I have had 3 spontaneous pneumo-thoraxes in the past 6 years, each affiliated with times of severe stress/grief. I presume there must be some PhD interested in researching the causes of this happening in a physically fit, not skinny, short woman. When other people die, shouldn't mean I end up in the hospital too. I had a chest tube the first time, surgery the second (I was told it would never happen again), and recently a small chest tube. Trying to talk with doctors about prevention is daring to enter a two-dimensional conversation that leaves you feeling helpless and hopeless and patronized. If there is any educated person who is researching the association of emotions with a breakdown of the lung, please contact me. I have never smoked, have very healthy life habits, and believe a reoccurrence can be prevented if I have more information and do whatever must be done. Because the doctor told me that my lung was "better than new" after the surgery two years ago, I let a cough go too long after the recent death of my father, probably cried too much, kept on working even when sick with the latest respiratory flu, etc. Now it's a crapshoot to guess how to live the next 6 months to lessen the odds it reoccurs as the statistics say it will per my lung specialist, the repair guy. I have eliminated plane flights, elevations above 4,000 feet, lifting, swimming (which aggrivated the lung recently), manage all sorts of facial contortions to prevent a sneeze's evolution, and am luckily having no constipation...ugh. Needless to say, my nerves are on edge like I am walking a tightrope. Recovery from the 3 procedures is not a lark, takes months and months, and if it happens again I expect that I will lose or leave my job and be looking at the downswing of my very life. If you know of any lung specialist in Southern California who works with the whole person and not just a bleb, I will buy you dinner for the referral. It is not relaxing to feel at a less-than-conscious level that if you take a deep breath you will pop. meteorsmile@cs.com