VATS pls help! So scared !!!

I am sorry you are going through this, try not to panic yourself into getting sicker. My husband recently had his upper rt. lobe removed. His doctor also kept prescribing antibiotics for years saying it was bronchitis alone. We should insist upon an X-ray when we keep having problems or go to another doc. I know that's not always feasible but we have to be our own advocates also. We were blessed to find a great surgeon who likes for his patients to have an epidural put in for post-op pain, which is scary (but went well). There are other pain meds too, make sure they give you plenty. I learned that most of the pain was from the tubes that were inserted. His surgeon is awesome & my husband didn't feel much pain even when the tubes were removed. The most trouble was getting the nurses to use the epidural machine correctly. My husb. tumor ended up being over 10 mm! The surgeon said the tumor had probably been there for 6 yrs. or so. I couldn't believe it. It was on his sternum & 2 ribs also. I am very glad you are getting it taken care of and have hope that it will be OK. My husband was very scared also, he is 51 yo & that was his first surgery. People are living healthy lives with lung lobes removed & whole lungs removed. I hope you will be OK & I hope you have support to be at the hospital with you. It sounds hard but the healing process will involve getting up a few days later to get that fluid out, which is very important. Good luck to you Lorrie12. You will be in my prayers.

Lorrie 12.  Good luck with your surgery.  I pray that you will recover and have no side effects.  I was very weak and even after a year and one half I still do not have the energy I had before.  It was not painful but uncomfortable.  The phrenic nerve was damaged during surgery so I am dealing with the left side of the diaphragm being paralyzed.  It is just a slow recovery but now I am breathing better and I feel I am on my way to recovery thanks to prayer.  I hope this helps and wish you a blessed recovery.