[hollyjohnson71]

So I'm a week out from surgery and have a massive pleural effusion. I went back to ER today with worsening pain/breathing, and the effusion had become even larger. Surgeon here decided to admit me, take me to OR, and put in chest tube. What he found in OR surprised him. He pulled out over 2 liters of chyle (fatty lymph fluid). Apparantly lymph vein was cut during rib resection, which is easy to do since they are virtually invisible and there are hundreds of them. So that lymph fluid had just been draining into chest cavity. Treatment right now is feed me intravenously only, shots that dry up lymph, and hope it heals itself. Chest tube stays in and I'll be in hospital for at least a week. If that doesn't work, have to open me up close to rib resect scar and find and repair leaky vein.

Oh joy! But you know what, my TOS symptoms are still completely gone...I'll take this setback all day long to have the TOS gone. I just know it's going to heal and all will be good!

[SD38]

Originally Posted by hollyjohnson71

So I'm a week out from surgery and have a massive pleural effusion. I went back to ER today with worsening pain/breathing, and the effusion had become even larger. Surgeon here decided to admit me, take me to OR, and put in chest tube. What he found in OR surprised him. He pulled out over 2 liters of chyle (fatty lymph fluid). Apparantly lymph vein was cut during rib resection, which is easy to do since they are virtually invisible and there are hundreds of them. So that lymph fluid had just been draining into chest cavity. Treatment right now is feed me intravenously only, shots that dry up lymph, and hope it heals itself. Chest tube stays in and I'll be in hospital for at least a week. If that doesn't work, have to open me up close to rib resect scar and find and repair leaky vein.

Oh joy! But you know what, my TOS symptoms are still completely gone...I'll take this setback all day long to have the TOS gone. I just know it's going to heal and all will be good!

A positive attitude is needed in these times.... keep it up.
Best wishes and keep strong!

[chroma]

Wow, updates from the hospital. What a neurotalk trooper!

Hope you feel better soon.

[tossucks]

Happy healing, almost 5 weeks for me now. Dont rush things, especially with complications.

[astern]

Super-Tosser!!

Thanks for the update from Hospital -

Glad that they admitted you - you need 24 hr monitoring. Yes, a setback for sure, but now that they know what's causing the effusion, you will be on the mend with NO TOS sx! Don't fear a chest tube, it's manageable.

Hang in there, enjoy the rest and heal well -- prayers on the way!
Anne

[hollyjohnson71]

Originally Posted by astern

Super-Tosser!!

Thanks for the update from Hospital -

Glad that they admitted you - you need 24 hr monitoring. Yes, a setback for sure, but now that they know what's causing the effusion, you will be on the mend with NO TOS sx! Don't fear a chest tube, it's manageable.

Hang in there, enjoy the rest and heal well -- prayers on the way!
Anne

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Prayers are much appreciated You know, I was thinking to myself yesterday that sitting in a hospital bed for a week before TOS surgery (heck, sitting in a bed for 10 minutes before TOS surgery!) would have been utterly miserable. To be in the hospital and not have constant waves of pain radiating down my deltoid and continuous numbness of my arm is such a blessing...I'm truly over the moon happy about it.

One concern I do have is that I don't want to develop scar tissue that bring symptoms back due to not doing PT exercises. I was admitted to the hospital the day I was to have my first post-op PT. Anyone have thoughts on that...will I be okay delaying PT a couple weeks? Are there some gentle exercises I should try to do here in the hospital? My TOS surgery doc is not treating my chylothorax, so he's not here to order any PT exercises in the hospital I'm in right now.

I do seem to be on the mend...my "leak" is no longer the lymph "chyle" fluid, but instead the body's serus fluid, and the volume is slowing decreasing each day. One step at a time. Boy, I just can't help but think this was to my benefit to slow me down and really assess the pace of my life and clarify what my priorities are. I love how the setbacks can be such a blessing! Feeling very fortunate right now

[ginnie]

Dear Holly, you are brave to post while going through your ordeal. I hope they have your pain undercontrol. I hate to hear that you had this condition to begin with after the tos resection. I know you have good care. I will pray that your stay will be short, and that your pain goes away. Removal of any tube isn't fun, and I hope they are compassionate with you during that proceedure too. Get out of their quickly, home to where you are comfortable. You will be in my prayers. ginnie

[astern]

Holly, I was thinking about you today, and remembering when I was in the hospital with the effusion. The best advice I can give you is: when you feel like you can, get up and walk. The sedation I am sure you are on will make you want to lie in bed and you'll sleep a lot which is good. If you are able, when tubes are out, you need to get up and walk around to help your body process the fluids and to get your strength back.

I remember (out of a fog-like stupor ) the nurses telling me i couldn't go home until I could walk the floor of my Unit several times.

Heal well,
Anne

ps: I also remember Tam sending flowers from the old BT forum, and visits from Forum TOSers. It's so good to know others understand and care.

[Joanna81]

Short reply, but as some1 else said being upright is good so fluid doesn't pool, even sitting up a little us better than laying down

Take gentle care and time to heal
Don't worry about scar tissiue too much right now, get this sorted first is the biggest priority.
You are more likely to scar pushing too quickly.
Glad you are still free of symptoms keep the positives in mind

You guys obv don't have the same slang word for tosser!

[SD38]

Originally Posted by Joanna81

Short reply, but as some1 else said being upright is good so fluid doesn't pool, even sitting up a little us better than laying down

Take gentle care and time to heal
Don't worry about scar tissiue too much right now, get this sorted first is the biggest priority.
You are more likely to scar pushing too quickly.
Glad you are still free of symptoms keep the positives in mind

You guys obv don't have the same slang word for tosser!

Yep!!!!! It has a slightly different meaning here in th UK!!!!!

I must confess that I took some aggression out on one of our Neurotalkers awhile back for using the term "TOSer", I found it insulting....... now I'm one of you!
( For the rant I had in Sep/Oct???? time, I apologise Boytos...... "my bad" ).