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Increasing pain over time after Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery
Lung Cancer | Last Active: Jan 14 1:42pm | Replies (42)Comment receiving replies
Vic. Your pain on taking a deep breath sounds very similar to my experiences. I had VATS wedge last November After this surgery I had a broad spectrum of different pains that gradually get better in the healing process. In April, I don't remember if I specifically had deep
breathing pain at that time, but my follow up CT in April had a bit more chest fluid (pleural effusion) than thought normal and had it removed and tested. The tests showed my lymphoma in the fluid, but unsure if the fluid was caused by the lymphoma. Follow up in June was scheduled and near that time I had bad chest pain on a deep breath and and they tested for PE but found additional fluid and removed it. I think my deep breath pain was a result of the additional chest fluid building up. Chest fluid can be caused by many things. They decided mine was the lymphoma and received treatment for lymphoma. My breathing is fine now or should I say, back to my new normal. I go back in November for CT and blood work. Your Mayo Dr. will need to evaluate the recent CT and proceed from there.
Fluid removal (Thoracentesis) was not bad. Hope this helps.
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Thank you so much for your prompt reply StanKent. It is very informative. I have multifocal adenocarcinoma and lymph nodes OK for now. They were initially enlarged after surgery. But my CT scans find all kinds of other stuff, scarring, inflammation, interstitial disease.
But I have now had an interesting development. Last night I realized I felt good and this morning I woke up with little side pain and my deep breath pain is much improved. I knew that yesterday morning they gave me BENADRYL 50 mg injection and methylPREDNISolone 125 mg injection before doing the CT scan with contrast. I once had hives from contrast, so I always pre-medicate and then have no issues. Now a sudden side pain that goes away suddenly may not be unusual, but a long developing deep breath pain to decrease suddenly would seem unusual. I wonder if the dose of steroids helped.
The CT is locally done and not Mayo so not very deep on lungs but shows I have no other issues which is good. It is a challenge to coordinate testing between institutions. They can't compare to past results.