In desperate need of help! Advice needed..

[brandomaster90]

Hey, I'm Brandon. I recently had a surgery done on my lungs that removed part of my lungs because I had "blebs"(blisters of the lung) that kept popping and causing my left lung to collapse. I had "VATS" surgery done on a tiny part of the top of my lungs to remove the infected blisters. I had two chest tubes in me for two weeks connected to my lungs to reinflate them. The surgery went well and my lungs are now recovered. The doctor said it wouldn't be wise to start smoking anything again, but he said that since the infected area of my lungs were removed, there is no chance that the blebs could grow back, leaving me at no risk for another lung collapse(since that is what caused it to collapse). I have been a dedicated potsmoker for 2 years and used to smoke cigarettes(quit those ) and I've been dying to smoke weed again. The doctor said "regular use" wouldn't be good, but he also said my lungs aren't really any different than anyone elses. On 420 I took one hit of keef and nothing bad happened to my lungs, but I'm afraid that something might happen again. I've considered vaporizing with the volcano, but some people have told me that it is just as bad for the lungs as regular smoke. I've been eating weedcookies, but it just isn't the same. Any advice on vaporizing or if smoking weed could cause my lungs to collapse once again? Anyone known anyone in this same situation?
Thanks so much,
brandon

brandomaster90 Reviewed by brandomaster90 on 04-24-2008. In desperate need of help! Advice needed.. Hey, I'm Brandon. I recently had a surgery done on my lungs that removed part of my lungs because I had "blebs"(blisters of the lung) that kept popping and causing my left lung to collapse. I had "VATS" surgery done on a tiny part of the top of my lungs to remove the infected blisters. I had two chest tubes in me for two weeks connected to my lungs to reinflate them. The surgery went well and my lungs are now recovered. The doctor said it wouldn't be wise to start smoking anything again, but he Rating: 5

[Storm Crow]

I toked for 40 years and my lungs were a mess- morning cough, "lung oysters", the whole 9 yards! it took only 2 weeks of vaping for them to get clear. Your friends are wrong about vaping being as bad for your lungs as smoking. Here are some studies for you to share with them.

Vaporization as a smokeless cannabis delivery system
Clinical Studies and Case Reports

Smokeless Cannabis Delivery Device Efficient And Less Toxic
Smokeless Cannabis Delivery Device Efficient And Less Toxic

Volcano is to Vaporizer As Porsche is to Automobile
CCRMG

Recommendation to Patients: "Donâ??t smoke, Vaporize"
CCRMG

Decreased respiratory symptoms in cannabis users who vaporize.
Decreased respiratory symptoms in cannabis users who vaporize.

Use of vaporizers reduces toxins from cannabis smoke
IACM-Bulletin

Educate them! - Granny:hippy:

[HerbalConfusion]

Your friend is wrong.

[Dave Byrd]

Your doctor was correct that you should not start smoking anything again, and now you've heard a second opinion from another. Do NOT smoke cigarettes. Cannabis. Other herbs. Any sort of burning vegetable matter. Your lungs may not be at risk of collapse again because they're back to normal, but what you are at a risk for is irritating your lungs and forming more blebs and so starting the cycle over again.

Vaporized herb, if you're bound and determined to have to inhale something, would be safer than smoking it. But with your history you should see how that affects your pulmonary clarity. Even vaped vegetable matter can irritate and dry some people out, thus creating circumstances where you might be more prone to further blebs and/or infection. With your history, you'd be wise not to vape at times when you have any sort of cold, cough, or asthma wheezing (if you ever have that).

Eating it would be your safest bet of all.

You've been through a lot with those lungs, and you need to take care of them and protect them from here on out. They've got to last you, and they'll do a better job of doing that if they're not full of infected blebs.

[MEKONE]

That is excelent advise that Dave gave you.Congenital blebs CAN return,and a spontaneous pneumothorax is not fun.If you MUST smoke I'd go with a vaporizer and still only use it ocasionaly.Good luck and stay healthy!!

[brandomaster90]

When I asked the doctors about vaporizing, they had no idea what I was talking about, so they were really no help when it came to that. They just said smoking anything could irritate the lungs just as it would anyone else. But since I had the whole part of my lungs where the blebs were growing removed, the nurses said the blebs shouldn't grow back and that they have never seen a case where blebs grew at another area of the lung besides the part that was removed, and since it was removed it can't grow back there. Would you say that if I purchased the volcano vaporizer and used it, lets say, on the weekends would I be safe?

and p.s. spontaneous phneumothorax is not fun at all you are right. worst time of my life. its just so hard to give up this part of my life that I've been so dedicated to.

[brandomaster90]

oh and by the way, the surgeons said that the blebs would have been there even if I hadn't smoked, and that spontaneous lung collapses and blebs are most common in healthy teenagers that haven't smoked. The blebs form because of the way the chest is shaped in tall skinny people.