I had a neck ct scan for another reason which picked up the beginning of my lungs. And the doc said i have emphysema. I also had a digital xray which was completely normal. My breathing tests completely normal. I have no symptom whatsoever. I run daily, i feel fine.
Could anything else resemble emphysema on a ct scan? Or is it 100% that? And no im not a smoker and i dont have the alpha enzyme either.
Im quite worried. I wont be able to see another specialist for a couple of weeks but i feel like this is the end of my life.
1. The doc you saw is really dumb to make assumptions too quickly.
2. The CT scan may have corrpted in someway which could have made him think so.
I would say wait till you see lung specialist just to clear your head. If it is really emphysema it should have shown on X-ray too. There is no reason for you to be worried.
hi, thanks for your answer. they also heard my lungs while i breathed and they were normal. so i guess it might be the very beginning of it? could those bubble which expand due to emphysema be due to something else? i am worried cos i googled it. and i read horrible things like 5-10 yrs life expectancy.
if it is emphy, does the progression depend on us? like, our life styles and avoidance of smoking etc..or just luck?
There is no reason for you to have emphy. as you dont smoke and you dont have alpha. I dont see any other reason here for you to have something like emphy.
Do yourself a favor and stop googling this. There are folks here who smoked pack/day for 3 or 4 DECADES and who've been diagnosed with either form of COPD for 1 or 2 decades. Some STILL smoke. I'm not a doctor but my guess is that you have a much better chance of death from an auto or bus accident in 5-10 years than you have from any lung death in the same period.
It will be hard to wait to get this clarified. Any time you start to worry, perhaps it will help to form a mental image of ducks quaking as they peck Dr. Google to death.
Hi even if you do have emphysema although this is very unlikely at your young age, it is not unheard of it is far from the end. I agree to stop googling indiscriminately and just rely on regulated and good sites like this one.
At the early stages it is quite possible to keep it at this level and only progress very slowly. Most people with this die with it rather than from it. x
i stopped googling. i shouldnt have done it to start with. i read all these horrible stories about transplants etc. but i guess it depends on life choices. i dont smoke and i exercise so i hope i get a couple of good decades. im hoping its something else which looks like it.
I am hoping it is something else too. Even if it isn't you have still got well more than 2 good decades! How does 5 grab you? Many people aren't diagnosed until the severe stage and these are the ones who might get lung transplants etc.
To give you an example I was diagnosed at 54 as mild, I am now 63 and still mild! Some of it is more luck (in my case so far) but others do it with a healthy lifestyle. x
Do you have a child lock on your computer ? If so, use it and add your self to the banned list of sites ( DR GOOGLE ) !!! He has an awfull lot to answer for including people taking there own life.!
Wait for a complete diagnosis and even then stop driving nails into your own coffin. You are far from ready for that yet.
IF the xray only showed the TOP section of your lung, it is very unlikely to be enphysema as it normally affects the LOWER part of the lung lobes.
There are a lot of tests that can be carried out to prove this one way or the other, the problem we keep hearing on the forum is the reluctance for both doctors and some specialist to undertake them. This varies from country to country as does the treatments being given.
At present ( as far as I know ) we do not have the technology they had on " STARTREK " to just take one look and know whats wrong. So, calm down, stick to these forums, look, learn and listen to those that DO live with COPD. I am 73 nearly 74 and I still have a sence of humour and I am still hear talking to people just like you.
If you really are that worried, ask them to give you an MRI of your lungs, that way they really will know and so will you.
Well I don't know whether I have emphysema or chronic bronchitis both of which come under the umbrella of copd as my nurse/doctor won't tellme but I think it's because they don't know.
The symptons I get in the early stages are getting breathless when going up hill and steps and worse chest infections when I get one. It takes longer to heal and I feel quite ill with them.
Don't forget though I am more than twice your age and this comes into account too.
I don't know the answer to your last question I'm afraid as I have never had a CT scan. x
i will quit my job to go back to where my parents are to have a full scan etc. the xray didnt show anything. its the neck ct scan which picked up the beginning of my lungs. so maybe all of them are destroyed? though i would have symptoms if it was so advanced i guess.
does it always give symptoms? what makes me more worried is the fact that they told me emphy looks only like emphy on the ct. so im not given any other option. i dont know if they are dump or if its true. cos i refuse to google now :P
im quite nervous as the docs said I have "the disease of a 90year old" . but could it be something else,?they said no. but I want to ask if emphy can resemble something else on a scan?
I've read all through your responses (don't we have a great support system,??😁 and I agree with the majority. STOP Worrying! Please keep us updated. It is very odd that a Dr. would make that statement. If he continues, I'd get a second opinion.
im getting a copy of my ct scan next week and will send it to a specialist. im still in a bad mental state. its been a few days now I keep waking up at night to see if im breathing. I cant handle this I dont know why. all the worst case scenarios are in my head.