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Dear DU Forum, I never dreamed it would happen to me....
The week before last, I pulled up the Edward Scissorhands carpet in our kitchen. Butt-ugly, had to go, new tile to put in. Apparently I kicked up a bunch of dust or whatnot, and I ended up with a bitchin' case of chest congestion.
Monday night before last, I had a contractor over to help put in the sub-floor, and I started coughing so hard I had to sit down while he worked. I felt a sharp pain in my upper left chest, took an aspirin and sat quietly to see what was up. Nothing else happened, and the pain subsided, so I didn't think anything of it. I know, I know, stupid male "I'm okay" nonsense.
Woke up next morning and went to work. I was sucking wind terribly, really short of breath, weak as hell, but I figured I was just that congested. I got home and my wife insisted that I go to the doctor the next morning.
I figured I had pneumonia, would get a shot and some drugs, and I'd go home back to bed. Nope. Next morning in the clinic, doc took an x-ray, walked in and told me I had a collapsed lung and would need a chest tube and a four-day stay in the hospital. He asked me when this happened, and I told him Monday night. He just shook his head. I felt like a total dumb-ass.
So they stuck a chest tube in, flash-pumped the lung back up (ouch), and wheeled me upstairs. I had the tube in for three days to keep negative pressure on the lung to make sure it stayed up, and they pulled the tube (ouch) and sewed me up. I stayed another day for observation. Came home last Saturday at noon.
I'm walking around with stitches yet, hopefully they'll pull them early next week.
Anyone else on DU ever go through this? I've heard of athletes and accident victims having a lung collapse, but not people just sitting around coughing. When it happened, did you know it right away? Never in a million years would I have guessed that's what had happened.
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