15th March: So Thats What a pneumothorax is!

On Thursday 15th March 2007, I woke with intense pain on the right side of my chest, and shortness of breath. I was doubled over and struggled to suck in any air, but managed to have a shower and get in the car and drive. As I headed to work, I passed the local hospital and realised that I was finding it hard to concentrate on the road, so maybe I should get this checked.



At Werribee Mercy Hospital, I presented at the emergency department and with their stethoscopes, the triage nurse could tell there was no air entering my right lung. Within minites they organised an x-ray to confirm a total collapse of the right lung - a spontaneous primary pneumothorax of the right lung.

The right lung is flat, like a popped balloon.

In the xray, the left lung looked like half an apple, but the right lung looked like a popped balloon. The doctors then asked if they could take a copy of the x-ray for training purposes, as they'd never seen such a complete collapse before. At this point I was starting to realise that I had a serious problem, but figured I'd be fixed soon.

The doctors inserted an intercostal catheter - a piece of plastic hose - into my chest, just below my right underarm, and connected that catheter to a Thoraseal 'water box' device, which in turn was connected to suction. I'll never forget the loud whoosh of air that came from me as they inserted the intercostal catheter.

The catheter in my right chest is clamped and the right lung is staying inflated

Werribee Mercy Hospital kept me connected to the Thoraseal and suction for 2 days and x-rayed me periodically. These x-rays confirmed that the right lung was slowly reinflating, and when they disconnected suction on Saturday 17th March, and clamped the catheter, continued xrays confirmed that the right lung stayed inflated.


On the 4th day, Sunday 18th March, they removed the catheter and continued xraying me. I left the hospital that afternoon and thought "What the hell happened there!".