Dr warned me today about radiation and cancer?

[eastofeden]

because i fainted numerous times today i was given an x ray. i didn't want it and didn't think i needed it because i had one only 2 weeks ago. i didn't question it at the time - you assume doctors know what they're doing right?

well apparently they didn't look at my record properly and after the x ray the doctor comes in, furious, telling me why didn't i tell her i already had a x ray done a fortnight ago?

wtf. how was i to know i wasn't allowed another one? (i have had 4 or 5 in 6 months for chest infection things, and perfusion scan in June). then she started loudly telling me how i was now high risk for breast lung and stomach cancer, and this could be so dangerous for me because im so young.

i understand she is only worried about me but why is it up to me to warn the doctor? anytime I've ever tried to give my opinion most doctors have dismissed it so I've stopped questioning them.

now she's set my anxiety off thinking im going to develop cancer.

a previous doctor told me a chest x ray is low dose! now i feel like crap -_-
i can't believe she didn't check then blamed me...it wasn't all in vain since i WAS having breathing difficulties. but still. ughh. why why why didn't i tell her. i didn't know!

[Brunette]

Well I think it's a bit of both - you say you didn't want the X-ray so when it was suggested, why didn't you say something about having had one two weeks ago?

I agree the doctor should have looked at your records properly but you do have to take some responsibility for yourself.

I have read that is potentially safe to have something like 300 x-rays a year so the doctor seems to have been wrong abut you being at high risk of cancer. She is right that you shouldn't be having them unnecessarily though.

[Crunch84]

That Doctor is overreacting IMO.

A chest x-ray is meant to be approx 0.02 millisieverts of radiation according to the nhs website so even if you had 5 of them that would only be 0.1.

To put it in perspective a mammogram is 2 to 5 millisieverts, and the yearly legal limit for radiation workers is 20.

There might be other factors at play, but I highly doubt in today's litigious society the NHS would be allowed to give you so many x-rays to do you any harm.

[eastofeden]

I see, thank you. I felt she was being very dramatic she was practically yelling at me in front of everyone in the corridor. Maybe she was just trying to deter me getting anymore for my own safety. She just kept repeating the word cancer over and over again it was pretty weird. But yeah next time I will speak up but hopefully I won't need another!