Recovering From Pneumonectomy

• By brooklyn1
• Posted August 29, 2009 at 11:36 pm
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Dear Stephanie,
Welcome home! Glad everything went well - though I don't have any experiences to share, just wanted to let you know you are in my thoughts and prayers for a gentle and rapid recovery. Take good care - Peg

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• By TomNY
• Posted August 29, 2009 at 11:49 pm
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Hi Stephanie,

I had the VATS and was able to manage recovery by doing daily walks and getting lots of rest. Also remember that there are no awards for enduring extra pain. Take your meds if you need them.

As with any cancer, get to know all that you can about carcinoid. It is different and many people don't understand.

I hope you start feeling well and get back to your life quickly.

Tom

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• By UneasyRider
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 12:40 am
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I only had a lobectomy, so I can't speak directly to a pneumonectomy. I agree with the lots of rest suggestion. Adding in whatever aerobic exercise you can tolerate, and slowly increasing it as you can, helps a lot too, I believe (and studies have shown that aerobic exercise can help a lot with the long term pain many people have from this surgery).

Good luck and let us know how you do.

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• By cards7up
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 5:51 am
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Morning Stephanie, glad to hear your feeling ok after your surgery. Eat well and get plenty of rest while you heal. Some exercise as suggested sounds good. I am sending you this website to check out regarding your cancer. The Mayo Clinic is very well known and this is very informative. When do you go back to your doctor? Have they talked with you yet as to what your next steps will be? Come back often for info, questions, concerns and support. Take care, JC

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/carcinoid-tumors/DS00834

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• By Ruthie3110
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 7:49 am
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Hey,
I had surgery on the same day and was out yesterday too! Although because of the time difference I can't be sure if it was technically the same day, and I'm too tired to work it out!!

I had two lobes of my right lung removed, but was off most of the pain meds by about day four, they took away my morphine!! And removed my epidural so I was just on tablets.

I'm on tramadol and diclofenac for the pain and its not so bad at all.
Mine wasn't VATS so I have a huge scar across my back but apart from that I'm almost back to normal already, stairs to the toilet are a bit challenging but I'm managing.

Good Luck with the rest of your recovery :)

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• By Ruthie3110
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 7:51 am
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Also, like someone else said, take your meds!!
Take as few as possible but keep on top of it, once it spikes its harder to control it than if you keep it low all the time.
I take one tablet three times a day but on a morning i take two because its worse after sleeping on it all night for example.

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• By kkwv
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 8:17 am
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Breathing exercises, stretching, walking, walking, walking. They'll all help, and remember that some days will be better than others. You'll have up and down times, so don't beat yourself up.

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• By old1lunger
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 9:01 am
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Dear Stephanie,
I had a thorocotomy in January 2002 my entire right lung was removed with a 5cm tumor. So the bottom line, along with all of the great advice that you have read so far is that your body is going to tell you what you can do. The ability to breathe has just been reduced by 40% so don't expect to go out there and walk a mile, or do exercise without a definite impact. I was also lucky in that there was no other cancer found in my body so the surgery was the only impact I had to endure, so if you are told you might need chemo or radiation, well get more than one opinion and then go with what you feel is best for you. I have never had any thing else so, bless the Lord, I feel extremely lucky and I pray that you also will be blessed.

Keep on breathing and living!!!!

ol'one lunger

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• By suebanj
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 11:29 am
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Just take it one day at a time!! I did walk everyday and was usually able to do a little more each day...Also the breathing exercises were very important.. But, most important, if you are tired, rest!!! Your body went through alot!! I know I am now 7 weeks out from surgery and am feeling pretty good! But there were days that I thought the recovery would never end, and then one day I woke up and felt sooooo much better!! Just remember it takes time. I was blessed that I didn't need any further treatments after surgery....
Feel good and enjoy each day!!

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• By peyz33
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 3:12 pm
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Get a "pillow" to hold against your chest when you cough, sneeze or have the hic-cups - OMG - I was flipping the first time I tried to make a BM - the pain meds will constipate you and when you push (because you will) you will feel PAIN so you need a pillow for that - it really makes a difference. Also - take stool-softeners and senocott daily!!!!! Drink alot of fluids and try to walk every day - the more you walk and breathe the sooner you will feel strong.....Good Luck!!!
karen

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• By greccogirl
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 3:59 pm
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Yes, first of all, TAKE YOUR PAIN MEDICINE and don't miss a dose. If it isn't helping your pain it needs to be changed. After my lung surgery the weight of my breast against my chest was unbearable, wearing a sports bra helped. Sleep sitting in a recliner if it hurts too much to lie down, I don't know where I'd be without mine.

And with time it will get better!

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• By misself
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 6:56 pm
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Stephanie,I used a Gopher you can buy them at Walmart and they work pretty well.Bending to pick things up off the floor hurt for several weeks in my surgical side.Several nurses told me to eat extra protein to heal all they cut.I bathe with Dove lush oil body wash to help with the scar.While I can't say a 36cm. scar can be pretty it is fairly loose and pink not streched and angry red.Good healing,AndiB

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• By maryalice
• Posted August 30, 2009 at 7:38 pm
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Wow, you sound great for being a few days post-op!! I had VATS and was hurting pretty bad. I can tell you about 2 weeks post-op I developed the nerve pain and I thought I was going crazy, my right breast felt like it was on fire, no one warned me this was to be expected. Be sure to ask for the Lidocaine patches if you develope the neuropathy, they work!! Hang in there it does get better. MA

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• By ST1528
• Posted August 31, 2009 at 2:39 pm
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Thank you everyone for your responses and advice! It's getting better each day. My pain meds, walking and breathing are priorities! I did get a recliner and it has helped a lot...finally sleeping some!

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• By wunlung
• Posted August 31, 2009 at 4:13 pm
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Hi, glad to hear you are doing well. I had my left lung removed two years ago on July 5th. It was a thoracotomy as well and I have a ginormous scar on my left side still with the weird buring sensation etc. Anyway, keep walking, I just got back from 18 holes of Frisbee Golf (Disc Golf). For two lungers it's nothing but for me it's a ways but I love it. I would try to get some physical and pulmonary therapy, watch your oxygen saturaton levels, that will get better with time and doing what you can aerobically, pulmonary therapy helped with that a lot and I learned a great deal

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• By Anne2022
• Posted September 14, 2009 at 2:37 pm
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Hi Stephanie,
I had a thoracotomy and a bi-lobectomy of my right lung on 4/15/09, so I can't speak to a full pneumonectomy. However, I wanted to share that my pain lessened A LOT after about 4 weeks at which time I didn't even need ibuprofen anymore.
I have 2 kids and a full-time job and am managing everything (with the help of my husband) just fine. I have also been able to re-start running. It is important to rest, but my experience has also been that the more I do, the more I can do.

Best wishes to you for a speedy recovery.

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