent me home, i must say being stitched after chest drain without anesthetic really hurt, but was glad to get home, started to feel funny again a day later and put it down to the trauma of going into hospital etc, but on the second day i could feel that painful bubbling sensation in my chest again, decided to phone for ambulance and when i got to hospital emergency department they diagnosed pneumothorax again, which was worse than the first one, they put me up on ward with chest drain in same left side, was feeling terrible and the nurse noticed the chest drain box filling with blood, they immediately summoned a doctor to see me and he made a decision to have a ct scan and decided i needed a bullectomy/pleurectomy on my left side,coming round from surgery it hurt like hell and was on morphine for quite a while, after i was transfered to a single room for my recovery the doctor said i need to exercise like walking up and down the ward, he then said i had elevate my breathing to make my lung stick to the chest wall, he decided to get me an exercise bike and i pushed myself to use it and the right lung decided to burst at the top where a bleb had formed and he then said we will have to operate on right lung as well but not for two weeks, i had to go to x-ray every two days to keep an eye on it and in the end the air slowly dissipated, well after two weeks i said i did not want to go through same thing again and decided not to have the other operation until i really needed it, because of the nerve damage and pain i was in. i was put on nefopam 2 30mg tabs 3 times a day, one 10mg amitrypiline in morning and one 25mg at night, antibiotics for life as i lost my spleen in a motorbike accident in 1987,i am also on lansoprazole anti-acid tablets one in the morning, i still suffer from pain but i don't have the hyper-sensitivity like i had after my operation, i have been on esa for two years and now the dwp says i am fit for work where the doctor clearly says i am unfit for work, don't get me wrong i want to work but my body thinks different,and what with the medication i am on who would employ me anyway, yet the dwp are forcing me to apply for jobs which i know i cant possibly do, is anyone in the same situation as me and if so, what did you do about your situation. many thanks for reading my post.

[kimmy59]

Evening.

I would ring BLF click on red balloon, or contact CAB I went to a community project in my area they were brilliant. Get someone to fight your corner worked for me.

Good luck

Kim xxxxx

[bubbles37]

hi simon, welcome. sorry to hear of all you've been through, hope things improve for you its not easy though. i to have had trouble with dwp i went to cab (citizens advice) got help from them, but still had trouble with dwp. then just my luck i got perenial nueropathy my legs went & now i cant get out. they are still expecting me to work. i to am 45 & would like to work but despite not being able to get out they still put me onto life skills. wish you all the best, good luck. take care

[Hidden]

You have been through the mill and i wish i had an answer for you but ive not had that experience,,,having said that they are out of their tiny minds and you need to appeal the decision and get it in writing off your consultant and anyone else that has any involvement to back you up

good luck with it

[Hidden]

You have been through the mill and i wish i had an answer for you but ive not had that experience,,,having said that they are out of their tiny minds and you need to appeal the decision and get it in writing off your consultant and anyone else that has any involvement to back you up

good luck with it

[senator69]

thank you everyone for your kind words and information, i will get onto blf and cab asap thanks again.

[jimmyw123 in reply to senator69]

yes senator, this is totally crazy,, i went through much the same as you about june last year, maybe not quite as bad,you have really been through the "mill" but bad enough to know how you must feel [i had a collapsed left lung and pneumonia ]

if i were you i would get a letter from my g.p, get onto the cab, phone the BLF or have a word with my local councillor.

although i'm an oap and disabled the DWP don't bother me, but you, in fact, are disabled as well,!!!

i do hope you get somewhere, i feel there is far too much of this sort of thing nowadays

good luck,, jimmy

[Hidden]

Hi senator, I too have had 2 spontaneous pneumothorax which resulted in a bullectomy /plurectomy, I then got diagnosed with copd then emphasema and then Alpha 1 Antitrypsin defiency ZZ phenotype which is genetic and I was born with it, I'm now classed as severe and I'm only 41, I have been on ESA for a year now applied for pip got turned down appealed got turned down I'm now going through the tribunal courts and put in a new claim, I to got asked to a back to work interview when I told them everything she said I would probably be put in the support group, ( not fit for work ) but asked if I would do voluntary work and I'm like yeah on my ok days sod the housework, shopping and my 4 kids and hubby that miss out when I'm bad, I'll go and knacker myself up just to please dwp I think not. contact any group like cab that can help and if ur doc disagrees with them ask him/her to help. Hope it all works out for u. Take care x Sonia x