"My Plural effusion that nearly killed me"

Hi Everyone.

       It all started back in the end of June 2019 and i started to get some symptoms, which at the time i put down to the weather. I was getting pain in my right side of my chest. I just put this down to a pulled muscle. Another week passed and i started to feel a little under the weather. I was getting a bit dizzy at times and little things, which i just put down to the hot weather we were having. The pain in my right side didn't go away and i noticed it was hurting to breathe deep.

I contacted my local surgery in July 2019 telling them my symptoms. About an hour passed and over the phone i spoke to a doctor telling me that i had just pulled a muscle ignoring my other symptoms i told him. I was just relaxing on the Saturday as i felt a little under the weather and found that i could not lie down and needed to sit up. I woke up around 7 am on the Sunday as i fed my dog early and i had my breakfast, which i didn't feel like eating much that day. My wife got up a little later and i didn't feel like having a Sunday dinner this day. I decided to have a rest on my bed and sat upright with my pillars.

I watched TV for about 15 mins and i took a deep breath, but my right lung had deflated and i was unable to breathe properly. I was gasping for air. I went downstairs and told my wife to call 999 as i could not breathe hardly. My face went grey and i was loosing my ability to stay awake. The emergency services came and tried to find out what was going on, but by this time my eyes were not responding. I was put on oxygen and then put into the ambulance.

I was blue lighted all the way to Derby Royal Hospital first where they finally found out i had a Pneumonia and the fluid was in my plural space causing my lung to stay collapsed. I was in Derby for 8 days. I felt so ill and did not eat my whole time in Derby Royal Hospital. They drained 1 litre of yellow fluid from my plural space, which hurt that much i screamed in pain. There was so many pockets of fluid in my plural space i was then rushed via ambulance to Nottingham City Hospital Thoracic ward where i was evaluated during the night. The very next day i had an emergency operation for a Plural Effusion, which took a long time to do as i had major surgery not keyhole due to the amount of damage the fluid was causing me.

The thoracic unit was fantastic and they saved my life. They cared for me all the time and once i was back in the ward they helped me constantly. They had inserted a spinal block for the pain, so i was able to keep the pain at a level where i was able to cope. The surgeons and nurses were fantastic and i got stronger everyday, but i was not able to eat much because i didn't have much appetite, but i tried to eat little and often. The food was fantastic and i wished i could have eaten more.

A week after my surgery i had my 2 tubes removed and i went home the next day after i was given the exercises to do and lots of meds for pain management. A week later unfortunately i had an infection in my wound, but i am on antibiotics at present, which will clear this up. The stitches were taken out at the end of July and i am now eating better and drinking plenty. I am getting stronger as the days pass, but i know that it is going to take a few weeks to get back to how i was before. I would like to thank Derby Royal Hospital for trying their best and Nottingham city hospital for saving my life. I will never forget how good you looked after me and you have given me my life back with my wife, children and my little dog Delilah. You are the best. Thank You x