Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
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
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
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
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
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.
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
Hi Wee Mee,
Thinking of you, your dad and all. Try to keep calm, were all here for you
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
: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:
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
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?
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
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
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
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?
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
Quote:
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.
Re: Something on my dads chest xray PLEASE HELP
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: