Collapsed lung, blebs, etc

Ok. About five years ago now I was taking a shower, bent over to shave my legs, and my chest started to hurt. I didn't think anything of it until it continued to get worse. I had always been extremely healthy with the exception of strep that i would frequently get. Turns out I had a collapsed lung, I was only 16 at the time and had never smoked in my life. We did the chest tube and it was said i had blebs on my lung. Well it collapsed again a few weeks later but healed by itself, then about six months after that the other side collapsed. I was hospitalized but it also healed itself. Since them I have suffered from extreme chest pain from time to time, it's constent pressure. I also since then have had bronchitis numerous times (I'm talking like 3 times a year for a month at a time.... Minimum) I'm nervous because this really does effect my quality of life, everytime i have bronchitis we go through the chest X-ray process, also CT a few years back. I'm concerned something else could be wrong, I'm 22 now, still have never smoked and besides the bronchitis and chest pains am perfectly healthy. Could it be lung cancer? Or could this be from the blebs "leaking" air (I've heard this will happen and cause discomfort) and should I explore having them removed? I'm a worrier, so anxiety could also be part of it. But the consistent chest pain and bronchitis has got to go.

Dear Jpaigel,Hi! My name is Erika. I don't know if I will ever find a case of spontaneous pneumothorax(i) as closely related as your story is to mine. Even my lung collapses began at age 16, and occurred again at age 22 (i am now 23) I really hope you recieve this because I have been struggling with the same persistent pain, reoccurrent lung collapses/surgeries/chest tubes, and if there is a cold within 10 miles of me, no doubt i will get it! I've had bronchitis and pneumonia several times this year alone, and no matter what I do, I always have daunting, and reoccurring chest pain on a daily basis. I have been to every Pulmonologist and thoracic surgeon now in and around my town, and the doctors can't give me any explanation better than having "bleb disease." It is so rare to have a situation as similar as ours are and it would be great to be able to talk to you and see what you have done throughout this journey of battling bleb-ridden lungs. I really wish there was more information out about this, and that people like you and me could recieve some sort of treatment that would prevent us from ever having to go through this trauma again! My emial is

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if you would rather e-mail me instead. It would also be nice to have someone to talk to about this who has been through a similar situation. (Instead of the baffled faces and looks of confusion i usually get) I hope to hear from you. Thanks!-Erika