I live in Mohlai (India). I had TB between 1988-91 due to which my one lung is impaired by 80% and other by 20%. Therefore I have one lung only. I fear taking vigorous exercise as it may not result into another complication. Though i find that i have better potential than my freinds. No doubt that energy which i had earlier is lacking. That might be due to my own feeling. I am married having two kids. I take alcohol about 45 ml. almost 250 days in a year. eat non-veg, practice law (a profession with lot of tension and pressure). I too think one lung is enough to lead good life.
I am 35. I had my left lung removed in its entirety when I was 23. I had a benign tumour in my left bronchial tube which had to be removed, and unfortunately, because of the positioning of the tumour, they had to remove the whole lung even though it was healthy. I did not have cancer, so no radiation or chemotherapy. A nurse who supervised me before and after surgery told me that the expected result of the operation would be that I would from then on feel as though I was 'living with a handbrake on'.
I was determined that would not be the case.
Initially, after the lung was removed, it was difficult to undertake physical activity of any kind. But I hired a personal trainer and regained my fitness. Then I started training for my first triathlon. I ended up doing triathlons for 6 years, with a club, culminating in my completion of two half-Ironman triathlons. I was always the slowest in my club, but I was not always the last to finish every race, and I took real pride in that. For me, it was about crossing the finishline, a triumph in and of itself.
Since engaging in physical training at that level, ordinary tasks like climbing stairs, and even moderate exercise, like hiking, have posed no problems for me. In fact, I think I am fitter than most people with two lungs. Nobody would know unless I told them that I was living with only one lung. There is nothing that I can't do which other people with two lungs can (except, you know, win the Tour de France).
I am currently pregnant with my first child, and am experiencing some breathlessness in my third trimester, as my uterus grows and presses against my diaphragm, but it is difficult to know whether the breathlessness I am feeling is worse that that of other women at this stage in pregnancy. Other than this one symptom, I have encountered no problems in pregnancy to do with having one lung.
In short, I think having only one lung does not have to be a disability at all unless you allow it to be. Live a healthy life, exercise energetically, train your one lung so that it expands and your body so that it is more efficient, and your life will be as rewarding as a life with two lungs.
I had my right lung removed 44 years ago, when I was 20, I found out while I was pregnant with my first child, I had to wait for 3 months after his birth before the surgery could be done. In 1967 there was no rehab, just a doctor telling me that I didn't have cancer. There I was with a baby and lots of challenges, but I am here to tell you that I had another baby in 1970, and have had the most wonderful life, I do anything I have ever wanted to do, my view is, I am the only one that has a right to tell me what I can't do, so far, the only thing I can't do is climb mountains or run, but I couldn't do either of those before my lung was removed. As for the breathessness during pregnancy I had one child when I had both lungs, and one after my lung was removed, they were both uncomfortable, my oldest was born while I still had the disease that was the problem, and the other was born after the lung was removed, but both were easy. I can't tell anyone to not be afraid of surgery, I never like surgery, but who does? It is just part of who I am now, I have done many things that no one would have ever expected, but me, if something makes me uncomfortable I stop, if it feels good I will do it again. Tonight is the first time in my life that I have read anything about this, when I was sick, there was no internet, probably to my advantage, I only went with the way my body felt, I never read what I should expect, so I expected to be well, and here I am all of these years later passing on my story to help someone feel more comfortable with what they are about to endure, but I hope you can see that it is not as bad as it sounds.....I wouldn't suggest it, but if you have no choice "this too, shall pass" live it all, it really is up to You.
My 6 year old daughter (she'll be 7 in March) will soon be having her left lung removed. She was born with multilple birth defects. Omphalocele, TE fistula with EA, VSD, to name a few of her many obsticles. She had chronic pnemonia in her lung from September 2010 to May 2011. As a result, it collapsed and is now a host for infection. After being off of antibiotics for more than 2 weeks she is spiking high fevers, retracting when breathing, O2 around 90-92% I am worried about the recovery process and the pain that she may be in afterwards. The doctors seems as though they may not want to upset/worry me more than I already am. I have gotten some comfort from reading each of your post. Thank you.