some time ago, I came onto this incredible site for people with lung health issues. At the time, I was in a real state having just been diagnosed with COPD and discovering that there was no follow on support/medical services in my area of East Wales once a diagnosis was made. Nothing at all............even the voluntary COPD group in Mold had stopped running. Therefore, this site was my only source for information and advice. Anyway, my point today is that I fought endlessly, made official complaints and was in contact with my MP and so finally got an appointment with a Resp Consultant. Prior to seeing him, I was given a full range of lung function tests, so that when I did see the Consultant, he could give me a full detailed account of my COPD condition. So imagine my surprise/relief/joy/ at learning from the Consultant that I DO NOT HAVE COPD at all, and that the Consultant was astonished/puzzled/annoyed that I had been mis-diagnosed. More over, my lungs are doing okay for some one who is 64 years old and smoked for far too many years. I still can not quite believe this.
I did want to tell you my news because several of you were so very helpful to me during my period of distress. I wish all of you as much good health as you can muster AND good and correct medical services. cheers jeannie
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mishawaka
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Hi Jeannie what brilliant news so good to hear this,well done you for getting people to listen and get a correct diagnosis at last just goes to show doesnt it.Very happy days for you now,you've made my day its good to hear the positive news.Thanks for letting us know.Stay well and be happy Janexx
Great news thank you for letting us know. Take care TAD xx
Well worth pushing for help then. What a relief for you x
So very pleased for you! It beggars belief that they can mis diagnose you really! Wish they had done with me! Sad thing is I can feel the damage! : ( all the best!!
thank you every one for your good wishes. After I posted my news of the mis-diagnosis, I wondered if I was being insenstive to those of you who have not had the same experience as myself and regrettabily do have lung conditions. Forgive me if it seems this way. I just wanted to thank those of you who were so encouraging to me a few months ago and pressed me to force my GP to get me that important appointment with a consultant. My very best wishes to all of you.
hi mishawaka, i need to say to you that i am so grateful that you posted news of your misdiagnosis
i havent been feeling well for 2 or 3 months with a chest infection, and last week i got admitted to hospital. on admission i had low grade fever and o2 sats of 90% the day before admission i got put on 40mg of prednisolin for 5 days, and a 7 day course of co-amoxyclav. i was so breathless i couldnt speak in complete sentences at rest.
anyway, 2 days later, they decided to do spirometry with me, and am just about able to walk to the toilet without breathlessness. on that day my sats had risen to 94, but the day after my sats had again risen to 98
the following day they tell me that having discussed things with the team and based on a set of spirometry that they have from March 2012 and the set they had just completed - with no other access to spirometery - they could only conlude i had moderate copd, because of the very very significant decline in the results, and tell me i am being discharged on long term steroidal inhalers.
am very very angry, considering that in april 12 i had a middle lobe lung resection, and also been diagnosed with sarcoidosis - my sarc doc did a mini set of spirometry in december and told me my lung function was improving and he was happy with how things were going
never never at any point has copd been mentioned!
however, i have smoked for 40+ years, there would have to be some damage, but i want it properly investigated before i am going to accept these findings
btw - i got discharged on thurs feeling reasonably well, and between thurs and now my breathing is deteriorating. have an appointment with my gp later today. have stopped smoking and been using ecig for the last week or so
anyway, so glad about your diagnosis, and pleased for you, and please your were not insensitive, you gave me hope
its crazy making isnt it..........just maddening? Did they give you the full range of lung function tests or the simple spiro test? It was only as a result of these other tests that the Consultant could make a correct ( I hope, as I have lost all faith in any of the medics) diagnosis. I wish all of the best with your GP appointment as I have lost all faith in mine...............fingers crossed that some one actually gets it right for you and you get the treatment that will help you. best wishes jeannie
no they did the whole range of spirometry all sorts of different tests. The following day they also did an incremental walking test - here is the thing, the following day i was feeling better, and my o2 sats had gone up from 94 to 98. i got to level 7 on the walking test, my sats dropped only to 94 after the test and returned to 98 within a short while
and yet they can still say its moderate copd!
also, they took a sputum test 4 days into a course of co-amoxyclav!!!!!!!
i am just back from my GP - she is referring me back to medics. i said you can refer me to any team you like providing its not those donkeys i saw last week. fortunately she agreed, so just waiting to hear where she is sending me
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