@Wilso,
I recently had both lungs collapse due to the bleb issue.. my surgeon suggested the blebs may have burst from increased working hours during the Christmas Holiday season or maybe the increase amount of caffeine I was ingesting (I'm not a cofee or soda drinker) at the time to stay moving.. but they can burt for a number of reasons and many Americans have them and nothing happens...
I had to have 3 different chest tubes, and I got a procedure where they remove the blebs, and staple them shut, then they rough up the chest wall, glue and staple the lung to the chest.. I was in the hospital 3 weeks because I kept having problems with the lungs .. My left lung collapsed and it caused a tension Pneumothorax, when I was in the hospital (luckily I was there, because the tension pneumothorax is very bad to live if this occurs) ..
Now I healed in about 3 months after surgery.. I went back to work, but I still had lots of pain.. My surgeon said I could do pretty much anything but scuba diving or flying... Now he said the pain could take up to a year or longer to feel normal, because of all the moving around of ribs and scar tissues.. He described it as falling from 30 feet.. So if you have the surgery, it can take some time to feel normal, but after a few months you will start to feel yourself..
RECOVERY>>>
From my experience, make sure you do breathing exercises, eat healthy (Fish and fruit are great for cardiovascular health) I also take omega 3 complex available at any rite aid, cvs or wallgreens or whatever drug store is near you .. Also don't run right away!!! start with walking 20 minutes a day, then if you feel comfortable, try a light jog, and keep working your way up.. I ran track in HS and running is a bit of a hobby of mine, so for me it was hard to walk for a while without jogging, but trust me, when i tried jogging/running, I paid dearly for several days afterward.. DON'T EVER PUT A CIGARETTE NEAR YOUR MOUTH!!!! lol. but really, smoking is very stressful to the lungs.. Also, don't stay on the pain killers too long, you should be completely off them after a month or two, narcotics are very nice in the short term, but after that, it's a nightmare to get off them..
Each person will vary depending on how serious your condition was.. In my case, it was more extensive, so my recovery took a while, but you will be able to do everything you used to (which was my biggest fear when it happened).. I'm not an athlete, but I have always been a very active person, so as long as you are dedicated to recovery, you will be fine.. You might have to push yourself, because you will have bad days, but it's a very common issue that is very easy to come back from!