Water on the lung

The biggest, most painful challenge of my recovery (so far) has been chest muscle pain. Slightly masked until the main operation's anaesthetic wore off, painful spasms, some lasting several hours started developing during my stays on the intensive care and high dependancy units.

Strangely, as the various infusions lines and drains started being removed, and i was able to move about more, the chest pains got worse.

This also confused the consultants, who began asking detailed questions about the pain, its origins, its intensity as a score out of 10 etc.
As i writhed around on the bed trying to give answers, a panic crept in - do they believe me or do they think i'm the biggest wimp?
I couldn't understand what was going on either.

With my last chest drain removed the night before - the final tubes were my morphine drip and my PEG feeding tube and Tuesday grinded onward in typical fashion on Ward 15:
a very fitful night's sleep, followed by the gradual emergence of commodes, medications and the first round from the tea trolley.

Today's first milestone: My status changed to (NHS) free oral liquid consumption (ENGLISH) i can drink tea, coffee, orange juice etc!
My first olfactory journey with the all-new set up: Luke warm, over-sugared, under-milked tea... IT ROCKED!!

Throughout the day, however, my chest discomfort grew worse,so that by the evening and following a chest Xray, the consultants were considering inserting another chest drain to remove the fluid they thought was compressing my right lung - the one they collapsed during part the main operation. This would happen on Wednesday.

Late that evening, as i uncomfortably 'settled down', a rather casual looking consultant surgeon suddenly appeared in the doorway of my sideroom.
He'd had an idea at a barbecue... and had come in to try it out.
Now i often have my inspirational ideas in the shower. But at barbecues?!? In the queue for the spare ribs i presume, COME ON!!

I couldnt have sent him away, so i kept a look out for spots of tomato ketchup on his fingers or a tell-tale sesame seed anywhere in the operating area.

But within 10 minutes, almost painlessly and using a simple venflon needle, tube and syringe, he had drained 450ml of fluid (colour of pink grapefruit juice) from around my right lung. Things were feeling more comfortable already.

Ideas at barbecues...