Pneumothorax reoccurred

Dear loved ones,

We are back in OSF and another chest tube is in, larger this time with plans to have a pleurodesis procedure using talc to "stick" the lung to the chest wall.  They are estimating we will be here until the weekend.  Derek is down.  Hard to find another way to say it.  Please pray for his attitude.  He doesn't want to be here, but God is faithful.

They tell him the goal for the inspirometer is 1,000 and he can only get it to 100....then 2 hrs later (on the suction), he can do 250.

Our biggest question is where his dry cough is coming from that seems to have set off this string of pneumothorax episodes.  Still no answer for that.  He has had a cough from New Years on.  It became congested the end of January.  The mucus cleared up with prescription cough medicines, but the cough continued and was really often and wearing him out this weekend while we were home.  The cough completely stops while the chest tube is in.  We believe the hyperbaric oxygen treatments could have made his lung susceptible to a pneumothorax, too.

We have mayo clinic appointments in 2 weeks (MRIs, PET scan, hearing test, 2 different oncologists- neuro and medical).  Hopefully, we will get that answered.  I feel like a detective these days.

Thank you for your love and prayers and advice.
Love,
Leann