Hi I'm new to this but I'm hopping for some help/advise I recently had some test done and I can't really understand the findings they told me in the letter they sent me and I can't get in to see my GP until the end of next week and to be honest I'm completely terrified that it's something serious/very dangerous or life threatening I did manage to show my sisters friend who is a nurse and she told me I had a collapsed lung which just filled me with sheer panic . Could anyone please tell me what these mean as I'm scared stiff is something serious.
Patchy nonspecific ground-glass change/mosaic attenuation is seen with in both lung bases
Some of focal atelectatic changes are seen with in the left lingual
Please help 😢
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Tammy1981
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First, please know that a collapsed lung or lobe is EXTREMELY painful. That said, it may be partially collapsed. If this was life threatening they would have admitted you to the hospital.
Second, if you develop slip arp pain accompanied by faster heartbeat call your dr and head to the ER. It would indicate a pleural effusion or a pulmonary embolism. If you have to go take that report with you.
Patchy non specific ground glass chang/atelectactic change and mosiac attenuation means they see something it is not clear what they are seeing. It could also be inflammation or other lung disease. What does it say about size? Does it indicate a pleural effusion?
Denzie you're right with all this information , my husband got a collapse lung right at the hospital right after they put on him the catheter for drain his lung, he also has plural effusion and pulmonary embolism, of course Adenocarcinoma stage 4😢. It's great that somebody has the right knowledge beside doctors and nurses. Congrats!
I would go to the Emegency room. Having a collapsed lung, is not something to wait around for a week. I am surprised that a nurse would tell you this info and not tell you to have it checked out immediately. Please keep me informed.
@Tammy1981I've heard of the ground glass look but right now I can't remember where at the moment. The others are right if your lung is collapsed it is very painful. Are you having trouble breathing? You should go to the er or try getting in to your dr sooner. I'm like the others it sounds like that nurse didn't know.You could go to one of those clinics where you don't need an appointment. Please let us know if you find out what is going on. I will worry about you and the others will to. If you need to talk i'm here @Jo Taylor
@Denzie Where did you learn all this that is great ,it is really fantasnic to have someoe on here who knows so much about medical stuff. Good job if I have a question about my health I know who to ask. You are just great.@Jo Taylor
Jo, in the 5.5+ years since my stage 4 diagnosis I've been through quite a bit. So I write from my experience as a patient and as my moms caregiver. She died from lung cancer in 2006. I attend a weekly patient support group and many of the other members have been through similar things.
Annually, I attend 3-4 educational seminars. More if I can as I try to advocate for myself and others.
Thank you for letting us know a little about your situation. You need a physician to interpret those findings. If you are in pain, go to an Urgent Care or ER and be seen, take the report with you, and take another person with you if you can. Another set of ears and eyes is very helpful. Ask questions, you need answers. Again, thanks for reaching out. Keep us updated - we'll be thinking about you.
Hi Tammy; According to my medical dictionary the word Attenuation means :process of weaking, esp. of the potency of a drug or other agent or of the virulence of a disease causing germ,
The word Atelectatic means: incomplete expansion of all or part of the lung in a newborn or collapse of lung tissue in the adult, Collapse, caused by obstruction of the airways or compression on the lung(e.g. by tumor or enlarge lymph glands.) produces increasing difficulty in breathing and fever, and often leads to pneumonia and serious complications,
Call the doctor directly that ordered this test and let them know that the results are in and you are scared by the info you have received in the mail. Ask him to call you and let you know what you should be doing. I'm off to see the doctor myself, I will check back in on you when I get back home later this afternoon.
Stay calm as much as you can as it will not help your breathing to get stressed out.
Thank you lorbic for all that information I can't really understand all the medical terms but u got the drift unfortunately can't ring the DR who ordered the test (X-ray & ct scan ) as it was a DR from a ward in a hospital so I can't in touch with him thank you so much for all your help & advice.
Tammy; Do you know which doctor that report was sent on to for follow up? It should have been pulmonary, so if you have a pulmonary doctor I would be calling them. If you don't have one then you need too, this stuff is way beyond anything a GP can handle. GP just doesn't have the training. If you feel like you are getting worst go to the ER, don't wait.
Tammy 1981 Hi... I know it's scary all this situation but everybody has right, you need to go and see a doctor right away, my husband got a collapse lung, plural effusion (fluid into the lung) pulmonary embolism (blood clots both lungs) neumonia and he was felling awful, we went a thousand times to our primary doctor, ER, Pulmonary dr and everybody said that he was ok, just flu, allergy, but nothing else!!!... We found that he was dying until he got a convulsion at my house right in my arms, I took him to ER and just 3 hours they found cancer on his lung it was too advanced and they can't do nothing about it just Chemo only to extend his life. So go and ask many questions and don't waste time time is life!!!!... Please keep me posted... God bless you!!! 🙏🙏
Denzie what your doing is learning as much as you can about lung cancers. You said its been 5.5 years since you were diagnosed.Does that mean your cured.Do you learn about other cancers.This seems to be something that you seem to enjoy doing. I don't think the enjoy part. You want to know everything there is to know about lung cancer and I apploud you for that. Your learning may help find a cure. That is great,i've enjoyed talking with you. Keep up the good work. Jo
Let's not scare the poor girl. Atelectic changes could just mean u didn't take a deep enough breath when u took the picture and ur lung is not expanded. That is different from a collapsed lung.
And whoever above was right in that ground glass appearance is very nonspecific and it's the radiologists way of mentioning something without pinning a diagnosis down because it could be just nothing and they don't see it on the next scan.
So let's just live like all of us live here on free to breathe... One day at a time. Not panicking with our imaginations which can be terrifying.
Just breathe and say "today is Saturday and I'm doing fine."
I have a scan next week and that's all I can do. My cough is much worse but I'll worry about next week next week. Try to smile and don't worry ur life away.
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