View Full Version : Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
I'm going out my mind.. CANCER..Honestly..someone help. are there any other things that could happen that shows as a mass on someones chest xray?
It is ony small looking on the xray but theyre doing tests and stuff and I am breaking my heart. :'(
He's had a pain in his chest at the left side near his ribs for over a week and we have been trying to get him to go to docs and we only managed yesterday.
He was sick today apparantly in hospital and it was pinky and thick and yesterday he had been coughing up blood..
I tried asking him what they thought it could be and they said that he had been for a scan and more blood tests and that they were gonna put him on iv drip things and that it could be a few things like a clot or something but I think he is masking stuff :weep:
Me and my mum are besides ourselves.
He has emphasema also and asthma. :'(
I keep breaking down but trying not to infront of my dad. Trying to be positive etc but it's hard. I hope he is okay. I have forgot why I wrote this now. :weep:
i know its hard but try to stay positive till they have done there tests, it could be something as simple as a chest infection let us know how he is
amandax
It's so hard thougha s you say..I mean it;s fair enough that I jump the gun all the time but it's worse when my mum is crying too. :'(
It almost makes it feel like it is confirmed.
God. I can't stand it. And my dad is so vague with things and he gets confused easily.
drummermike
27-05-09, 18:34
How old is your Dad? Just curious.
I am sorry you are going through this right now. Him have asthma and COPD complicates things a bit and presents many different things that could be going on besides Cancer.
I don't think honestly that your concerns are above and beyond anyone with or without anxiety issues. I think your feelings, suspicions and concerns are valid in a way that has nothing to do with fears or anxiety or health anxiety.
I think you should trust the medical professionals. And, I think you should be strong for you and your Dad. I think you can and will be.
I don't think you are jumping any gun. real things like spots on xrays, frothy sputum and blood are cause for real issues to be looked into. However, more times then not, everything isn't always, the end of the road ... it could be his COPD causing an infection or cyst .....
Hang in there and take this one step at a time ...... I hope things work out well. ~M
chest infections and pneumonia etc often show as a white area on chest xrays. you are allowed to ask the doctor directly rather than waiting for information to filter through your dad. my dad recently broke his hip and the first couple days in hosp he was on meds... and talking all kinds of gibberish about things the doc said that he actually didnt. never assume the worst. x
The fact that what he is coughing up is pink and frothy might be a good sign. Sounds like it might be pulmonary edema. Not good to have but better than cancer. Usually the blood that is coughed up when one has lung cancer is bright red blood.
Sending you my best. My father had lung cancer, and I've been down the road with chest x-rays and the not knowing. Its an awful place to be. Come lean on us if you need to.
just back from hospital visit tonight. he seems not not well if that makes sense..like he's eating a bit more and he is coughing etc but it isn't anything bad or worse..though he said he was sick this morning and it was pinky and thick..and I noticed his spit in a little tub..I know..and it was kinda white and frothy looking..He isg etting a screening for his bowels aswell. Oh and his age is 67.
I just hate all this uncertainty.
When we were in the a+e yesterday,it was so busy and in the middle of the place with the cubicles I seen an xray..and it was of lungs and i can't explain but i just KNEW it was my dads..just the outline etc AND there was a little round lump in the same place where he is sore. And I had to sit for another hour or two there knowing this info.. not sure if it was his but kinda sure..
then later when we went up..he said something had came up in the xray.
Thanks for the replies everyone. i just feel sick. one minute i think everything will be fine cos they just HAVE to be then the next im a mess. was out trying to get my dad some things at the shopping centre today and i kept breaking down. I wish I was strong for him. I wish i knew what was happening
xxxxxx
oh he also cant use his left arm very well,when he moves it high up it is really sore for him..all on the left side
valleybear
27-05-09, 21:23
Wee-Mee, I am thinking of you and hoping that results confirm a lesser problem that the one which you fear. My husband had emphysema a/COPD and when he got a chest infection his side and ribs ached and he coughed up mucus and blood. His x-rays always showed a shadow. He did not have cancer.
