[May70]

Spontaneous pneuomothorax does not require any traumatic event. Most of the time its just a partial collapse but they are all deemed a 'collapse'. Some how or another the lung tissue ruptures and air escapes into the chest cavity. Most are due to 'blebs' which are just cysts full of air that rupture from over growth or coughing. The cause of blebs are unknown but are predominant in tall, white males on the thin side. Depending on the amount of pleura separation and the direction it separates, it can be unimaginably painful. Ive had three large chest tubes, one smaller one and a needle decompression through the front chest. My last go around I was passing in and out of consciousness from the pain for over 15 minutes while they were trying to get an emergency chest tube placed.

I can attest from having a few, the last being the direction with the worst pain and it was a complete collapse. I had the vats chemical pleurodesis and the top apex of my lung removed and have not had another collapse coming up on 3 years.

I would not wish that on the worst person on the planet.

If you want to talk offline you can pm me. Risk of recurrent pneumo's increase drastically after each event, in case they didn't key you in on that. I assume youve only had one. My second was about 100 times more painful than the first. I got a pretty good doc, i think the 4th go around, some good meds to prevent the situation. There are a lot of factors that can weigh in on those pneumos. One being pathways to the alveoli constricted, which when you go to cough they cannot release the air quick enough and subsequently rupture from the pressure. There are medications that enlarge those pathways.