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missed diagnosis

Force5
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So, we are currently waiting on tests results. my husband satrted to be unwell in August (2022)  during a holiday. He was unable to wlak in a striaght line. We put this down to water in his ears from the pool.  On return he continued to be unable to walk in a straight line so went to the doctors. Long story short, he was sent for so many tests..... heart, chest xray, brain scan and bloods. they ruled out a stroke and anything to do with his eaars. He ws told not to drive.  Chest xray and brain scan came back as normal..(November)  He continued to have issues and now he has a silly cough. In January he was given a blue inhaler and told he has COPD by a nurse. I argued this as I've nursed both parents with this condition.  Blue inhaler did nothing and hubby returned to the doctors and saw a locom. He was sent for more tests, Chest xray and bloods.  3 day after the chest xray we were called to the hopsital. the xray clearly showed a problem with his left lung. He was sent for bloods and ct scan with contrast the following week. two days later called back to the hospital and met with a registra who told us it was looking very sinsiter!!!!!!! Cancerous growth in the treachea, collapsed lower left lung lobe, cancer signs in both lungs, lymph nodes onbo th sides of the chest showing signs of cancer. (Dr Death as my Husband has nicknamed him) More testes, Full body scan with radioactive dye, Brain scan with contrast dye and biopsy. after the biopsy the lung team came down to speak to myslef and my husband before I took him home.  The brain scan show that the cancer has moved to his brain and he must not drive or fly.   The chest xray in November was not clear the left lobe was already collapsed the brain scan from November was not clear their were signs of it already. We are still waiting on the test results because they had to cancell the first appointment for the biopsy due to staff . We still do not have a plan in place and will not for another two weeks due the the doctors being on strike.

Question

How did they miss both the chest xray and the brain scan evidence?

  • Offline

    I am very sorry to read about yet another missed diagnosis. It's so frustrating that this is happening    once too often and it's not acceptable.

    I was three years listening to various professionals telling me there was nothing wrong with me, meanwhile a malignant squamous carcinoma continued to grow inside me while various procedures and bloods continued to return "normal" results!

    In my opinion there is too much evidence of people being treated like animals at a cattle market. Almost like how many people can be passed through various departments in a day in a bid to meet targets. Healthcare has become more about politics while waiting lists and surgeries increase and more and more people are being failed because things are being missed.

    I sincerely hope you get the treatment, help & support that you deserve.

    S x

  • Hello,

    What a dreadful time you and your husband are going through.  Please forgive me if I have misunderstood some of what happened.  I was a little unclear as to whether the medical team are now saying that there was evidence on the earlier scans that was missed, or that as far as they can tell those scans appeared clear, but the more recent ones have now shown all these problems. 

    If the scans did show signs earlier, then I cannot explain why they missed this.  But if it is only the subsequent scans that have shown up the problems, this can sometimes happen.  Sadly no scan is ever perfect.

    It does sound like an extremely difficult situation you are both in.  The community on here are very supportive so hopefully, you will be able to get some emotional support here while things are getting sorted out for your husband 

    Martin

  • Offline in reply to CRUK Nurse Martin

    The brain scan showed something but they put it down to getting older. (59) The chest xray clearly showed the lower left lobe of the left lung collasped in Novemeber and it was sent back to the GP as clear.We are five months on since these tests and still waiting for a treatment plan.......or not......

  • Offline in reply to Force5

    Sadly CT scans are not as clear for the brain as MRI scans /pet scans are.

    I hope that your husband receives meds to help him control the swelling that can occur in his brain ( steroids generally).

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