lung fibrosis

[exbenzo]

Hi guys, my chest x ray showed calcification and fibrosis in my lung. Searching it on the net, I freaked out when I read IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) which has very poor prognosis (only few years ahead), although this disease is rare and commonly found in elderly people (my x ray didn't say IPF, only "calcification and fibrosis". I also read autoimmune as well as GERD can also cause this, and I have both (my autoimmune issue is colitis).

My pulmonologist didn't seem to worry as he said my fibrosis was just small. He said I could come back in a year for the next scan. Perhaps my fibrosis isn't like the type that I read on the net then? Perhaps mine is more common? I read there are many types of PF. Maybe IPF is really different, compared to PF? My symptom is mainly shortness of breath, and my pulmonologist gave me inhaled steroid. He said I had allergic-asthma. My IgE level was elevated, and my spirometry test was below normal range but my pulmonologist said it was still okay.

If you have lung fibrosis then I would definitely appreciate any of your help or experience regarding this. Thanks.

[palspals]

I don't have lung fibrosis but I did have a precancerous polyp in my colon that was found during my colonoscopy. I'm just 23 so it's genetic. Anyway, I convinced myself by reading online that I had lynch disease which is a truly awful disease that means you have like a 70% chance of getting bowel cancer in your life and a 40% chance of getting endometrial cancer and an increased risk of all GI cancers. All of this because I read on a forum that finding precancerous colon polyps in young people is usually because of this. Well...when I saw my specialist I mentioned this and she straight up said that the type of polyp I had meant that it wasn't lynch. The moral is: don't believe the internet over your specialist. If there were reasons to be concerned, you'd already know because they would have told you. It's their job and they understand your condition a lot better than google. Hope this helps in some way.

[exbenzo]

Thanks for the message. I just hope someone with pulmonary fibrosis help me here. As you mentioned colonoscopy, my story was a bit unusual about that: I had severe stomach pain. I visited my GI doc countless times. Had ultrasound, blood tests, CT scan. All were normal, although some findings were there, but basically my GI doc didn't seem to concern and said all were in normal range. But I still experienced severe pain. That was until I read colonoscopy from the internet and decided to give it a try. The result was ulcerative colitis.

But again, if the disease was already pinpointed (I mean my x ray result which showed pulmonary fibrosis) then I hope my pulmonologist didn't make mistake in diagnosing me, unlike my GI doc where my colitis wasn't even known then, let alone was in his consideration when I complained of severe GI pain, until I decided myself to do colonoscopy because I read it on the net.

Thanks again.

[swajj]

Stop searching out information on the Internet. If you had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis I think your doctor would have told you. Why would he hide it from you?

[exbenzo]

yeah, it just my anxiety that made me thought perhaps my doc had missed something, because I still feel worse (shortness of breath, chest tightness). Well, hope this will improve soon. Thanks all for the reply.

[palspals]

I know it's hard to trust health professionals when you have health anxiety. I myself have a hard time, especially when I've convinced myself of terrible things. Ultimately though, it is very unlikely that your doc would miss something that major- I'd say near impossible. Yes...there are horror stories out there but the reason you hear about them is because they are so rare and unfortunate. With respect to the colonoscopy...I'm not surprised. I had to fight tooth and nail to get mine done. Because it's a somewhat involved procedure, they are unlikely to suggest it unless you show a number of concerning symptoms.

[exbenzo]

Yeah you're right. But again, they should at least consider colonoscopy because I'm talking about saving a life here. But I know doctors can make mistake too in such difficult situation like you just said (colonoscopy needs preparations, huge procedures, etc.).

Thanks all for your answers, it reassured me.