I get this thing called a pneumothorax (pronounced nurothorax) where a lung temporarily collapses.
The first time it happened I dead set thought I was going to die- every breath is pain and it is like having a stroke all up one side. You can’t move fullstop because every slight movement is pain.
They don’t occur as often now and the pain isn’t as bad anymore.
Basically it is a cyst on my lung, which opens up and all you can do is wait till it closes (or atleast that’s how it was explained to me)
I went to a specialist and all you can do is have an operation where they literally shove a pole into you chest with no pain killers- extremely pain full apparently (something about they can’t use pain killers in those sorts of operations). He then went on the say that you can’t play any form of sport or do much really for a long time after the operation.
Basically unless the incidence of the lung collapses increase, it probably wouldn’t be worth doing. He said if it went on for any longer than a day I would be in trouble and to get to a hospital (the pain lasts a few days but the severe stuff only lasts at most a day.)
The first time it happened was out on the piss with mates and they freaked and took me to the hospital- I thought I was in some serious trouble. Eventually they figured out what was wrong and said I just had to ride it out and then go see a specialist the next day.
Now I know what it is, it isn’t as freaky when it happens (you can feel when it is coming- like a migrane) and you just deal with it.