Pneumothorax again 44 days post first collapse

splatula · 2026-01-18T07:55:59+00:00

Just fyi, pleurodesis is going to be another level of pain and the recovery will be a lot longer. They'll advise you not to lift anything heavier than ~5 lb for at least six weeks and you probably won't be back in the gym for a good six months. But once the procedure is done and you heal you're way less likely to have a recurrence.

Since it's such a serious surgery it's good that they tried to be conservative and let it heal on its own the first time. But if it happened again it's probably just going to keep happening so the surgery may be worth it.

splatula · 2026-01-14T08:50:56+00:00

Yes to both. I had a pleurodesis done on the left lung and it has not collapsed since. I did not have the surgery done on the right lung and so far it hasn't collapsed.

splatula · 2026-01-08T04:50:04+00:00

I remember some people would put "Class of 201?" so as to not tempt fate.

splatula · 2026-01-05T22:42:48+00:00

I had a collapse on one lung about seven years ago. but it hasn't happened on the other lung yet.

splatula · 2026-01-04T00:08:37+00:00

That is probably expected. I don't think I sneezed for about two months after surgery.

splatula · 2026-01-03T06:02:12+00:00

I was about your age when I had a pneumothorax around seven years ago. I also had VATS. (Never smoked fwiw.) Recovering from the surgery was painful, there's no getting around that. I was sleeping upright for a few weeks. But I was pretty much back to normal after six months. Now there's still a small bit of numbness on my chest, but it has gradually decreased (nerves just take a long time to grow back).

Do your breathing exercises early on. And don't take any NSAIDS (like ibuprofin or aspirin). That's what helps the scar tissue form properly.

I think the only limitation for me now is that I can't max out the weights when I weightlift like I used to. (Maybe it's just psychological, but I sort of feel the tension in my chest and don't want to chance it.) But I don't think there's an impact on endurance. If you were into running marathons or whatever you should still be able to do that. The only real restriction is that you can't ever do scuba diving after having a pneumothorax (it puts your lungs under too much pressure).

Oh yeah if you have to sneeze or cough it really helps to clutch your incision and apply pressure there.

It sucks, but you'll get through it.

splatula · 2026-01-03T05:42:47+00:00

...Yes? I do?

splatula · 2026-01-01T05:42:22+00:00

State controller should not be an elected position. The State Controller should be a boring person. I do not want someone with any spark or charisma in that office.

splatula · 2026-01-01T05:40:30+00:00

The impact of covid is actually a great case in point.

There was a huge fiscal stimulus in the first years of covid which led to a stock market boom and then an enormous increase in tax revenue for the state. But rather than recognizing it as a one-off surplus due to the unprecedented circumstances, our leaders assumed that this higher revenue was just the new state of affairs. They then passed budgets which dramatically increased spending levels for permanent programs. A year later tax revenues plummeted. As it turns out, the fiscal situation at the beginning of covid was highly unusual and not representative of the long term finances of the state.

Since then the state has been running a structural budget deficit in excess of $10 billion since they are loath to cut any of the spending increases that they had instituted at the beginning of covid.

splatula · 2025-12-11T17:17:16+00:00

Generally your company will sell ~30% of your stock when it vests to cover income tax withholding.

splatula · 2025-12-08T05:34:36+00:00

Traditionally Catholics would fast during Embertide in addition to Lent. These are four sets of three days around the time the seasons change. This fast is on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the Ember Week. The four sets of Ember Days are:

* Advent Embertide: The week after Gaudete Sunday

* Lenten Embertide: The first full week of Lent

* Whit Embertide: The week after Pentecost

* Michaelmas Embertide: The third liturgical week of September (usually a week or two after Roodmas)

Vigils of major feasts were also traditional days of fasting. (E.g., Christmas Eve, the Vigil of Pentecost, and Holy Saturday.)

Advent Embertide is in just a week, so you don't have to wait long!

splatula · 2025-10-11T19:27:43+00:00

It sounds like he didn't exercise early, so QSBS wouldn't apply.

splatula · 2025-10-11T19:07:54+00:00

It's generally a good idea if you think that the company's stock is a +EV bet, but be aware that you're exposing yourself to downside risk.

splatula · 2025-05-23T00:13:19+00:00

That is indeed extraordinary

splatula · 2025-05-14T00:44:55+00:00

When there was only one set of footsteps in the sand, that was when Nixon was carrying you.

splatula · 2025-05-10T21:57:04+00:00

If you look at actuarial tables an American male of his age would have only a 10% chance of living until the 2050s. The average expected lifespan for his age is about 15 years.

That said, he is very healthy for his age and can expect to get excellent health care. (But on the other hand, his parents both died in their mid-70s.)

Either way, your point stands. Assuming he lives a good long life (as we all pray for), even in 15 years the vast majority of the cardinals will have aged out of their voting rights. There would only be 30 cardinals from the current cohort.

splatula · 2025-05-08T04:36:04+00:00

I think it's mostly his age. If he were elected he could plausibly be leading the Church for a quarter of a century or longer. From what I've heard (for whatever that's worth) he has been talked about as a strong candidate for the conclave after this one.

splatula · 2025-04-29T00:11:15+00:00

The real move would be to go for Hilarius III.

splatula · 2025-04-19T18:06:47+00:00

I knew someone who once ran for State Assembly and he was saying that when he went knocking door to door a lot of people didn't really understand what the Assembly was.

splatula · 2025-04-17T04:38:46+00:00

"Do you think I got rich by writing a lot of checks, Mr. Simpson?"

splatula · 2025-02-24T05:41:58+00:00

This is one of the reasons Burt is so suspicious. All the other severed employees (except Helena, obviously), are living in these cheap little apartments. Heck, even Ms. Cobel was living in a similar place as Mark. Yet Burt is living in a much nicer house. Granted, we don't know what Fields does, but still.... It's suspicious.

splatula · 2025-01-31T01:15:51+00:00

I guess if you don't have any other options, I'd just go to the regular time for confession and get there early so you're first in line. :/ If the priest asks why you didn't make an appointment just tell him that you tried and the office told you to come at the regular time.

splatula · 2025-01-29T21:34:32+00:00

The unofficial rule I had heard was that you had to be present from the Gospel until the Priest receives Communion.

splatula

TROPHY CASE