I had an x ray Monday because i have a persistent cough that just will not budge. Had it about 3 months now. Its a tickly throat really, but its horrible. They said 3 days and its the 3rd day today and they are still not back.
Well i am terrified. My cough is still bad and i think i have coughed up some blood. My cough is still really dry, when i cough i have been having this habit of coughing in tissue to see if there is any blood. And last night after a bad cough i saw blood i am so scared i know its lung cancer, this is why the results are not back. I just sit here waiting for them and its ruining my life. When will this end.
When will they ring me?. I need help.
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melrose
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Calm down wait for the results, coughing blood can caused by mucus tearing the small hood vessels, not a great concern drink plenty of fluids 'water ' to thin down the mucus.
You may wish to give your GP a ring if he is one receiving the X-Rays, there are not none for being prompt.
Coughing up blood can mean anything and is often caused when, like you, a person has a prolonged cough as it irritates the mucus membranes and/or back of the throat causing them to bleed. An x-ray is done for many reasons and in the case of a prolonged cough generaly shows up nothing more than infection, so showing the Dr what to prescribe. X-ray departments are also notoriously slow at geting results sent out so that in itself means nothing as it is so common.
Pester your GP by ringing every day asking for the results if they are to be sent to them, as they in turn can pester the x-ray dept. If you should have got them direct from the dept do the same with them. Also mention the fear the delay is causing as you have here, it never does any harm and may help sped things up.
In this area if it was cancer you'd have the results within a day or two, so often a delay is reasuring as it means they saw nothing worrying when the first quick check was done, so did not fast track them. The results are not released until they have been read by two radiologists hence the frequent delays.
Big hugs and I hope your mind is put to rest soon.
Thank you so much. I live in the south of England. Everybody keeps saying that if they saw anything like cancer they would have rang me by now as they cant leave you, but i just find it hard to believe. I did speak to my gp who told me there is nothing she can do for me anymore as the x rays are not in. They are not very helpful, but its not helping me who has not slept since Monday Properly. I am so scared not eating or anything and this cough is just tiring tickling my throat all day, cant help but to cough.
I know its bad news i am feeling so ill, its ruining my life. I know its hard for people to understand. Sorry to bother people.
Agree with all the above answers. Pester power usually works. So ring your GP. The results are usually reported on within a few days and then sent to your GP surgery but I have known it take a lot longer to get to the Doc who then rings you. In my surgery it has to be the Doc who referred you in the first place and twice now I have managed to get a lovely Doc who works part time. So if the report comes in on Friday afternoon I do not get told until Wednesday. Unfotuantely, it has made me want to avoid the poor woman as I also have to wait to get follow up appointments with her.
Hi Melrose, please try not to worry, 3 days is not too long for results coming back, they should be back soon. Your cough sounds very much like most of us. I too cough into a tissue, but really so I can let them know when they ask was there any blood, if I have a flare up (have bronchiectasis with aspergilloma and pseudomonas) I even take a little pot up with me because I cough so much mucus and blood, but honestly you really do get used to not worrying about it, so please try not worry. Like Tazzy said if it was lung cancer they are usually pretty quick smart on getting results done. Once you on some treatment hopefully things should settled down a bit.
Hi i know its not to long, I also no i am inpatient and not the only person on the planet going through something, I know i am being selfish, I just want it all to be over, so i know what i am fighting xx
Morning Melrose hope you had a better night last night. You are not being selfish. You are understandably frightened. We all know that there are people worse off than us, but at this moment it is happening to you and it is very real, and it's ok to feel angry and scared. I was always getting in trouble off my family for apologising for being ill 😊 they really do understand. Things will work out. Meanwhile rant as much as you like 😁
I had a bit of a better night. Still had a few times when i woke up scared, but trying to deal with it as best as i can. Waiting for results are never fine and today is the 4 th day so scared as just want to know one way or another xx
We live in the South east and it all seems slow here - too many patients too little Drs etc. my husband has a pesistent cough nearly a year - still undiagnosed as to the cause. But he had an X-ray at pembury hospital and they saw something and within two days was called for a ct. So I really should try and be reassured that as you haven't heard it will be in the system and reporting nothing serious.
I do believe that if it was a cancer you would have been referred For a ct scan by now.
Try and keep positive - easier said than done - but when I look back on the journey of life with kids, husbands and everything I find that 98% of the stuff I lost sleep over and worried about never happened and the remaining 2% I dealt with!
Marion. Thank you so much for your reply. I cant tell you how i am feeling. Not sleeping is also not a good thing. I really hope your right as i have totally convinced myself i have cancer, and its not only affecting me, but its affecting all those around me. I have 5 children 3 of them are in their teens, but the other 2 are only 10 and 4 years old and i keep breaking down i try really hard and hard to explain i have never felt so alone even tho i am not. Thank you for your kind reply xx
Each area can be so different to the times that they send info or the Doctors deal with the info. We are told 10 days before calling the doctors.
As for blood if it is the usual red stuff mixed in with the sputum I would think it is minor bleed from the coughing from the throat. This is common and not always a problem, the best markers are the colour of the gunk!
Hi. I was told 3 to 4 days, I did ask if they would call if they saw something really bad and he said of course, but i am not sure if he was just telling me that because he saw i was anxious. Hell for me tho who just sits here all day a waiting the phone call.
I just received my X ray results...... Clean and normal with no further action needed??. WHat is this cough then every day all day everyday??. Can it be in my head?. Nothing. I hope nothing was missed. Can they miss anything on an x ray??. My husband has told me to accept things and be glad. Thanks all those who commented xx
Im just 21 years old boy who has a presistent sputum for months and no answers from doctor. I know how u felt and im glad ur fine . Im still fighting mine and i sometimes i also think that its cancer but i had my xray on november 2015 and it was all clean . Lets see whats next i really hope i dont have to clear my throat for the rest of my life .
I am, but not as bad. My mum said that i could have focused on the cough and it became a habit, and i could be making myself cough. I do suffer Health anxiety, and have had issues in the past with overthinking things.. and making things worse as i become more anxious. I have calmed down a lot from what i was. Not coughing anything up. Its strange to explain... its a tickle in the throat that drives me crazy. I have spoken to a lot of people who have said that as i have had a x ray that was all clear and normal its highly unlikely that i have something wrong with my lungs. The last one i had before that was 10 months ago and that also came up clear too.. Thanks for the breathing techniques, I was panicking alot as well and i do not think that helped. I never had any problem of a night with coughing it seemed to go when i went to sleep, if of course i did not wake up and think about it which i did all the time. In fact my mind was and still is if i am honest focused on the cough. I was thinking allergies maybe as i have a funny feeling a bit in my nose on occasion too. My doctor said he thought it was pollen and the time of the year, I had to push for the x ray 4 times because they checked me over and over and heart and lungs always sounded fine and oxygen levels always 99,,, they even got me to blow in something and said it was also fine.... the doctor smiled at me when i said about lung cancer and really did not want to give a x ray as he did not think it was necessary. They just was not sure what it was they still do not either.
I take honey and lemon in a glass of hot water every morning, keeps coughs and colds at bay or at least manageable. couldn't u try an antihistamine for a few days see is that helps?
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