The Lungs - You need them
I get this nagging cough every year. This year it never went away. I got really sick a month ago and was not sure what happened. I was having trouble breathing and could not really walk far without feeling like I was going to pass out. I needed to get this checked out. I finally went to the doctor a week ago. She did a chest x-ray and come to find out, my left lung was full of fluid. I went to a pulmonologist on Thursday and he said they will need to drain my lung. Once it is drained they would find out what caused it.
On Friday I went for my procedure at the hospital. They prepped me and shoved the needle into my fluid area. It was a weird sensation. As they were draining they filled a 1 liter bag and the doctor was like "oh crap we need another bag". So they got another bag and he stoped at .5. They pulled 1.5 liters of fluid out of my lung. Just imagine a 2 liter bottle of soda. Almost that much. CRAZY!
Well, because I had so much fluid in my lungs, that it smushed the lung up into a tiny area and it was basically not functioning which was causing the problems. After the lung was drained, the doctor said that I would suddenly start feeling like I need to cough, because the lung would start the process of expanding. OMG! This was not a fun feeling. I was gasping for air and I could literally feel my lung moving inside me. I coughed for about 20 mins straight, gasping for air each time and it hurt.... IT HURT BAD. He kept checking and said this was normal because of how much fluid they drained. After 20 mins it started to slow down and I was finally able to breathe a little. He said it would take an hour or two and I would be fine. He did a final chest exam and WALLAH! I have pneumonia.
Cut to two hours later:
I am laying in bed resting and it hurt to breathe and I was coughing so much and ever cough hurt my chest. I finally broke down and called my doctor. I told them the problems and they said that since my lung was pushed up so tight because of the fluid, the pneumonia that caused all this was dormant and the expansion of the lung suddenly released this and now I am in full blown pneumonia mode. They prescribed Prednisone and Augmentin. It has been 6 days and I finally feel better. I can breathe and not hurt and I am not coughing as much. I still get a little winded after walking for awhile, but at least I am better now.
Here is a picture I took during the surgery and of the first 1 liter bag.
On Friday I went for my procedure at the hospital. They prepped me and shoved the needle into my fluid area. It was a weird sensation. As they were draining they filled a 1 liter bag and the doctor was like "oh crap we need another bag". So they got another bag and he stoped at .5. They pulled 1.5 liters of fluid out of my lung. Just imagine a 2 liter bottle of soda. Almost that much. CRAZY!
Well, because I had so much fluid in my lungs, that it smushed the lung up into a tiny area and it was basically not functioning which was causing the problems. After the lung was drained, the doctor said that I would suddenly start feeling like I need to cough, because the lung would start the process of expanding. OMG! This was not a fun feeling. I was gasping for air and I could literally feel my lung moving inside me. I coughed for about 20 mins straight, gasping for air each time and it hurt.... IT HURT BAD. He kept checking and said this was normal because of how much fluid they drained. After 20 mins it started to slow down and I was finally able to breathe a little. He said it would take an hour or two and I would be fine. He did a final chest exam and WALLAH! I have pneumonia.
Cut to two hours later:
I am laying in bed resting and it hurt to breathe and I was coughing so much and ever cough hurt my chest. I finally broke down and called my doctor. I told them the problems and they said that since my lung was pushed up so tight because of the fluid, the pneumonia that caused all this was dormant and the expansion of the lung suddenly released this and now I am in full blown pneumonia mode. They prescribed Prednisone and Augmentin. It has been 6 days and I finally feel better. I can breathe and not hurt and I am not coughing as much. I still get a little winded after walking for awhile, but at least I am better now.
Here is a picture I took during the surgery and of the first 1 liter bag.