Medical aid,flying and collapsed lungs

[DerpiesFreud]

Story :
I was flying from JHB to CPT,Theh few days before I had a servere flu with a sore throat,fever and coughing
take off was fine and everything,but 5-10 mins before landing my ears became sore because of the change of pressure,blowing my nose didn`t help...after landing I was completely out of breath,just sitting in my seat...its a miracle I managed to get my luggage and find my taxi,I`m asthmatic and used my inhaler 5 times in 3 hours,with little effect
Also I dont smoke

he took me to the hospital where they diagnosed me with a partially collapsed left lung,
and wanted keep me overnight for observation,however they wanted 10K :erm: for 2 days and a night,with the option of a goverment hospital but I`ve heard thats like having a death wish,nearest one to me is Groote Schuur which is run by UCT I think,any good?
I consulted with the doctor who said it is also possible to discharge me provided I come back the next day for xrays
oh and I got prescribed a few medicines,budeflam for asthma,something for inflammation and antibiotics for my previous flu thing,costed 3k which is still pricey but not unreasonable given my initial state of near death
I`m also taking vicks cough syrup on my own,which may be a bad idea :erm:

Q1 Is a medical aid worth it? what about uuh hospital plans,full cover,partial cover?
discovery?bonitas?avbob?brands?

public healthcare is a deathtrap,private healthcare is a financial drain
is there any solution to this? medical aid? stokvels? lottery?gambling?robbing a bank?getting rich?

2 Partially Collapsed lungs,or my one called penumothorax or something like that
Yoh I thought I was going to blackout and die
Obviously exercise and sports is out(I dont have a deathwish)
I had to stop walking after 500m and take a break :erm:,normally I can run 2km pretty easily

flight of stares are a nightmare so Is carrying items like bags and boxes
Just functioning normally in real life is a serious challenge now
any similar experiences people?
I think that my added flu isnt helping either

just a rant/question thread from your possibly dying,friendly reactor....nukefission

p.s. is there anything I can do to suppliment my oxygen intake?
aside from breathing in oxygen from a cylinder,I saw a kind of nasal spray but I`m not too sure of its efficacy

 

[AlmightyBender]

1) It is completely, absolutely essential and worth it. The number one cause of insolvency is medical costs.
I have had two ops in the last three years which would have cost more than the premiums of medical aid over the last three years. Discovery is decent as there are some benefits to going with the crowd. Get the most cove that you can realistically afford.

The doctors in public hospitals are just as good as the ones in private hospitals, however the support services and infrastructure (wards, nurses etc) is deplorable. If you need medical attention then going won't make you worse, but just don't expect to enjoy your stay. But you will come out ok. As a tip, public hospitals are a great place to get your dental work done.

2) These questions urgently need to be answered by a doctor who has a good understanding of what happened to you combined with your condition. Forum advice is useless. Go see a doctor pronto. Like seriously.

 

[Sinbad]

You probably had a mucous plug in one or more of your bronchioles. This prevented a section of your lung equalizing to the cabin pressure and caused a rupture. Decompression injuries are very serious... seek advice from a doc who understands dci. A diving doc would be first prize

 

[Maverick Jester]

And you wanted to do boxing? :wtf:

 

[Hosehead]

What people fail to realise is that Groote Schuur is the top level Trauma Hospital between here and Johannesburg. While it may be public if you are in a trauma. life or death situation, your chances of survival are probably higher at Groote Schuur than at any private hospital in the country. I'm private, but in real trauma eg shooting, Car crash, head injury, burns, I'd take Groote Schuur over any life, netcare or mediclinic hospital at leat to get stabilized.

OP Oxygen canisters are not always necessary, They have portable oxygen concentrators which look like laptop bags you sling over your shoulder and it provides oxygen from the ordinary air via cannula. There are also home units that can deliver 6 liters/min from room air. Second hand units can be picked up under 10K. Insurance covers the costs of oxygen supplementation. Tanks are rather old fashioned now and generally restricted to Hospitals and Doctors rooms.

Edit: Any cold flu meds have antihistamines which dry out mucosal secretions and Flying worsens this. As previous poster said a mucosal plug is a real possibility. You probably need to get yourself evaluated by a pulmonary medicine specialist.

 

[creeper]

First lesson. Never fly when having flu.

Second lesson. Always have medical aid. Even if it just a hospital plan

 

[DerpiesFreud]

First lesson. Never fly when having flu.

Second lesson. Always have medical aid. Even if it just a hospital plan

This,Im going back later today... will see what happens
breeathing is better today

 

[TehStranger]

I've had in the region of 15 Spontaneous Pneumothoraxes (This is probably what you have since you weren't stabbed or in an accident) between 2007 and 2012, 9 of which I was hospitalized for, 4 of which required an intercostal chest drain (these are pretty big collapses). They can be very dangerous but key is being able to identify the pain and getting it checked out asap. You can deal with minor collapses at home yourself, but if they get bad then hospital is advised.

DO NOT EXERCISE! Been there, done that, it's always made my collapses worse. Lots of bed rest, and get over your flu as quickly as possible. The way you lie down can also make things better/worse so pay attention to that.

Do not rush anything. Take it slow when walking up stairs or carrying things. Whenever you feel you need to take a rest, do so.

Pneumothoraxes can be very dangerous, but it's probably not as bad as you think. I'll PM you shortly with more advice that's probably TL;DR for the open forum.

 

[DerpiesFreud]

TY

 

[The_Mowgs]

Yeah, my left lung collapsed a couple of years ago. I am the kind of person that always jokes around etc so my parents thought I was joking when I passed out on the floor in front of them. When my dad stood up to get himself another whiskey he noticed that I was blue in the face.

I only remember waking up in hospital with a pipe coming out of my side and not feeling too happy. The worst pain ever was the therapy to get my lung healthy again, holy ****. They put a tupe in your mouth which blows out air and you in turn have to counter it with your own breath.

Second most painfull thing ever, removing that mother****er drain pipe after a week. When that doc says cough, you better cough because that's when he yanks that thing out.

I still excercise, run 2.4km every week day, smoke, drink, have sex etc. It still hurts sometimes, mostly when I sleep on my side but that's it.

 

[DerpiesFreud]

went to the hospital,more xrays,the air pocket is subsiding which means I`l get better on my own hopefully.

 

[TehStranger]

went to the hospital,more xrays,the air pocket is subsiding which means I`l get better on my own hopefully.

Lekker, glad to hear that you'll come right.

Curiously did they mention how large the collapse was?

 

[DerpiesFreud]

Lekker, glad to hear that you'll come right.

Curiously did they mention how large the collapse was?

nope,there`s some clause about xray,CT,MRI etc being classified,and only the doctor can discuss the results :erm:
but its probably quite small,my breathing is almost back to normal,though I`m still breathless after walking 500m

 

[TehStranger]

Oh those things. I usually collect my x-rays and make a point of opening them up in front of the radiology department as a big middle finger to the "man" who thinks I can't look at x-rays of my own body or read the radiologist report.

Still, sounds quite small which is lucky, a small one that's healing won't kill you any time soon.

 

[Hosehead]

Oh those things. I usually collect my x-rays and make a point of opening them up in front of the radiology department as a big middle finger to the "man" who thinks I can't look at x-rays of my own body or read the radiologist report.

Me too. Bugger them.

 

[Shake&Bake]

Glad you're on the mend boet.

As mentioned before - I've actually been through GF Jooste (aka Kill me Quick) and survived.
Also spent a week in Groote Schuur, with no real worries.

Just to have patience in those places.
OTherwise they're good enough for me.