I wander why I am not confident with any procedures which have to be done to me. I went for a CT Scan yesterday at macclesfield hospital and it was my first one there. I have had lots and lots of CT Scans and various other X-rays and scans in the past at other hospitals, this one went wrong, I lay down on the scanner bed and when they started the dye off to go in my body. I couldn't believe it, I was showered with all this liquid coming out of the tubes and I had to shout the staff to come and sort it out. My gown was soaking wet with this liquid. They apologised and just continued with what they needed to do. I think I am on edge as I went for my biopsy two years ago and it went pear shaped and I had a cardiac arrest and a mini Tia stroke and that was brought on by the procedure. I am a nervous wreck now when I have anything done to me especially when it is invasive. Once I read up on what can go wrong well then it's made me more stressed. I feel that we do need to know what can go wrong and then we do have a choice whether to go ahead with these procedures. I am not a soft person as I have had major surgery over the years but it's just recently I don't trust anyone doing anything to me. A long time ago at Christies Hospital in Manchester the radiologist asked me do I feel ok, I said yes. He then told me that they have had quite a few people this morning where things have gone wrong. I wish this man would never have told me that.
Hope I haven't put anyone off from having things done to them. Sorry if I have.
Written by
angels5454
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Angels,although this shouldn't happen i know from a family friend who is a technical assistant in radiology that sometimes tubes work loose from cannula.s and the contrast dye,although absolutely harmless squirts everywhere,as you say it wouldn't do any harm to advise patients that this can happen beforehand and a simple check by the radiographers should ensure this doesn't happen.
Given your well founded anxiety during medical examinations perhaps a chill pill of some prescription maybe already prescribed and taken before the appointment could take the edge of things?
Hi ski, thanks for the advice. I think I do need a little something to calm me down. I am waiting for things to go wrong as they have done in the past. It doesn't help that I had just visited my sister who has just been diagnosed with wide spread cancer through her body. I don't think they will be able to do much for her. Although we have to think positive and be strong for her. I will miss her as she has always been there for me while I have battled this horrible disease. I can't believe it's happened to her.
Well Chris i guess you need as much support as you can muster as you are going through a torrid time,very sorry to hear about your sister and now you will have to reverse roles and support her which may in an obscure way give you a little more inner strength.
Ski's and Scruff's x
I'm sorry that you have had such a rotten time with these procedures. Most of us don't like being messed about with although we manage to grit our teeth. I don't let them put dye in me any more because to look at my lungs they don't actually need to and my consultant goes along with that.
As you are so very anxious I suggest that you tell the staff when you go for the scan. You are not alone in the way that you feel and they are supposed to be trained to make it less stressfull for you.
Agree with Littlepom, always tell the staff if you are concerned or anxious. It's their job to explain procedures, what to expect, and reassure you if you are apprehensive. Most are caring and will do their best to take care of you.
Hi Lemon7, well I always inform them that I had cardiac arrest and Tia stroke whilst having a lung biopsy and they understood and do there best but for this other thing to happen it just shocked me. Never had liquid spraying out from high above the machine before. It was like having a shower. I think it didn't help that I had been to see my older sister who was admitted to hospital last Sunday in an emergency. She has been diagnosed with wide spread cancer. I had just been to visit her and was in shock with this. I have battled non smoking lung cancer for 10 years and it's been a battle and now my sister has cancer in different organs. It's not fare.
Yes, that's so unfair, worrying time for you and your family. It makes everything harder to deal with. My own family lost four members to cancer within a couple of years so I understand the stress and anxiety. All the very best to you, hope things improve for you soon.
Oh dear Chris, I do wish I could do or say something to help, such a very difficult time for you right now. Being told about silver linings and lights at the end of the tunnel can be so bloody irritating.😠 x
I know exactly what you mean. I had a DAT scan for the first time. It is a long day , including timed injections of nuclear tracer. I was finally in the scanner and mid way thru I heard a pop and felt something land on my chest! I couldn't jump or move because I was determined to get the thing done. At the end, when I was getting together to leave, I mentioned it to the Tech. She told me that she heard it too. That she couldn't see what fell from the machine. But, "don't worry about it. We got good pictures." So, how does one trust the next scan in the future?
It is normal to have high anxiety when having an appointment or procedure after what youve been through. Im exactly the same as i had to be resuscitated by an anethsetist 2 years ago in my 40s. Im ok now but when it comes to having anything put thru my veins i panick, so know exactly what you mean. I was one in 22,000. Had severest form of anaphalaxis from muscle relaxant. Had to have breathing exercises to calm me down as still had to go through my operation but numbed from waist down. Breathing did help my anxieties if its any help. Take care. Xxx
I feel that way too. I had that dye put in me one time and had a reaction to it so bad they had to stop the procedure. Then I found out that the BP meds I have been on can cause cancer. They say it is because of my illness that I have panic attacks, I beg to differ.
angels5454 I feel for you having to go through that. I can understand why you feel nervous having procedures. You have had awful things happen. I refuse the dye for CT scans. You certainly did not need that experience after hearing about your sister. I am sorry to hear about her diagnosis. Very sad news indeed.
I think staff sometimes forget that the things they do everyday are new to patients and that we are not Sausages going through their giant sausage machine.
I've never had claustraphobia, until they put a sort of cage over my face to scan me. I'm quite immobile but I was managing to try to jump off that bed and escape. People telling me it was ok was of no help at all, my brain told me otherwise. That was a few years ago, if I'm dressing and get my jumper stuck over my head I recall that cage and cant get the clothes off quick enough. I'm rational and not unintelligent but nothing can convince me my clothes aren't out to get me.
Staff can improve our outcomes, it wont cost the NHS money, they just need to do the grannie test, if it's ok to do it to your own grannie then it's ok to do it to someone elses. Of course this all depends on them liking their grannie to start with.
Hi Angels I have had similar things happen to me 2015 had a Bronchopathy and it caused a Tension Pneumothorax and had the Crash Team work on me, then 2 weeks ago went to have a stones removed from my Bile Duct and the probe broke so had to have the throat spray and sedative again, and I had a horrible feeling something was going to happen its made me nervous to have anything done in the future its scary when these things happen, but its got to be done try and think positive easier said than done, but im still here to tell the tale and so are you xx
It's understandable that you should be more than skeptical about scans & other tests, especially anything invasive. I don't mind the scans but am now fearful of any further surgery or needle biopsies. I had the latter in March & it hurt horribly & didn't even yield enough tissue to biopsy! So May 22 I had right lung middle lobectomy for adenocarcinoma. Of course I'm glad it's out but there remain three more nodules & I don't want anyone poking around my lungs to get to them! Maybe they'll just treat me with chemo, which I also dread (never had but know so many who have). Obviously, now I'm in my own lung cancer war & probably have to expect many unpleasant procedures if I am to hope to continue living. . .
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
CT Scan
COPD CT scan with contrast Vs fev1/fev
CT scan and inhalers
CT Scan vs Spirometry
CT scan 10 weeks ago showed pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema.
