My pain is as you describe. Neither diaphragm or rib cage seem to want to move sufficiently without effort. I suppose it could be pleural pain because I do have some scarring from the surgery, per the recent CT report
In the first 3 mos after my surgery I couldn’t naturally sneeze or yawn because that required deep quick breaths. I sort of swallowed them
Instead. Now I can but sometimes it seems I am only grabbing air from the top half of my lung. I had the lower lobe removed, so technically I am breathing from top half - though I believe that lobe descends into the space left behind. Sort of stretches out I believe.