This isn’t good
 

Was carrying my bike down the stairs getting ready for my Sunday ride this morning and started incessant coughing, once I get downstairs I told my wife I wasn’t feeling good. Next thing I know I couldn’t breathe. She called 911 the emts showed up quickly and measured my oxygen level at 80. They put me on oxygen and were able to get me up to 87. The head emt insisted that I take a ride in the ambulance. Got to the hospital and after X-rays they discovered my right lung had collapsed, pneumothorax they said. So the performed a thoracostomy, not fun.

So here I sit looks like a couple of days and I can go home. Don’t have any idea what the recovery is going to be like.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c4724e9d7.jpeg

I had to look it up. Dang. I am really sorry to hear that, and hope everything resolves as quickly and painlessly as possible.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...424821368b.png
Hey... Nice shoes... Its odd that a pnumothorax can happen in very healthy people. Especially those with increased lung capacity. Another thing thats odd is it can precipitate without a known event. Having an O2Sat drop into the 80s is not pleasant. I am sure glad it was not an infection or worse a pulmonary embolism.

I am sure you are going to make a fast recovery and do that Sunday ride!

Wow, that's weird. Glad you listened to the EMT. Hoping for a speedy recovery.

Good luck, and speedy recovery!

-D.S.

WIshing you a speedy and full recovery.

Man, I hate that for you. I hope you recover completely and quickly. Do they have any idea what induced it?

A Solid and hopefully full and quick recovery !
It will be interesting to hear what MDs have to say as to how it occurred...
Ride On
Yuri

wishing you well!

Blebs, lots of big ones. One burst. Possible due to dry needling.

PS: Thanks for all to good wishes.
.

Heal quickly

That sucks - but at least you got help in time. Heal fast

Yikes! Hope you recover quickly!!

Bummer, heal, take care of your self...... and good reminder for all not to be too self sufficient/proud/macho what ever to not take an ambulance

Sorry to hear that. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Sorry to hear. Glad they got you taken care of. Get well soon!

Been there, done that. But my pneumothorax was a result of a bike crash. If there was no precipitating trauma, what caused this? Perhaps a ruptured pleural bleb? Do you have a pulmonologist?

In my case, they placed a chest tube with a Heimlich valve, and sent me home. A week later, the chest tube was removed, and I've been fine ever since.

Bon chance!

At this point I have seen a Thoracic surgeon have had X-rays and a cat scan and will have a pet scan next week. Current thoughts are dry needling may have caused a bleb to burst, seems I have plenty to go around. Tube should come out today and with luck I’ll go home. As a 40 year smoker who quit in 2012 cycling has been a huge part of my recovery.

Thanks again for the best wishes I am not nearly as scared as I was last Sunday at this point.

.

I've had a small wrist BP monitor for over 20 years now, and got a pulse ox during the pandemic. I think I'll put both in the bike, they're light. Like tools, more likely I'll help someone else rather than myself.

Hope for a quick and full recovery, but why are we treating our chest like a dart board?....

Man, that is a tough one. I am glad you made it.

Trying to google up what the heck is a "bleb" I ran pretty quickly into this, which I guess you have already read
Pneumothorax as a complication of dry needling technique - PMC (nih.gov)

wasn’t my chest ‘‘twas my shoulder up high in the back.

.

Yikes! Get well soon.

+1 from me!

Best regards

Get well quickly and thanks for the cautionary tale!