<p>Greg H, from Australia, shares his experience of an aspergilloma and the major lung surgery that followed repeated episodes of coughing up blood. His story describes the uncertainty of treatment, a difficult operation and his recovery.</p>
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<strong>A personal experience, not medical advice</strong>
<p>Greg’s account describes his own illness, surgery and recovery in 2011. It does not predict what will happen to another person or guide decisions about treatment or pain medicines. Please speak with your healthcare team about your own care.</p>
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<h2>Greg’s story</h2>
<p>Hi, my name is Greg. I’m a 38-year-old Australian man, and I’ve recently been through the experience of having an aspergilloma. The good news is that my story has a positive outcome.</p>
<p>Ten years ago, while working in Papua New Guinea, I contracted tuberculosis. I was treated in Australia through the Queensland health system and recovered. I remember doctors explaining that the scar tissue in the upper parts of my lungs might cause problems later in life.</p>
<p>Last year, that possibility became real. At work, I began coughing up enough blood to cover my hands. I was rushed to hospital, where the doctors monitored me and began investigating what was happening.</p>
<p>I met several specialists. They felt that surgery should generally be avoided if possible because the operation would be difficult and risky. A bronchoscopy did not show much beyond blood and scar tissue attached to the chest wall. The team decided to try antifungal treatment first, although they were unsure whether it would work. I was given Sporanox (itraconazole) and sent home.</p>
<p>Within a few weeks, I was windsurfing again and felt that things were looking positive. My doctor cleared me to travel to California to join my wife for Christmas. I went skiing at Tahoe and felt great. But on the flight home, I could taste blood again.</p>
<p>A week later, I was back in hospital, coughing up about a cupful of blood each night. My doctor told me to stop windsurfing and arranged for me to see a surgeon. I had been taking antifungal medicine for about five months, and the team decided it was time to operate. The surgeon made it clear that the operation and recovery would be tough and painful.</p>
<p>The surgery took six hours, and I lost a lot of blood. When I woke, I could hear people nearby discussing whether I might need a transfusion if the bleeding did not stop. Fortunately, it did. Within hours, I was sitting up and drinking coffee.</p>
<p>I had eight tubes and an epidural. I could stand up in the shower, although it took two nurses to move and manage all the tubes. Ten days later I left hospital, and seven weeks after that I was back at work.</p>
<p>I did not have much pain while I was taking the medicines prescribed after surgery, but I found the medicines themselves difficult. I became dependent on oxycodone and had a very unpleasant experience when stopping it. My advice, from my own experience, is not to stop a prescribed opioid suddenly or without medical advice. Ask your healthcare team how to reduce it safely.</p>
<p>I was jogging about six weeks after surgery and had my first windsurf about two months after. My doctor no longer needs to see me regularly. Apart from the large scar and numbness on the left side of my chest, I do not feel very different.</p>
<p>One strange thing was that I never really felt ill. I would generally cough up blood only when I went to bed. The whole seven-month period was tough, and recovering from surgery was difficult and slow—but I know other people are dealing with even harder things.</p>
<p><em>Greg Howard, Australia — November 2011</em></p>
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