I don't want to hijack dear cof drop's funny post and so it is time that I tell my friends what has been going on. 4 weeks ago I managed to see a GP. I told her that I had been having pains in my left upper chest and was quite breathless. I felt sure that it was not an exacerbation of bronch. She laughed, yes laughed and told me that 'we all have pains between our ribs as we get older'
I struggled on until last wed night I woke up with a very sharp pain in the same place, gasping for air. By thursday night I was having problems walking and talking
phoned 111 who sent an ambulance. Paramedics gave me atrovent inhaler which eased the breathing but I refused to go to our local hospital because it is their consultant who asked me why I thought I had lung damage with bronch.
Next day battled with my consultants's bronch nurse to have her told what was happening. I told her I thought I had a pneumothorax. Sulkily she agreed to speak to my con who said yes, come over to clinic today. My dear friend took me and as soon as I arrived, xray, bloods. All the dear nurses in that clinic came to talk to me. Con put xray on screen 'what have you been saying that you've got '
'Pneumothorax'
'Spot on I'm not letting you go home'
Then six hours waiting in emergency assessment and overnight in a freezing holding ward then weekend and Bank Holiday before finally having ct guided drain in.
Almost immediate breathing relief. As my con is now part time she does not do patients on the ward now. As it happens not such a bad thing as I came under a really fabulous guy who also knows his bronchiectasis.
He and I now have a plan to.badger the powers that be because unlike cofdrop respiratory patients at the QE do not have direct access to the ward and have to go through A&E or the assessment procedure every time they need admitting.
Today they have clamped off the drain to see if the pneumothorax comes back.
So spent my 73rd birthday with a pipe stuck in my back, attached to a drip.
Had to cancel my Lung function tests
Getting closer to what's happening 
Update-COPD emergency pack- what should be in it?
What can I do about air pollution
I’m so sorry to hear that you have had to spend your birthday in hospital, but I’m very glad that you were finally listened to re your correct self-diagnosis, and finding a good doctor you can have a good working relationship with, an unexpected bonus. 👏
I hope you recover speedily and escape the ward to actually have some sort of birthday celebration 💐🥂🎉
Thankyou we're working on it