Sending you hugs and willing you to stay positive. XXXX
so although they have said something came up on the xray, the xray you saw wasnt necessarily even his? if this is the case then anything could have shown.... maybe it was bronchitis... or pleurisy, that causes pain in the infected areas.... have you seen his actual xray for sure?
no :weep: but i just have this feeling..oh i dunno. the xray that i did see had a small round white dot where his pain is so i put two and two together.. i just have that image in my head. :'(
i know it is a bit mad to assume that but it really does fit..to the tee.
and i havent seen or spoke to his doctor..hes always floating around when i am not there :weep:
xxxxxxxxxx
googled.. i really cant see it being anything else. i dunno what to do. I am hurting like hell. i cant even describe it. hurting like hell cant begin to describe it.
f**K
To me it sounds like pulmonary edema, which my aunt had. She had something funny on her xray too, and the hallmark for that is coughing up pink and frothy blood. Its serious, but treatable, and once its been treated that is the end of it.
I'm sorry this has you so upset. I can totally relate to how you are feeling. :hugs:
im sitting breaking my heart. honestyl. and everyone my mum and partner are in bed. i dont know what to do at all.
i am 98% POSITIVE it was my dads xray i spotted,i am. and I know the title says his. i hope it wasnt cos all it looked like was a smallish round white ball in it.
i dont know. im sorry for going on. i just am at loss.
:weep: i really need support just no w :(
ok well please pray for him. anyone. goodnight all x :weep::weep::weep::weep::weep::weep::weep::weep::w eep::weep:weep::
Dear Wee-Mee,
I'm sorry you are going trough such a hard time right now, but please allways try to keep up good hope. Although I know it can be very hard.
I'll be honest, I do not believe in god, I never have and I most likely never will. However I did my best to say a small prayer, Although I doubt I did it correctly.
Please do remember that most "minor" things do not show up on google fast, Also it is not a 100% sure that it was your father on that scan, And also, we do not have eyes trained for such things, there is even another post on this forum that states of someone worrying alot when he saw a picture, and it turned out to be his heart that he saw as something dangerous.
I have not seen what you have seen, so it is difficult for me to put myself in your shoes, but please. Try to think of positive things, Do not torture yourself with such fears, that have not been confirmed and are more unlikely then they are likely. Apperantly cancer rarely shows any symptons of pain, so if he's been having pains for quite some time, it might not be it.
Just try and stay strong,
Kind regards,
Kraggy
xBettyBoopx
28-05-09, 03:27
Mee-Wee
I'm sorry, I've only just seen your post. I am so sorry that your dad is unwell & that you too are going thru this dreadful time. I will pray for your dad.
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff36/twnx_bsce/praying_hands.jpg
Els
xxx
justbananas
28-05-09, 04:34
i will say a prayer as well - please try not to worry! i just got home from sitting in the hospital all day as my mom had surgery. she is ok .. but i know what it's like to worry about a parent!
thanks all. i hope God heard the prayers xxxx
i sat and held a jumpe rof my dad;s last night and just cried into it..and my mum caught me and she tried to comfort me and tell me that although it is really hard that we should prepare for the worst but hope for the best.
she is phoning this morning at 10. 9:45 just now. I cant cope. My dad thinks he is invincible practically bless him,he's ha dhis fair share of accidents in hislife and health problems(he only has quarter of a stomach when he fell in a hole when he was younger at the working sites and a one of them jack hammer things drilled into him) so I don't know what he will be like if he gets told something so bad. I've never seen my dad cry.
God I dunno what I'll do.,
Calm down.... its possible you are presuming the worst. Where did you see this xray? Doctors dont just leave patients xrays lying around for all to see. His xray, presumably would be in his file. I understand you are presuming its his because it fit and youve googled.... but it is just as likely you have put two and two together and come up with three. Where was the xray in relation to your dads bed? Dont forget also, your dad is likely in a ward where all the patients are being checked out for similar problems, in which case it wcould very easily be anyones xray.
