Shielding before and after lung surgery

[Becky130777]

I am waiting to have lung surgery a lobectomy. Hoping to get a surgery date in next 2 weeks, as already cancelled once. I spoke to my doctor about shielding and she said I couldn’t get a shielding letter as this is only for people currently getting cancer treatment such as chemotherapy (I have a carcinoid tumour in my bronchial tube, so my treatment is surgery). I am currently shielding anyway before surgery and plan to after for recovery but I live with my family, my husband still has to go work and I have children of school age. I am concerned about being in a high risk group, but I will still need to send my children back to school at some point, even if I delay them going back, I will also need to go back to work myself at some point, although I assume I can get a sick note for as long as I need to recover. Is anyone else in a similar situation that could give any advise. Thank you

[Caspiana]

Hi Becky, 👋

I think you shielding before surgery is what you ought to be doing. How long after surgery will you be staying in hospital? How soon are you expected home? What kind of drugs will you be on afterwards? Anything that may open you up to infection? Weaken your immune system? I think this is really a question for your surgeon. How high risk are you after surgery? A week after, a month after? Considering this they may give you a sick note for however long they feel you need to recover. This also depends on healing. Some people heal relatively quickly, others take more time. I'm not sure what to suggest about your husband working and kids going to school. But if you are susceptible to catching anything off them, the only thing you can do is stay in your own room as much as possible until you feel it's safe again. If possible, do not share sinks, toilets and showers. I'm on a ton of immunosuppressive drugs after a big operation last year but so far I have managed to avoid anything nasty even though I have two children here with me since March (both employed). I hope it goes well for you.

Take care,

Cas xx 😁🌻🌷

[Becky130777 in reply to Caspiana]

Many thanks for your reply. I have been advised recovery is anywhere between 4-12 weeks. So far my workplace have been very good and let me work from home, so I am hoping this could be an option initially after recovery. I do have the telephone number for the thoriac nurse so I think I will call them to see if they can offer any further advice.

[HenryEtta in reply to Becky130777]

Hi Becky I had a top lobe right lung lobectomy 5 weeks ago . I am ok but the breathlessness takes time to go away . I wasn’t in much pain just a few days only . The thoracic team said it takes up to 12 weeks to start to get back to where you were before surgery unless you have asthma or COPD AS the lobectomy seems to unsettle them . I have to have a course of chemo starting on Monday just to blast anything that maybe left although they took both tumours out and told me they got it all. It’s just an extra precaution which I am happy to have to be cancer free . Let me know how you get on please best regards

[skischool]

Simply by having a lobectomy you will fall within the sheilding criteria,and you must certainly shield yourself prior to the procedure and afterwards,you should anticipate at least a six week recovery period post surgery and possibly longer so any thought of returning to work is probably out of the question for the immediate future.

Initially you may apart from pain relief require anti coagulents post surgery to avoid the danger of clotting and obviously gentle physio to recuperate as you will probably experience a degree of breathleesness post procedure until things have settled down.

All of this needs of course to be discussed with your medical team and family prior to the op.

Wishing you the best of luck and a gentle recovery.

Ski's and Scruff's.

[Becky130777 in reply to skischool]

Many thanks for your advice. Yeah definitely shielding at the moment and planning to after. My children are shielding with me at the moment as summer holidays now for us. Just my husband who still had to go to work. I think I will call the Thoriac nurse next week to get some more advice.

[cofdrop-UK]

You are certainly doing the right thing shielding, both before and after surgery. Your recovery time will depend largely on what type of lobectomy they intend to do - open or VATS, but in any event as all your family are out and about in the community, I would have thought strict shielding within the home even would be the way to go.

I had a lobectomy when I was 15. Thankfully I hear from people who have had this surgery more recently that pre hospitalisation and recovery time is considerably shorter than in those early days. However we didn’t have Covid to worry about. That must be a concern for you.

I hope all goes smoothly for you. Please let us know how you get on.

Love cx

[Kristicats]

Hi Becky hope the surgery goes well and the recovery as smooth as possible. I also hope you can delay going back to work as long as possible and also your children going to school as to protect you for longer during your recovery. Could your husband also get some time off after your op?

[23september]

Hope you have your surgery soon. Keep safe too.🙏

[Sunshineandsand]

I am mid 50 and had a VATS lobectomy two weeks ago. I was shielding before and I am shielding now. I intend to shield until I feel fully recovered and have the consultants ok to stop.

I went in a day before the surgery, had both drains removed 4days after the surgery and went home on the fifth day. My partner removed the stitches as I did not want to go anywhere near the doctors surgery and it was a simple 5 minute job, not painful at all.

I did not have pain in the lung area but the drain site was tender for about 10 days after the surgery.

Although I have healed well, I haven’t noticed a difference in my breathing yet as I am still very breathless. I am doing the exercise suggested by the hospital physiotherapist to ensure I am doing everything I can to improve my lung function. Hopefully I will feel an improvement by the end of summer.

I hope all goes well with you.

[Becky130777 in reply to Sunshineandsand]

Hello, thanks for your reply and advice it’s sound like You are doing really well. Hopefully your breathing will start to feel better soon. The pain management and breathlessness are the 2 main things that I am worried about during recovery.

[Sunshineandsand]

I was expecting severe pain but my pain was a 4 out of 10 for the first two days and then a 2. I have headaches that are more painful. I used the pain relief only for the first day and then nothing, so really the pain was not a problem.

I think time and following the physios exercise advice will improve my breathlessness.

To be honest, the worry about the surgery turned out to be far worse than the surgery and recovery.

[5lupins in reply to Sunshineandsand]

Get the headaches checked as soon as you can. Very important after cancer surgery.

[Davyroy]

Hello Becky, I have been waiting for the lung valve procedure for a while now. Last year I missed the window because they don't operate during the colder months for obvious reasons. Soon as the new season started I was exited. I had a phone call out of the blue to tell me what the NHS have withdrawn finance so it will not go ahead. Cruel or what?

[Becky130777 in reply to Davyroy]

Really sorry to hear that. Is there any other options? What did your consultant advice. I am assuming is this to help open your airways to improve breathing? Since having this procedure I have realised that there doesn’t appear to be as much funding for lung conditions and yet pollution is on the increase, so this will surely increase problems with lung diseases and cancers. I hope you get something soughted.