Living with one lung

Hello! I have only just realised there are four pages on here, when i was in hospital getting my surgery I read only the first page of this thread. On that page the posts are so old I thought there was no point in replying, d'oh! I need to pay more attention to detail.

ANYWAY! I am 26, in December 2010 when I was 24 and eight months pregnant I found out I had a rare cancer (synovial sarcoma) in the pleural space of my right lung (possibly caused by having a talc pleurodesis two years before). In June 2011 I had my whole right lung removed. Immediately after the operation I was in quite a bit of pain and struggled walking far, especially on stairs. I got home after five days when I could do two flights of stairs and walk 500m. At home I walked every day, a little further each day. My recovery was put on hold a little as I was receiving radiotherapy which made me very sick and very tired. Once the side effects wore off I started walking again every day, this time trying inclines pushing my pram. Now (8 months later) I can walk for as long as I like, I have climbed hills and mountains, I just have to take my time and take rests. I do yoga. Now I intend to up the game a little, i've recently joined the gym so I am swimming and doing cardio. I can't do these things for very long, endurance is something I have a problem with but it's getting better all the time. I would strongly reccommend persistence with your breathing excersizes and general excersize. I know I'll hit a wall at some point and that will be my limit, but when I do i'll be very pleased that I worked so hard I got there. For now i'm pushing the wall and it's moving slowly.

I still feel pain now and again, I have to sit in certain ways. Its uncomfortable to sit up without my back being supported. I never need to take painkillers though. It's still sore to touch the ribs that were spaced.

All in all it's going really well. I hope i've not made it sound like is doesn't affect me cause it does, I struggle breathing on inclines but I want to do it, so I do. When I run around a little with my son I feel breathless within a minute or two. I'm hoping this new gym work will improve this though. But my life is great, i dont feel too limited, i'm fitter than some of my friends and i'm just so glad to be alive!!

I have a blog at http://synovialwhat.blogspot.co.uk/

I've really enjoyed reading about how you guys have got on and I love to see positive attitudes and read about the amazing acheivements some people have made as it totally inspires me to try harder. It's far out how differently it affects different people.

Michelle

 

:-) infer the effect on the body if a person lost the use of one lung

Lin wrote:

Quote:

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. 

Hi, Truly, once the lung is gone, the symptoms should abate and your daughter shouldl be breathing so much better. After one day of my lung removed, my night sweats stopped, my fevers stopped, my O2 sats zoomed up the charts. When in doubt, talk w/a nurse. I have found they have the best information, best resources and communicate a bit better than a physican. Wishing you and your daughter well and a very speedy recovery.

Hi, i just wanted to thank you for your comment. My daughter had her surgery on 04/04/12, a complete left pneumonectomy. And everything went GREAT! She was released from the hospital 6 days later and returned to school on the 16th.. She only needed o2 during surgery and she had an epideral (that numbed her mid section only) for the first 3 days after surgery to lessen her pain. But after it was taken out she did not/ has not needed anything, not even Tylenol, for pain. She is a miracle! Her doctors are so impressed with her speedy recovery. Her o2 stays around 99% and she's no longer taking antibiotics. It may be that children bounce back quickly but I know God is Good. Nurses are the best!

I have been living with one lung for 12 years, not a few lobes taken away but the whole left lung. I pretty much do anything that any other person does however I do have limits that I must respect. Depression is a major factor after surgery and the feeling that you don't have alot of time may make people like me go back to smoking for 4 years. Still here enjoying life one day at a time

I was born with only one lung in 1968 (also right only). The doctors told my mom that I would not live past 5. They were very wrong. I've lived an active life and have 3 beautiful healthly children. As a child I was very active, played basketball, ran. Some chest pain if over exerted, but I would just rest and keep going. Best of luck to you and your beautiful daughter.

I was born with only my right lung in 1968. I've led a very active life (especially as a child - basketball, running) and have 3 healthy children. Lately I've had health issues but I let myself get heavy and out of shape. It was really nice to find this site with others / similar issues.
Good luck to you and your daughter. You are blessed.

i was born in 1990 with both my lungs. How ever my right lung punctured when I was about 6 months. My aunt was taking care of my brother, sisters and I and while playing with me she ended up dropping me on a sharp edged table. Which punctured my right lung and leaving me with my left one :) since I practically  grew up with one lung I've never knew the difference. Most of the time people and I forget about it. I wish your father the best of luck. 

My mom had her lung removed 2 months ago...she doesn't have any appetite is that normal...we are very worried about her...wanted to know if anyone else had this problem.

there is need for monitoring every uptake by the body and then one will live normally. i got a friend who is living normally with one lung he is 33 years

I had the middle and lower lobe removed in July 2006. My breathing capacity is now 60%. It will never get better. However, I go the health club five days a week. My workout consists of about 45 minites of dumb bell weight training working a different muscle group each day. Then the workout is finished with at least 30 minutes on the stationary bike. Forty is better. I made up my mind that I was not going to be a slug after the operation. My workouts started about a month after the operation with just the bike. Start slowly. Do what you can do but make progress. Go even when you don't feel like it. 