I do not know how old you are, but I do not understand why you are not asking the doctor rather than sitting imagining the worst? You know I spent four years dealing with doctors and surgeons about my mum. All doctors are happy to talk through medical conditions with family... if not you, definitely your mum. Your dad is likely feeling worried and confused, and in no position to be giving accurate information on his own condition. He is in no position to be diagnosing himself.... and ou doing the same will only make the problem worse, especially for yourselves.
I have said it over and over before, doctors are not superhuman beings... they are people. Never be afraid to approach a doctor. If your dad is not asking the questions, get your mum to ask the questions. You can even phone his ward and speak over the phone with the doctor about his illness. Ask ask ask.... I cannot emphasise this enough. Many doctors do not give out all the information, not because they are afraid of hurting anyones feelings, but because the patient often wants the treatment without learning about the cause... they just want to be fixed. Doctors are not good at speaking in simple terms.... but having a doctors speak a load of stuff you dont understand is still far more reliable than trusting Google.
Please, how ever large or small the problem.... ask and dont imagine. Our imagination can be cruel and could effect YOUR health in the process. Please approach the doctor and make him make time for YOU. xx
jessieblue
28-05-09, 12:23
Hi Hun, so sorry to hear of your worried, I wish your dad well and I hope all the worry is over for you soon. 18months ago my mum, who is 79 had a pulmonary embolism, blod clot in the lung. We didn't know what was wrong with her and at first they thought she had a heart attack. She didn't have pain but the doctors couldn't believe it. Normally the symptoms are pain, coughing up mucus and blood, shortness of breath etc. Mum was being sick from time to time and bringing up volumes of fluid. They treated her for the PE and then they took her back in with pneumonia! She had pain under her ribs on one side and was being sick, also she had a cough. They had seen the blod clot on xray, but now not sure if it was the infection they saw. Anyway she was treated for pneumonia and then sent home only to be sent back in this time with a pleural effusion, which is a pocket of fluid between the lungs and the lining of the chest! There are so many things that can happen other than cancer. If he has emphysaema, he could easily get fluid on the lungs or infection. Also cysts and as my mum had a mass that was actually just dead tissue from the long standing infection.
She is fine and well now and I hope your dad will be soon too. Have they done CT scan or MRI? Have they done a camera test, by putting a camera down into the lungs\? My mum had loads of these tests done in hospital and she had lost 3 stone in a couple of months so I know they were looking for something sinister, but there was nothing.
Good luck, let us know how he gets on. X
Now then Amy!
Listen, it is of course possible that your dad has the big C, but it is more likely there is actually a problem inside the lung. I am not an expert on lung cancer but coughing up bloody phlegm and froth suggests some kind of lung infection? For all you know you could have been looking at the wrong x-ray and your dad has actually got bronchitis or something, or has suffered an injury to his lung.
Even if you did look at the right x-ray it could have been anything, maybe a blood clot? The only thing you can do is wait until the results come in and ask the doctors. Please let us know how your dad is doing. Of course he's going to seem down, he's had to go to hospital and is dealing with all this uncertainty. Being in a hospital naturally makes people feel more ill -- that's just psychological.
I wish you the best and I hope your dad is ok.
Hi Wee Mee,
Thinking of you, your dad and all. Try to keep calm, were all here for you
:weep: :hugs all,Ok,went to the visiting today and it's all confusing again..
Dad said that the doc came round and said they want to scan his liver and bowels. Get a sputem sample. The last one I figured,like to look for cultrues and stuff..but the liver and bowels? They are worried about his weight. He has been so skinny for years. His diet is awful..like none xistent..unfortunately he is an alcoholic.
So..he gets vitamin b12 injections anyways..he's getting the tablets in the hospital.
