Really, really bad news :(

[njmac]

I have been having a cough for a month now, and went for a chest x-ray to see if it was pneumonia, and was SHOCKED when the doctor said I had emphysema I am so upset, I am freaking out.

I am 34 (female), never smoked, and I stay home to raise my 2 perfect children ages 2 and 3.

I don't have any info yet, except that I have an appointment with a pulmonologist on Monday.

UPDATE I saw the pulmonologist and it is NOT emphysema. It is just a plain old cough due to post nasal drip. The doctor couldn't believe that a diagnosis could be made from an x-ray that really didn't show anything except a very slight hyper-infation of the lung.

and now that I'm not dying... my children can be very sweet , but not perfect

 

[iAlan]

I hope all goes well with the follow-up exam. Working for a company in the pharmaceutical industry (not a drug company) I know that emphysema can be worrying but rest assured if the diagnosis is confirmed there are good treatments out there

 

[floriflee]

I'm so sorry to hear about it, and I hope the second opinion goes better than the initial diagnosis *here's hoping*. Hang in there!

 

[njmac]

I hope all goes well with the follow-up exam. Working for a company in the pharmaceutical industry (not a drug company) I know that emphysema can be worrying but rest assured if the diagnosis is confirmed there are good treatments out there

really? That's good to hear, I am actually afraid to google emphysema right now. My grandfather died of emphysema That is all I know about it right now. I just can't stop crying.

 

[iBlue]

Oh wow, all things considered I am sure that's a very shocking thing to hear. Have you had any other previous lung problems?

an e-hug, for what it's worth and good luck.

 

[njmac]

I'm so sorry to hear about it, and I hope the second opinion goes better than the initial diagnosis *here's hoping*. Hang in there!

Oh wow, all things considered I am sure that's a very shocking thing to hear. Have you had any other previous lung problems?

an e-hug, for what it's worth and good luck.

thank you both

And, no, I have never had any lung problems, and I've never smoked. I did breath in a lot of second hand smoke as a kid. My mom smokes.

edit: Nice avatar iBlue!

 

[iBlue]

thank you both

And, no, I have never had any lung problems, and I've never smoked. I did breath in a lot of second hand smoke as a kid. My mom smokes.

edit: Nice avatar iBlue!

Well I can imagine that's only a positive thing that you've never smoked. It's always so unfair when it strikes people like yourself though. I just hope the pulmonologist has some positive things to tell you. (never be afraid of a second opinion if he/she doesn't have a lot of answers for you either.)
If you can wait, I'd recommend against googling this before your appointment. On one hand it gives you info and you can know what questions to ask, on the other hand it offers up almost too much information and that can be intimidating and frightening. (I'm a lot of help, aren't I?)

I just wish you the best. Sorry to hear you've been dealt this news.


Thanks, about the avatar.

 

[iRachel]

Hi njmac -

I don't know much about emphysema, so I can't offer you any advice, but I do want to wish you well. Good luck with your treatments, and keep us posted on how you're doing!

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Second hand smoke can cause emphysema.

There are many treatments out there that are pretty effective though - I used to work in a hospital and most emphysema patients that were otherwise healthy maintained an excellent quality of life. So here's hoping you get some good news soon!

 

[njmac]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I will surely keep you updated. Monday at 1pm is my appointment. If anyone wants to google it, and tell me ONLY the good news that'd be fine with me. I'm anxious as to what the pulmonologist will tell me. Damn it being Friday

 

[CEAbiscuit]

Good News

"In short, the diagnosis of emphysema is not a death sentence. Rather, it is a medical condition that should prompt you to take an active role in the management of your disease. Quitting smoking is the best first step. Regular visits to your doctor and taking medications as prescribed are also very important."

Stay Positive!

 

[iBlue]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I will surely keep you updated. Monday at 1pm is my appointment. If anyone wants to google it, and tell me ONLY the good news that'd be fine with me. I'm anxious as to what the pulmonologist will tell me. Damn it being Friday

Well the good news is: that you got it diagnosed and got an appointment in a rather quick period of time. (even if it doesn't seem like it) There are treatments and lots of specialists with answers/options to give you about it. You haven't got an addiction to cigarettes to battle in addition to this. You're otherwise healthy and young and this only serves to the positive. You've got a lot of motivation to not let it get the best of you.

That's a start on the good news anyway. At the risk of sounding trite, hang in there and try not to focus on it until you can talk to the pulmonologist.

another :hug: for good measure.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Good luck.

I have some breathing trouble myself. Not emphysema though. I am running around at about half lung capacity and only notice it after a bit of exertion.

Good luck.

 

[rdowns]

I have been having a cough for a month now, and went for a chest x-ray to see if it was pneumonia, and was SHOCKED when the doctor said I had emphysema I am so upset, I am freaking out.

Hang in there, as others have said, there are many effective treatments.

...to raise my 2 perfect children

On a lighter note, are you sure your problems are not mental?

 

[njmac]

Thanks everyone

Actually, I think I will take my mind off it and go get our Christmas tree. We can decorate it with the kids and hopefully that will work

On a lighter note, are you sure your problems are not mental?

haha, Maybe, they just decided for lunch they would have a "peanut butter lick" That's where they get the chair, steal the Peanut butter from the cabinet and stick their hands in the jar. needless to say, there is pb smeared all over them, the walls, the furniture.

 

[emotion]

I hope the tests come back with some more clear info for you.

I know what it's like to have lung difficulties as I have Cystic Fibrosis. I've just come out of hospital after a course of IV antibiotics for a chest infection. It's looking like this might not have worked as I still cough very badly.

Fingers crossed that the doctors in charge find suitable treatment for you that works well (as I'm sure they will).

 

[Mr. Durden]

Gosh, Im sorry to hear that. I would be scared to do a google search on it too. Its a scary thing to know that you have to deal with a serious condition like that. I wish you the best. The good news is thats its treatable, so try to stay focused on the good and not the bad. Please do keep us updated.

Good luck, and good health to you.

 

[leekohler]

Oh that's awful. I hope that you get some better news too.

Just out of curiosity, where do you live?

 

[njmac]

Oh that's awful. I hope that you get some better news too.

Just out of curiosity, where do you live?

Thanks, I'm from New Jersey.

 

[Thomas Veil]

I'd like to wish you good luck, too. Hopefully you're over the initial shock now and are coming to grips with working with your doctor to treat it.

I hope you didn't get it from second-hand smoke, but it's possible....

 

[jelloshotsrule]

all the best. good luck and stay positive

 

[ziwi]

Thanks, I'm from New Jersey.

good luck with everything. Any chance that there is radon in your house now or where you lived before? - if that is present then perhaps a remediation is necessary to not only help you but to potentially prevent this from happening to the children.

 

[leekohler]

good luck with everything. Any chance that there is radon in your house now or where you lived before? - if that is present then perhaps a remediation is necessary to not only help you but to potentially prevent this from happening to the children.

That's what I was thinking. In the absence of the smoking factor, emphysema is a pretty severe condition just to "happen". njmac- this might be a good thing to check out.

 

[njmac]

Thanks again everyone

Yes, I'm over the initial shock but still in the very worried category.

I don't think we have radon... 7 years ago when we moved in we had a radon test, and it came back negative.

I'll see what the doctor says on monday, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if it was the second hand smoke, but obviously finding out for sure would be the best so the rest of my family isn't subjected to something that can be fixed.

 

[scem0]

sorry to hear about that njmac .

Sounds like it won't be too big of an issue though. When I was reading your post I was afraid you'd say it was lung cancer, or HIV, etc. So, I was even a little bit relieved at first. But everything'll be okay.

*big hug*

e