Pneumothorax...

[sloth]

Cheers guys, and no chance of heroics if it gets worse. The staff made the risks of a proper collapsed lung quite clear! I'm not completely out of the water yet, but they were hopeful it won't get worse and will resolve itself. It sounds like mine was pretty mild, not big enough to warrant the risks of an operation unless it worsens, but wow is it painful just breathing.

Paul, I had pleurisy about 10 years ago, and had a bit of congestion and a cough last week, nothing I'd even consider bad enough to be a cold though. Just unlucky I guess, being tall, slim, 25-35 and male makes me (and you I'm guessing) like 75% of the 1 in 10,000 who have a spontaneous pneumothorax.

[Paul Melarange]

It is strange that it mostly affects slim, fit men. As far as I know the experts don't know why that is.

 

In glad yours was mild. It is scary when it happens though isn't it?

 

If it happens again don't hesitate to get to hospital. Luckily I was in the back of an ambulance when mine was at its worse. I dread to think what it would have been like without oxygen therapy.