Husband had CT scan - terrified he has lung cancer

Hi

I'm at my wits end. My husband has been losing weight (a lot of it self inflicted as he finds the thought of eating unpleasant - he's always been a very slight man. He has had a raft of tests with the g.p and had a chest xray which showed the early stages of copd. No follow up required. He's had more blood taken than a him an pin cushion. Anyway 3 weeks ago he got rushed into hospital with plurisy and pneumonia. The chest xray done then showed a shadow on his lung which the consultant respiratory medicine guy said was almost definitely down to pneumonic scarring. He was supposed to have a routine follow up xray in 6 weeks from then to see if scarring had gone or got smaller. Then out of the blue last week we had a letter from the radiology department with appointments for CT chest and liver in 4 days from the date of the letter No explanation. The following day he had a letter from the consultant saying that a consultant radiologist had looked at the xray and thought it would be beneficial to have a chest CT. No mention of why the liver being done. He had his CT yesterday.all the lady doing the CT said was his case was marked 'urgent priority".  I'm terrified as its gone from a routine follow up xray at 6 weeks  to an urgent CT. 

I suffer with terrible mental health issues with chronic depression and acute anxiety. I can't stop my head going to the worse place. He feels healthy is starting to put on weight since I've been making him sandwhiches and hasn't got any symptoms of anything to speak off but I can't get my head around the speed of everything and why a consultant of respiratory medicine who whilst is not a radiologist must have seen thousands of scans didn't initially see any reason to confirm. What has the consultant radiologist seen to make this such a priority? Im going out of my mind with worry. Still no explanation as to why they needed to scan the liver. Now we have to wait!

Has anyone out there been through anything simikar

  • Welcome you to our forum Katiedl.

    I'm sorry to hear about your husband and I can appreciate why all this uncertainty is taking a toll on you, the waiting game can be nerve wrecking so I'm glad you found us as talking about our problems does seem to help, even if just a little. Do you have a date for your husband's next appointment?

    Hopefully some of our members who have been in a similar situation as you are right now will soon be here to offer their support and advice.

    And if in the meantime you think asking these questions to one of our cancer nurses might help, please know you can call them on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9 a.m - 5 p.m.

    Best wishes to you both,

    Renata, Cancer Chat Moderator

     

     

     

  • It is easy for me to say take it easy and try to think of good times for now. I have had cancer a rare one for eleven gruelling years and i suffer from anxiety and dpression. He is putting on weight that is a good thing. I too worry prior to appointments no matter how things are doing and it is natural for people like your Husband. It seems ages for the wait that is far from easy  but let the Specilalist do their job. What ever it is or may not be but Cancer is not neccessary a death sentence any more apart from some but you get bad things in all walks of life.That is if it is cancer because he has been through a lot of healthy issues and they too have side affects. You naturally think of the worse i have done many times.They have got to put you to the front of others and that is what you would want them to do get into if it is anthing as soon as they can that is their job and they know what they are doing. If there is any suspicion you normally go on a two week waiting list. If there is one thing that you must take heart is that you are now on their radar to be checked out urgently and not left alone to for them to get on with dealing with anything they find?. My cancer has been in my liver for 7 years and my tumours have calmed down for now thanks to great people and treatments. I really hope that there is another explanation but you are now in the safe hands of the people that know best. There is a possibity that you was in a poor location when the scan was taken and it has not picked up  not the right imagery and you may have been laid in a poor position. That is where you are now in front of the queue so they can deal with anything straight away and not let it leave anything you would not want them to check now. You can take comfort that they have now got you to see what is going on? If you think about it you would not want to be left alone. The quicker they get on with it the better for you and your husbands well being. I would say that the team so far are doing you a great service and following the book proffesionally. I dont want to go into it anymore but you are in a great place now that you wont believe but if it is anything they are brilliant and quickly get on with anything. They are also now well briefed and the treatments and research is spot on! All my very best but stck together because your better together and i dont know what i would have done without  my Wife she never left my side. In the meantime if you want to talk you can help with CRUK and a bit longer with McMillan who both offer a great deal of advice if you need to talk? I believe the second one is 9am to 8pm 0808 808 0000. They are very good if you want to talk that does often help a great deal as they are well versed and experienced advisors. I am no expert but i hope it works out well for you both and you have my best wishes.DONT FORGET YOU ARE IN THE BEST PLACE AND NOW ON THEIR RADAR. xx

  • Thank you so much for your post. I thank God everyday since last Friday when he got the all clear. They did suspect cancer because of some jaggerty edges on the shadow buy they are now satisfied its pneumonic scarring. he has to have a normal chest xray in 6 weeks to make sure the Inflammation has gone down but they said they were as sure as they could be that it wasn't lung cancer. I'm sure if they were sitting on the fence at all they would have done a biopsy. I really appreciate your words of support. I'm really sorry to hear that your diagnosis wasn't good but it sounds like your winning the battle after 7 years and I will pray that you get a lot more years and go into remission.

    Take care of yourself

     

    Katie

  • Hi I had an xray of my chest, then my Dr sent me for a CT scan ten days ago and now wen I rung my Dr for CT scan results I was told I've been referred to a thoracic respiratory hospital. It's got me worried as my breath is short and can't seem to do anything without getting out of breath.... I'm totally new to this thoracic respiratory stuff. X

  • Hi just found your post and going through something similar. How did you get on. Hope things have been sorted for you. X

  • TMI, I'm in the same position, had pneumonia two xmas ago. This week I have had really bad hayfever symptoms and then starting having a hacking cough morning and night only. Coughing up thick phelgm and had blood streaks in it. Sent for xray yesterday and was told 3 days. I've had a call in 27 hours. Being sent for ct. Unsure what has been seen but something has. I'm 35 and not sure what to think. Also got to start on 3 sets of antibiotics from tommorow.

  • Sorry old post, I was told had shadow over my aorta but now being sent for spinal thoracic mri, can I ask why they sent u to thoracic please as a bit worried