Dann Furia: Spontaneous pneumothorax, bleb disease and the patient’s perspective

When I started Cirugia de Torax in April 2011, I wanted bridge the gap between medical specialty societies (and professionals only) websites and the message boards frequented by people suffering from lung disease and thoracic conditions.

I wanted the people with these conditions to be able to read what we are reading; scholarly articles, informative case reports and ground-breaking research.

I also wanted to introduce readers to the ‘heros and cowboys‘ of thoracic surgery – the researchers and surgeons out there who spend long hours (and often sacrifice much of their personal lives) in pursuit of medical and surgical advances for our patients.

The response I have received has been overwhelmingly positive. From the very first post, surgeons were encouraging and generous with their time.  They invited me into their offices and their operating rooms.

Researchers from around the world took the time to answer questions about their articles and explain their work.

Other doctors and health care providers have contacted with their own case reports, questions and experiences.

The patients and their families have been friendly and welcoming.  They have invited me to share their stories with others.

Readers respond:

Almost immediately, readers began contacting me; with questions, comments and stories about their own experiences.  Their questions prompted me to do more reading, more writing and more interviews.

But their stories often touched my heart..  Dann Furia is one of these people.

A  Pennsylvania resident in his mid-30’s, Mr. Furia has bleb disease.  Over the years, these blebs have ruptured many times, requiring multiple chest tube placements and thoracic surgery.

A musician by trade, Mr. Furia (aka Skip Dawg) has used his considerable talents to share his experiences with bleb disease.

So, here he is – in his own words.

Author: K Eckland

World of Thoracic Surgery is a blog about the work, research, and practices of thoracic surgeons around the world. It includes case studies, [sometimes] dry research, interviews with thoracic surgeons along with patient perspectives, and feedback. View all posts by K Eckland