Supposedly normal chest x-ray...

[BikerMatt]

I had a chest xray in 2017 and I was told i had basial something (can't remember exactly) and a little emphysema but nothing to be overly concerned about. So i'm sure if they can tell what it is when something is spotted, when they can't see anything you're fine.

[Mindprison]

I don't ask to see scan results, numbers from blood tests or anything like that. For this very reason.

I'm not trained to read them so why would I even want to know? I'm pretty much of the opinion that we should only be told "it's good" or "it's bad" because everything else is just fuel for the fire.

If someone with years and years of medical practice tells me the results are fine, why would I who has no medical knowledge argue with that?

[CG5246]

Just a quick update for everyone...the mind does some crazy things...somehow I was absolutely, positively CONVINCED, that--first--there was an outline of a circle of white spots on my chest x-ray. There MUST have been at least TEN white spots, I swear. THEN I was absolutely, positively convinced that it was an entire circle of white spots. There must have been TEN or MORE white spots!

I know we aren't supposed to look for reassurance, but I went to the radiologist today to ask what the white spots were and he pulled up my x-ray and, there was no circle of white spots at all....There were like 3-4 white spots total and they were in a different spot than I remembered and the doctor said that they were all pulmonary veins/arteries. Completely normal.

I don't ask to see scan results, numbers from blood tests or anything like that. For this very reason.

I'm not trained to read them so why would I even want to know? I'm pretty much of the opinion that we should only be told "it's good" or "it's bad" because everything else is just fuel for the fire.

If someone with years and years of medical practice tells me the results are fine, why would I who has no medical knowledge argue with that?

I am just starting to learn this...that I shouldn't ask to see anything. I felt so comforted by the doctor showing me the chest x-ray and telling me that these were pulmonary veins/arteries...30 SECONDS after I left, I started wondering why one of the spots seemed bigger than the others...and my mind started making the spot a lot bigger than it probably was!!

After realizing that I was completely wrong about the "circle" of white spots on my x-ray, I could stop myself and tell myself, "NO, this is just my health anxiety blowing things out of proportion, just like before. The spot is probably not as big as I'm imagining now, this is just my anxiety, just like before, when it completely distorted what I remembered the first time I saw the x-ray!! And besides, the doctors said they were veins/arteries. completely normal. Nothing to worry about!!"

I know I'm not supposed to seek reassurance, but if anything, this taught me just how much HA can distort your memory/thought process when it comes to health worries. The chest x-ray in real life looked COMPLETELY different than what my HA had convinced me of.

Thank you to everyone on this post, and this forum. Things are easing up for me I think.

---------- Post added at 21:21 ---------- Previous post was at 21:20 ----------

I meant to put in my post--- PULISA WAS RIGHT!! Thanks Pulisa

[pulisa]

I'm pleased to have helped you just a bit and it's great that this experience has given you added insight, no matter how stressful it was at the time.