future uncertainty is the hardest thing

New Member Joined: 17 Jun 2015 Posts: 2

My son is 17 and had his first spontaneous pneumothorax on his right side in July 2014 when he was 16. He is tall (6 feet 1 inch) and thin. He was in the hospital almost 3 weeks and ended up having surgery. All of this was a complete shock to his father and me because he had always been a healthy child. In December 2014, he had a partial lung collapse on the same side and had a second surgery. That hospital stay was about a week long. This past February 2015, he started having the same pain but now on the left side. Since he didn't have shortness of breath, he waited it out and we did not go to the hospital. It must have healed on its own because when his dad and I took him for a CT scan about a month later, there were no blebs. The uncertainty of possible future spontaneous pneumothoraces is the hardest thing to live with. I wonder when and if it will ever happen again. If it does happen again, is it because he is a cross country runner. The doctors say that running does not cause it. Will he have another lung collapse when he goes off to college next year? How will this affect his future life with regard to him being able to keep a job. He had been very interested in becoming a pilot, but now, it doesn't seem possible. Thank you for any feedback you might have.

Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 2:54 pm Post subject:

Hi
I've had a number of SP's and three surgeries mostly in my early 20's. I'm now very fit and teach dance classes in my spare time. I've flown many times and don't really think about my lungs too much, other than when a storm is coming in and I am able to predict it as my lungs start to twinge.

I don't think it will stop him becoming a pilot, have a read of this article:
http://blebinfo.co.uk/Docs/aircrew.htm

it may be that they would need to see certain surgery carried out in order to be sure it stands least chance of recurrence. He should be covered on the side he's had the op, but the other side may be cause for some concern regarding that career if it's left untreated (surgery wise).

Also have a read of some of the positive stories:
http://www.blebinfo.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1020&highlight=positive

as forums can be full of scary posts!

New Member Joined: 17 Jun 2015 Posts: 2

The link to the article you provided was an interesting and informative read. After reading the article and looking at the "positive story" thread, I realize that my son and our family have much to be thankful for! Thank you for creating this forum and for taking the time to reply to my post.