Short time recovery

[Magee]

I am 83 years old. Had the lower left lobe removed two months ago as a result of a malignant mass. All seem to go well, no spread of cancer!
Came home on oxygen. Have a concentrator, four 4 hour back up tanks and a portable concentrator. 
My concern is, much coughing in early morning and off and on during the day. Was not always in need of oxygen early on. As time has gone by, have the need just about all the time.

Settings are 2, however was told to increase to 3 or 4 if needed on portable.

Problem: shortness on breath (at times) even with a 98% ox2 measurement during waking hours. Sleeping is good!
Welcome comments. Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GaryG]

Hi Magee: welcome to our group. I hope you find answers to all your questions here so please make yourself home. I can only comment on the early morning cough due to personal experience. My cough was due to the change in posture from laying down to standing up and it disappeared after a while. It felt like my body was in clean up mode from  everything it accumulated during my sleep. However your best bet is to go to the doctor and have  it checked out. Best wishes.

[Tom Galli]

Welcome Magee!

I experience a lot of coughing after my thoracic surgeries (I had 3). Doctors re-arrange sensitive airways and that can cause coughing as a result of irritation. My coughing waned as I got deeper into recovering from surgery.

You are reporting 98% O2 saturation rate. I have about 98% also but occasionally become short of breath after exertion. My doctor told me O2 is normally not prescribed unless one's saturation rate dropped to the high eighties. So with your high O2 sat rate, supplemental O2 could be a temporary situation. I'd give yourself a couple of months and see how you respond.

Stay the course.

Tom

[LexieCat]

Hi, Magee,

Did they give you breathing exercises to do after your surgery? I found that I coughed a LOT right after surgery (especially while doing the exercises) but that the exercises ultimately reduced the coughing, which disappeared a short time later. I also found it increased my breathing capacity.

I'd suggest asking if there are exercises you could be doing that might help. 

 

[LouT]

Magee,

Like others here I did cough a lot after my lobectomy.  Even as I was able to workout again I would still have periods where deeper breathing would trigger coughing.  But over time (sorry I can't remember how long) it waned and eventually it was no longer a problem.

Lou

[ChiMama]

Hi Magee ~ I am a little over three months out from my upper left lobectomy and still have coughing & SOB.  It has gotten better over time though.  I do not cough when reclining, only when upright, so sometimes if it gets bad I take a break in the barcalounger.    Fingers crossed yours improves soon!