nerve damage following VATS/olb

[Guest guest]

With all the talk of nerve damage, I had to jump in and respond. I

think many more people have experienced this than I thought! My

surgeon, like others I'm hearing from the Board, acted completely

appalled that I would even think to say such a thing. I experienced

many of the same symptoms as described. Pain under my left

breast, a lump appeared within days of being released from the

hospital, fluid did build up and, unfortunately, expressed out of one

of the incisions sites during a coughing spell (also within days of

being released from the hospital), all of which was not only

extremely painful, but very scary. When I continued to complain at

my one month check-up with the surgeon, he said, and I quote, " I

don't know what is wrong with you, but that pain has nothing to do

with what I did. " My pulmo described it as nerve damage and

explained that it would likely resolve itself over time. Wrong!!!

Guess again!!!! Nearly one year later, here I sit with the same pain,

tingling and numbness. I have healed some, I am sure of that because

the pain is no longer as intense, but it is still pain. The numbness

and tingling are just irritating and it makes me so grouchy

sometimes. I thought I was the only one that this had ever happened

to! My surgeon, by the way, was nothing to look at. He was ripe

with age and seemed to be a " know-it-all " who has since sunk into

retirement, and with great relief to those at the teaching hospital

who did not like him. I learned of his negative popularity when I

mentioned his name at a later hospital admission. Everyone seems to

know him, but few like him. When it comes to surgeons, the last

thing I was thinking of was his popularity, however, this did shed

some light on his rudeness and comments during my follow-up visits.

The only good thing about the whole procedure was that I did get a

definitive diagnosis, and the pathology slides have been made

available to both transplants teams at the Cleveland Clinic and

University of Pittsburgh Medican Center, who confirmed and agreed

with the diagnosis. I am thankful for that. If I had it to do over,

I would still probably do it, but I might do more research before I

chose the surgeon who would perform it!

God Bless,

Tina

IPF 04/07 PH 11/07 Ohio