I finally asked a nurse what was happening..and could I speak to the doctor and that my dad said something about a doctor saying to him earlier that she was concerned that he might have had fluid in his liver or something and that he was getting another scan and one for his bowels too..and she looked at notes and said that she didn't have notes of it and she would need to as the nurses arrange for the scans etc so I am like o.0 she left and said that she was getting a doctor to come up and explain but no one came and we got kicked out for the visitng.. getting really annoyed. the nurse said to my dad that he may have heard the doc talking to the guy in the bed next to him as HE had liver fluid and was awaiting a scan so I dunno.
I'm so worried. and confused. none the wiser and if it is cancer then time is ticking and no treatment :( :weep:
To be honest it really does not sound like cancer to me. If he is having B12 injections then it is more likely he is anaemic for a start, hence the injections. I have a B12 deficiency myself and it causes all sorts of problems. A lack of vitamin B usually goes without saying when it comes to alcoholism. Alcohol itself prevents the absorption of essential nutrients. The lack of nutrients, especially vitamin B12 causes problems within the bowel as the food has a hard time digesting anything. As a result of poor digestion, lack of nutrients and combined with alcohol consumption, it is inevitable it will put a strain on his liver. I think you will notice a vast improvement once his B12 levels become normal. Do you know if he has Pernicious Anaemia at all? has he always had B12 injections? The disruption caused by a lack of B12 will naturally make them check his liver and bowels. This is routine as all three are tied up in the same process of food digestion and extraction of nutrients. It all sounds very complicated I know, but from a nutritional point of view it sounds VERY positive that they have started the B12 injections already and are giving him iron pills as well. Injections are usually ONLY given with severe anaemia, and his heavy drinking sounds like this is the likely case of the majority of the problems. Did they say anything about the chest xray?
thank you so much for the reply xfilme.
I didn't know bowel and liver checks were routine with b21 defidiency.
No..nothing has been said about the xray and i dont understand..all apparantly the doc said was "you're chest is in a state" but I know this. but i dont know anything for sure. I would have thought they would know something by now. I feel they are keeping things from us and I am scared that he really does infact have lung cancer and it has spread to the liver or bowels cos I think it can do that or...if they werent even looking for cancer,they find something n it is awful.
I just dunno. I am besides myself
Doctors are a pain. They forget there is anyone else in the world other than them. If you still havent got the answers, call up the ward and ask... repeatedly until they give you what you want to know. A doctor would not just say that his lungs are a state. this is far too ambiguous a statement. Ask specific questions... and do not stop until they give you answers. Doctors are usuless at communication between departments. More than likely the people checking his chest are different from the ones checking his liver and bowels.... I would advise you to keep a note book on you. Write down the name of all the doctors you speak to and what they do and how they are involved. As soon as you start asking questions and giving the names of the doctors you have spoken to, you will notice a change in attitude and you will start getting the information you require. Its hard work I know, but unfortunately many doctors forget about conveying whats happening because they want to just get on with their jobs. Remember. The doctors are working for you and your family.... you and your family are NOT working for them. When it comes to your family, you have every entitlement to know what he is being treated for and why. Once the doctors get used to the fact you want to know the reasons behind everything, they will start offering the information to save the hassle of you chasing them all the time. You HAVE to be persistent. ALWAYS ask "Why?". Im sure the results won't be so sinister as you expect. It is a scary time, but the only reason it is so scary is the fact the doctors have not put you in the picture. If there is something or nothing to worry about, they have a responsibility to tell you. Dont forget that x On a final note, my mum had liver cancer and lung cancer, and you have not mentioned anything that I noticed as a symptom she had... so thats encouraging isnt it?
all apparantly the doc said was "you're chest is in a state"
This doesn't exactly make it sound like your dad has got cancer. It sounds more like he has got an infection in his lung, or his alcoholism has caused damage which is going to take some sorting out.
I know with emphysema, a chest x-ray is very ambiguous. There is a lot of scar tissue due to the emphysema, so the doctors cannot rely on a chest x-ray alone. They have to do other scans, usually a CT scan, and other tests where they examine the sputum, to be able to ascertain what the problem is.
