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Pain after partial lobectomy of upper right lung

jraeilts
jraeilts CSN Member Posts: 3 Member
edited February 2023 in Lung Cancer #1

Hello,

I am 52 year old female and was diagnosed with a typical carcinoid tumor in an airway in my upper right lung this past summer. My PET scan revealed no other spots, so that was awesome. I had a partial lobectomy in late October. I had 1/3 of my right upper lobe removed. While the surgery was successful, the recovery was awful. In the beginning the shortness of breath was terrifying, but that resolved itself rather quickly. However, I struggled with a very aggressive cough, which caused diaphragm spasms, and extreme chest and rib pain. Subsequently, I ended up breaking ribs from coughing and shredding cartalidge across my back. I am a middle school teacher and was out on leave for 10 weeks. I am back at work, but still very fatigued and still coughing. Although the cough is improving, I still hurt under my right breast, around my back and under my right shoulder blade. I am curious if anyone else has struggled with this surgery and recovery.

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  • Hondo6606
    Hondo6606 CSN Member Posts: 1 *
    #2

    My surgery January 20, 2023 was exactly like yours except I am male. I am still recovering. As of today I have no return to work date. Lots of residual nerve pain and chest pain

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  • jraeilts
    jraeilts CSN Member Posts: 3 Member
    #3

    I hope your recovery continues to move in the right direction. My nerve pain subsided after week 12 or so. My chest no longer hurts, but I do still have some tightness and wheezing. In fact, due to my cough taking so long to subside, I had a repeat bronchoscopy last week. Everything look good, but my middle lung is a bit pinched at the opening. Hoping that resolves itself with time. Focus on rest and listen to your body.

    Best wishes.

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