I will be 69 Sept. 20. When I came home from the hospital I weighed 170 lbs. My weight is now 183 with 20% body fat and have a size 34 waist, 6 ft. 2 in.

My pace is a lot slower now but you must learn to live with what you have. I don't run or climb stairs and can't handle the heat (we live in Mississippi). Other than that I am healthy and thankful to be alive. My cancer was not tobacco related. 

i have one lung i started smoking at the age12

i had my left lung removed when i was 6 years old now i am 14 and am just like everyone else. mt lung was traping air and was pushing on my heart so i had to have it taken out

Hello, I came across this post while I am sitting here trying to find people with similar expierences. I am 27, last year I became really ill, which I thought was just broncitis, I get it often. I went to the hospital when I was unable to breath. I was told I had a pulse ox of 70, was rushed to the ICU, mind you I was only sick 2 days. Both of my lungs were 90% collapsed, I couldnt even get up to use the bathroom. I was in ICU a week and than put in a reg room. I had pneumonia and the flu. The hospital was just letting my body get sicker and sicker, they did a thoracentesis, which made me end up with MRSA in my lung. The hospital told me I prob wouldnt make it a week, as they had just let me get worse and worse. I was taken to another hospital and was rushed into surgery. I was on a vent for 3 days in an enduced coma. I was awake one day on the vent, they had to take me off sedation because my vitals were too low. I was in an ICU for another week. They removed my left lung to save my life. I worked back to a strength were I thought I was able to do things on my own. I had 3 chest tubes and a PICC line which I went home on. I will never forget that pain. A year later, I am now trying to get back to normal, I mean I am sure Ill never be 100% how I was before. I am working in a place that has very high altitude and I am noticing that I have trouble even walking to the bathroom. (I know I am not that out of shape). Any advice that could be given would be very helpful. I have had trouble finding a support group that has an idea what I went through. No one I have around me gets what it was like and really understands how I feel. I have major nerve damage and am in pain almost daily. Ive had epidural injections and nerve blocks, neither of which give much releif.

HI; I lost the use of one lung(virus) two years ago. I like to ski in Colorado, 9600ft base. After surgery to tie up the thorax, it was painful. Exercise was difficult. TWO years later I can run several hundred feet, before needing to stop. I ski at Copper CO every day for two hours, top to bottom without stopping. I do have problems with powder or bumps, I have to stop and catch my breath. GIVE it TIME. it may take several years, but it will get better(unless the other lung was damaged). I am 62. Good Luck.

Alan wrote:

Tricia wrote:

Hello, I came across this post while I am sitting here trying to find people with similar expierences. I am 27, last year I became really ill, which I thought was just broncitis, I get it often. I went to the hospital when I was unable to breath. I was told I had a pulse ox of 70, was rushed to the ICU, mind you I was only sick 2 days. Both of my lungs were 90% collapsed, I couldnt even get up to use the bathroom. I was in ICU a week and than put in a reg room. I had pneumonia and the flu. The hospital was just letting my body get sicker and sicker, they did a thoracentesis, which made me end up with MRSA in my lung. The hospital told me I prob wouldnt make it a week, as they had just let me get worse and worse. I was taken to another hospital and was rushed into surgery. I was on a vent for 3 days in an enduced coma. I was awake one day on the vent, they had to take me off sedation because my vitals were too low. I was in an ICU for another week. They removed my left lung to save my life. I worked back to a strength were I thought I was able to do things on my own. I had 3 chest tubes and a PICC line which I went home on. I will never forget that pain. A year later, I am now trying to get back to normal, I mean I am sure Ill never be 100% how I was before. I am working in a place that has very high altitude and I am noticing that I have trouble even walking to the bathroom. (I know I am not that out of shape). Any advice that could be given would be very helpful. I have had trouble finding a support group that has an idea what I went through. No one I have around me gets what it was like and really understands how I feel. I have major nerve damage and am in pain almost daily. Ive had epidural injections and nerve blocks, neither of which give much releif.

HI; I lost the use of one lung(virus) two years ago. I like to ski in Colorado, 9600ft base. After surgery to tie up the thorax, it was painful. Exercise was difficult. TWO years later I can run several hundred feet, before needing to stop. I ski at Copper CO every day for two hours, top to bottom without stopping. I do have problems with powder or bumps, I have to stop and catch my breath. GIVE it TIME. it may take several years, but it will get better(unless the other lung was damaged). I am 62. Good Luck.

Hi; I had pain in the cut area. I found a message therapist that did intercostal message(between the rib bones.) The message hurt, but helped with the pain and increased my ability to expand the lung without pain. She also messaged the cut area. My wife also messaged the cut area daily. These helped me. Good Luck.