Try not to think the worst. I am, unfortunately, an expert on both emphysema and lung cancer, and I can tell you for sure that in either case, you do a lot of waiting and worrying. Best to take one day at a time, if at all possible. And if you feel you must think the worst case scenario (which I can totally understand because I do it too), you then need to remember that there are people who survive even the worst of outcomes, and nothing is going to happen tomorrow. All you can do is worry about today.
Easier said than done, I know. I'm sorry you are in such a state. I hope you get some answers soon, and that your fears are put to rest. :hugs:
Thinking of you, thanks for replying to me the other day. Please keep letting us know how things are going. You and your family are in my prayers.
Oh my.. last night was awful.
not only do I have all this worry with my dad,but my partner just up and left me in the middle of getting ready to go visit! he just shouted he was tired was going home couldnt cope with stuff.
I was HYSTERICAL Like,couldnt stand,my poor mother bless her.
I had to pull it together for the visitng at7 and then after I broke down again and my mum was trying to get me to talk to someone at hospital.
I sat from 8:15 til 1215 at night in the a+e with my mother crying ma eyes out waiting to speak to someone,anyone,(after foning the nhs24 and being told that it coul dbe hours and phoning the psychiatric bit at hospital who REFERRED us to the a and e)only to find out that i had been put under MINOR injuries. granted that if someone is in agony with a heart attack or cut then yes. but folk there last night were arseing about..im sorry i sound so harsh,but you could see and im sorry but just because i was not throwing up or in phsycial pain didnt mean i didnt need attention.i needed a sedative or something. And i just sat there..ill. i ended up coming home and my mum is phoning to complain because even not just fo rme but if someone wanted help etc there was no one here to help. mental health as much as there is things for it etc,its not looked upon good i dont think.anyways
Theres phone lines etc but for a person to person contact last night was awful.anyways not about me at all really i dont care about me.
was up seeing my dad today..they did an ultrasound on his liver and hes got other tablets but STILL not being told and it is the weekend now so wont know til monday.
I feel so alone. i have to be strong but i dont know where any strenth is. sorry if this isnt making sense. i am fiding it rather hard to even put a sentence together at in face to face situations jsu tnow.
Thank you all o fyou for listening. and xfilme I am so sorry about your mother *hugs* its awful
xxxxxxxxxxxx
i am so sorry for what you are going through just now, :weep:, the nhs when it comes to mental health in a general hospital in my experience is not good, ( i would use another phrase here, but have decided not to swear) and in some instances a disgrace, , distress is distress whether its physical or mental..
You have a lot going on in your life right now and i know its not easy, take your strength from the support that people here can give you, i know thats not the same as face to face support, but in rough times we must take all the support we can get from those who happen to be around us at that time.
i will be thinking of you and your dad,
sending you kind thoughts and best wishes
P x :flowers:
Sometimes doctors can see what we can't. They will get A LOT of people suffering mental distress and they will learn very quickly who needs emergency treatment and who is simply upset.
Amy, I think you suffer from stress and anxiety and you get so wound up you blow your top. The doctors probably recognise this. I am no expert, but I can tell the difference between stress and depression (unless it's me, I can never properly diagnose myself). If I can do it, so can they.
If you need tranquilisers, you have probably just got yourself into a hysterical state. The best course of action is to learn how to calm yourself down before you get into that state. Hysteria means a loss of control.
It is difficult for doctors to treat people who won't help themselves: you need to start reading up on stress management and relaxation techniques. These are going to help you more than any medication and maybe more than talking therapies. You do still need to talk about stuff so that it doesn't simply rattle around in your brain. You do not seem to be taking enough steps to "let off some steam" and your recovery will be delayed until you start taking more steps.
You must start taking action to reduce your stress response. You literally go to pieces when bad things happen. Bad things can, do and will happen throughout your life. You need to start bringing yourself under control. You can only face bad situations by being calm, collected and aware of what you are doing and saying. This way you can actually start to deal with the problems.
If you lose your head, you will only make things harder for yourself. You will need to get yourself together BEFORE you can tackle the problems; you simply create yourself a whole new set of difficulties to deal with.
