Breathlessness

I.m now eight weeks post op and although much better than I was I find I get breathless just doing a small amount of work and having to sit down till I recover does anyone know if this is normal at this stage .

[Janashlin]

Completely normal. I am 5 months post op and still breathless pretty easily.

[jeffw663]

Do not worry, this is normal and can take weeks to improve, Did you have the machine to blow into before the op ? I kept mine and continued to use it post op and I am sure it helps as it helps to expand your lungs which give you more oxygen.

Jeff

[Hidden in reply to jeffw663]

Thanks for replying i.m glad to hear it's normal as it can be quite worrying. No I didn't have a machine just told to do breathing exercises .

[pegcburke]

I had the same issue, and found out, eventually, that I had both pericardial effusion as well as some pleural effusion following my chemo/radiation and surgery. I had to have the pericardial effusion drained. I read one study that said 30% of people who had radiation treatments in their chest area developed this. You may want to check it out.

[Hidden]

Ok thanks I also had chemo/radiation before surgery so it's a possibility .

[liz_crisp]

Totally normal. I had a machine but also the Phyisio gave me a bottle with two thin straws in the top pushed through a cork bung. The bottle was 4/5 filled with water so the long straw was in the water the short straw was out of the water and the short straw seas only about an inch through the bung you breathed out through the long straw and the air bubbles through the water and out through the short straw. It made you have to work hard to exhale and expanded my crackly lung, used it for a min at a time every day I felt well enough for a few months after my op as well as the smiley face machine

[Redandover70]

I am 20 months post op. I have used a steam inhaler (or face sauna). I was told by a Homeopath to put one drop of lavender oil and one drop of tea tree oil and it works really well. I was cancer free after the op but the lung that was collapsed during the operation just doesn't seem to have the same capacity it had so the steam or face sauna is really helpful and obviously the exercise of breathing deeply has improved it immensely.