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kachingchingpow · 01-26-2007, 10:55

My lung blew after 4 months at the Q course. It was a spontaneous non-traumatic pneumo throrax, caused by a nasty cough from bronchitis that I had. My stubborness wouldn't risk getting recycled due to the cough, so I just sucked it up. (old age has taught me to be smarter about these things). I continued to hump a ruck for 3 days after it blew... at which point I was more scared than anything. The symptoms were exactly what everyone told me a heart attack felt like... sharp pain in the chest, numbing down the left arm, dizziness, cold sweats. I pretty much made my mind up that they were going to carry me out before I quit on my own. I told Highspeedmdd (one of the QP's here on the board) what was going on, and that I thought I might be having a problem with my heart. While lying down on my left side, he could hear my heart "glub-glub" from 5 feet away (I later found out that the sound was my heart beating into the blown lung). He urged me to go get checked. That next morning every step felt like it might be my last. That afternoon a chest tube was put in, I was med-terminated a few days later, and released back to my unit after a couple weeks.

The med-term (I still have the letter in my files) said that I could re-apply to the course after 6 months, (with all of the normal pre-requisites). There were no stipulations at the time that a prior pneumo thorax would disqualify me. In fact the SWC Surgeon said that it wasn't a condition that would keep me out.

I found that 6 months was about bare minimum for the lung to feel like it did prior. In the mean time I went to college at night, and worked for the government during the day. I remained with the 20th group for 4 years... put on a team and did the paper tab courses for a while. (it wasn't uncommon at the time for someone who had been to the Q, but med term'd to be on a team until they went back. not to mention I signed as an Echo and had been through AIMC). When the first SFAS class came online all non-tabbed were required to be in the newly developed NQP program that was formed as an SFAS prep school. In the end, life got complicated, I had to move out of state for a new job and never made it back to finish what I started.

The purpose of that level of detail is this... since that lung blew I've participated in what most would consider highly physical activities. I was running the 2 mile in low 11's, and could hump a ruck forever. I acheived that level of fitness 9-12 months after I had mine, and never had a problem since. My only advantage here was that I had an accurate gauge of my fitness prior to, and after my injury. If there's any doubt about how your lung has healed stay home, and don't chew up a slot that someone else can use. Be realistic about your capabilities and understand that nobody's life depends on you getting through the Q. However, getting out to a team and being a liability could cost lives. I was initially put on a scuba team, and was scrutinized by and counciled by our 18D. Not due to my ability or dedication, he was a great leader, but he was concerned that scuba and blown lungs don't mix. I tended to agree. It hurt deeply because I was a strong swimmer, lifeguarded as a teen, and wanted that slot badly. I requested to be reassigned not out of concern for me but for my team.

01-26-2007, 10:55	#8
kachingchingpow Guerrilla Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: GA Posts: 184	deja vu My lung blew after 4 months at the Q course. It was a spontaneous non-traumatic pneumo throrax, caused by a nasty cough from bronchitis that I had. My stubborness wouldn't risk getting recycled due to the cough, so I just sucked it up. (old age has taught me to be smarter about these things). I continued to hump a ruck for 3 days after it blew... at which point I was more scared than anything. The symptoms were exactly what everyone told me a heart attack felt like... sharp pain in the chest, numbing down the left arm, dizziness, cold sweats. I pretty much made my mind up that they were going to carry me out before I quit on my own. I told Highspeedmdd (one of the QP's here on the board) what was going on, and that I thought I might be having a problem with my heart. While lying down on my left side, he could hear my heart "glub-glub" from 5 feet away (I later found out that the sound was my heart beating into the blown lung). He urged me to go get checked. That next morning every step felt like it might be my last. That afternoon a chest tube was put in, I was med-terminated a few days later, and released back to my unit after a couple weeks. The med-term (I still have the letter in my files) said that I could re-apply to the course after 6 months, (with all of the normal pre-requisites). There were no stipulations at the time that a prior pneumo thorax would disqualify me. In fact the SWC Surgeon said that it wasn't a condition that would keep me out. I found that 6 months was about bare minimum for the lung to feel like it did prior. In the mean time I went to college at night, and worked for the government during the day. I remained with the 20th group for 4 years... put on a team and did the paper tab courses for a while. (it wasn't uncommon at the time for someone who had been to the Q, but med term'd to be on a team until they went back. not to mention I signed as an Echo and had been through AIMC). When the first SFAS class came online all non-tabbed were required to be in the newly developed NQP program that was formed as an SFAS prep school. In the end, life got complicated, I had to move out of state for a new job and never made it back to finish what I started. The purpose of that level of detail is this... since that lung blew I've participated in what most would consider highly physical activities. I was running the 2 mile in low 11's, and could hump a ruck forever. I acheived that level of fitness 9-12 months after I had mine, and never had a problem since. My only advantage here was that I had an accurate gauge of my fitness prior to, and after my injury. If there's any doubt about how your lung has healed stay home, and don't chew up a slot that someone else can use. Be realistic about your capabilities and understand that nobody's life depends on you getting through the Q. However, getting out to a team and being a liability could cost lives. I was initially put on a scuba team, and was scrutinized by and counciled by our 18D. Not due to my ability or dedication, he was a great leader, but he was concerned that scuba and blown lungs don't mix. I tended to agree. It hurt deeply because I was a strong swimmer, lifeguarded as a teen, and wanted that slot badly. I requested to be reassigned not out of concern for me but for my team.
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