Little update- My dad had an ultrasound on his liver and he has been put on two yellow capsules to clear his chest out and he's on paracetomol and other white tablets but I dunno what they are for..need to fin dout..doctors are going in tomorrow with all the test rsults and I am so worried. I can't see it being anything else.. I WANT it to be something else,nto bad obviously but I am goning to go INSANE if my dad is dying.seriously.
All his pain in his left arm and chest etc is away though he is still coughing up alot. :( :weep:
I can't cope. God..my dad is in the hospital and he is the onethat seems to be the most calm.
Little update- My dad had an ultrasound on his liver and he has been put on two yellow capsules to clear his chest out and he's on paracetomol and other white tablets but I dunno what they are for..need to fin dout..doctors are going in tomorrow with all the test rsults and I am so worried. I can't see it being anything else.. I WANT it to be something else,nto bad obviously but I am goning to go INSANE if my dad is dying.seriously.
All his pain in his left arm and chest etc is away though he is still coughing up alot. :( :weep:
I can't cope. God..my dad is in the hospital and he is the onethat seems to be the most calm.
If you can find out the names of the tablets he is on you can probably find out what he is being treated for x
Thanks for the support folks. and xfilme
I noticed that my dad had been given hydrochlorothiazide which I just looked up and ntoiced was blood pressure tabs. Hes on other ones aswell but can't quite make out the writing..I looked at the folder he has..All his left arm pain and the pains he had coughing and inhis chest is away.He is still coughing etc but nothing more than usual that comes with his asthma and emphasema. his spit was whitey grey when I seen it in the tub for the sputum sample but seen it today aswell and it was kind of yellowy with an orangey tint in it.
Apart from that he seems not bad. He has got some appetite in the hospital which is unusual for him,he is very thin..noticed on the chart that his bmi is 17. :weep: but I am scared. I have to go to the hospital tomorrow myself aswell,for the results. I was crying abit there. I am so scared. so so scared.
I am just terrified.
Please say prayers xxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
iI've been praying for you since you first told us about your Dad. I hope everything turns out much better than you expect tommorow. You sound calmer today. :hugs:
thanks blondie,not really calmer though :'(
I find out in an hour or so all the results. OH MY GOD I'M ILL. need to leave soon
I found rosery beads and prayed soooooooo hard. so so hard. slept with them next to me. God can't take my dad away from me. It' just not his time. oh :weep: :weep: :weep: :weep:
Has your father ever worked with hay or coal?
he used to work in the building sites and worked with asbestos :weep:
he used to work in the building sites and worked with asbestos :weep:
Unfortunately so did many people. They reckon that many children and teachers who were in school in the fifties/sixties have been in contact with it also.
Here is hoping that it is not anything for you to worry about. There are many chest problems that can be quite debilitating without being lethal.
I worked on the 'miners ward' when I was nursing and although some were quite poorly and many could only breath with O2 they were quite elderly and would return home to their families when feeling better.
tahnkyou fo ryour kind words trixie,i'm crossing everything. have to leave just now and i'm on my own..oh my..if it is bad news i will go crazy :weep:
Just wanted to say that I am crossing my everything for you and your dad. :hugs:
just wanted to offer my support - i really don't have much more to add to what the others have posted but i'm really hoping things work out for you guys, wee-mee. please keep us posted! you're in my thoughts :)
he is home!!!!!!! i cant even describe how happy i am.
he had pleuritic pain with haemotopsis or osmehting.
I am so so happy he is home. and thankyou so much for the support.
I actually slept with rosary beads in m yhand las tnight and i put them in my pocket today.
I have sharp shooting pains in my left arm and chest now but i dont care hehe,anxiety probs :)
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see... :) not all news is bad. really pleased for you and your family Amy. Well done for being so brave today x
fairyloveheart
03-06-09, 11:27
Yipppeeee, glad to hear he is ok xxxx
So glad to hear the good news! :hugs:
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