I had a spontaneous pneumothorax in September 2011 it was Tuesday night when I felt a sharp pain in my right side I thought nothing of it and went to bed. The following morning I woke up could not breath I thought I was having a heart attack. I went to my G.P who sent me home with an inhaler and antibiotics and was told to come back the following morning, when seeing a different G.P I was sent to hospital for an x-ray I was kept in hospital for 3 weeks I never received surgery but did have a chest drain inserted twice and it is no fun {as other suffers have said I would not wish this on my worst enemy.} doctors are still reluctant to give me surgery due to my first collapse. I wake up each morning so hoping to feel 100% but it will always be at the back of my mind. i am still signed off my work as I am waiting for my follow up x-ray and have been told by my G.P that my lung has not fully inflated yet. I was a smoker, but not tall or thin. I have not had a cigarette for nearly 2 months now and will never smoke again due to my experience. I was sent to hospital yesterday after seeing my G.P as I was experiencing the same symptoms I was lucky as I was informed that the pain i was experiencing was my lung trying to inflate and stick to the lung sack.

Endometriosis of the lung caused my lung to collapse.

I went into the ER via ambulance for shortness of breath, chest pain, and cyanosis of the fingers and toes. It was discovered that I had a spontaneous pneumothorax through physical examination upon which a chest tube was inserted as I had fleeting consciousness and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The pulmonologist I saw in the ICU explained to me that the collapse was due to a strong diaphragm and violent coughing, as I had been sick for about a week prior. My outpatient pulmonologist is doing a sweat chloride test and a blood test to see if I have cystic fibrosis due to the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus at age four. I am 5'0" (152 cm) tall and weighed 125 lbs (57kg) at the time of the event so evidently not a tall and thin person. I have the sweat chloride test tomorrow so we'll find out if the spontaneous pneumothorax was due to a mild case of cystic fibrosis.

I suffered my first collapse in 2007. I waited for several hours in the waiting room. After the chest X-ray, a code was called and I was told they were afraid I was going to have cardiac arrest and die. A chest tube was put in and I spent 20 days in the hospital and lost 36 pounds. After release, I was a bag of bones. I suffered a second collapse in 2012. I had VATS surgery with Pleurectomy the next day. Five days later I was released. All these months later, I still do not feel fully recovered. I am a non-smoker and a healthy gym hound. I still get random pains from it.

I had a mountain bike accident last year and landed hard on the side of my chest. I did not break any ribs, but the force of the fall ruptured the top of my left lung. I quickly developed shortness of breath and a crushing pain in my sternum. For a moment I thought that I was having a heart attack. The paramedics and mountain rescue services evacuated me to hospital and my chest was aspired with a needle. The lung collapse was approximately 40%.

IMS (intramuscular stimulation) done by a physiotherapist was the cause of mine. I ended up with a Heimlich valve at home for three days. My physio was very reputable and the most experienced in our area. A pneumothorax is a very real risk when any needling is done over the ribs.

When I was 17 I had my first pneumothorax. I was knocked out and it was an easy time. I spent four days in the hospital. I was fine for a good year, playing and running fine. I'm 18 now, and a few weeks ago I had another spontaneous pneumothorax. It hurt so badly. My back felt like it was being stabbed and bending down felt like my heart was falling out of my mouth. I was rushed to the hospital where I got a chest tube which was excruciating. I could feel the tube go in and the air moving around. Then, I was fine. I spent another four days in the hospital and the doctor took it out. The lung collapsed again and I had to get surgery.