Mma fighter had lung hacked off after vaping left it riddled with black spots

SEAN TOBIN WAS IN 'REALLY GOOD SHAPE' AND ON TRACK TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL MMA FIGHTER BEFORE HIS VAPING HABIT SAW HIM RUSHED TO HOSPITAL WITH A COLLAPSED LUNG 14:28, 15 Aug 2023

A 20-year-old fitness fanatic has revealed he had to have part of his "permanently damaged" lung hacked off by doctors after horrifying photos revealed vaping had left it riddled

with black spots. Sean Tobin, from New Hampshire, US, had been "so healthy" before he started vaping in 2018 but quickly developed a habit that saw him going through one 5,000-puff

disposable vape a week. The MMA fighter and electrician's apprentice claimed the vape "never left his hand" for five years and it became "very, very habitual" for

him to use it morning till night, as well as occasionally smoking weed and THC oil. READ MORE:BRITISH SCHOOLBOY, 10, WHO BEGAN LIFTING AT AGE ONE IS 'STRONGEST ATHLETE OF ALL TIME'

But his health quickly took a turn last month when he felt a stabbing pain in his back while at work on July 20. Article continues belowREAD MORE: Human vs chimp fight 'tested' by

scientists to discover who would winREAD MORE: Drug-dealing teacher who stole credit cards escapes jail time after 'facing demons' At first, he thought he might have pneumonia but

when the pain continued to worsen throughout the day he was rushed to urgent care to have his vitals checked. An X-ray found Sean's right lung had actually collapsed. Recalling the

terrifying incident, he said: "When I stepped up into the van [for work on 20th July], it felt like I pulled a muscle in my back. The tension there was pretty bad. "I went to the

hospital and they did an x-ray of my lungs. The radiologist read my report and they told me I had a collapsed lung. "It was really scary because I felt like I'd done it to myself.

It was years of me just not treating my lungs how they should be treated." Sean was transported to Concord Hospital, where doctors made an incision between his ribs and inserted a tube

to attempt to push out the trapped air crushing his lung and chest. But when it didn't work he was sent in for a gruelling surgery that saw surgeons chopping off a part from the top of

his lung and stapling it back together before the rest of his lung was glued to his chest wall. Sean explained: "After they put the chest tube into my chest, it was two days later and

the hole in my lung wasn't closing, so they decided to do surgery. "They sandpapered my chest wall with medical-grade sandpaper. They had to get it gooey and sticky so it would

stay together. Now my lung is glued to my chest wall so it can't collapse again." Before the surgery, photos taken using an endoscope showed something disturbing — the surface of

Sean's lung was covered in black spots. "They put a camera in my chest cavity for the surgery, and I saw what they said were carbon deposits in the lung," Sean said. He

claimed doctors confirmed it was likely his heavy vaping that caused the severe damage and he's now been left regretting ever picking up a vape. He said: "It was a scary thing to

see. As soon as I saw it, I got very upset with myself. I was very sad and thought 'f*ck I did this to my own lung'. "My cardio was so good. I was so healthy and I

shouldn't have started vaping. I was just very upset with myself, and I was having a hard time. I'd permanently damaged my lungs, and I was here because I'd done this to my

lungs." The fitness enthusiast had seen videos of other vapers who'd suffered collapsed lungs but never thought it would happen to him. He said: "I was working out and running

and had better cardio than everyone in my gym. I'm in really good shape, and it still happened to me. "I remember seeing TikTok videos of a guy with a collapsed lung from vaping,

and I was like, 'that's not going to happen to me. This dude's a bum, and I'm not'. And then it happened to me. "You never think something is going to happen to

you, until it happens to you." Sean was discharged from hospital on July 27 but is now facing a month-long recovery period and is worried he might have been left with long-term health

issues that will impact his active lifestyle. "Now I have to take it really easy for a month, and I can't lift anything that weighs more than 20lb," he said. "I train

very consistently for MMA, and that's my whole life. My job is also very physically demanding so I can't work either. I've just got to sit still, and that sucks. "I

don't know the long-term effects I'm going to have from this, and whether my other lung is going to be okay. They said that I should make a full recovery, and even though I lost

part of my lung it wasn't a large amount." But he revealed the health scare was a wake-up call big enough for him to finally kick the habit. He added: "I can't smoke or

vape ever again. It's a big risk if I do." Article continues below FOLLOW THE DAILY STAR US ON FACEBOOK All the news, entertainment, sport and fun stuff you love about the Daily

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