Hi all, this is my first post here. I was recently diagnosed with Emphysema, which has caused me no end of difficulty and worry over the past 4 years.
It started with a spontaneous pneumothorax, which was drained, but collapsed again 12 months later. A specialist had bloods and a CT scan done, but his verdict was that the results were “unremarkable”. He specifically said there was no emphysema.
A year later I moved to another country and luckily had to go through the tests again. This time it was found that I have emphysema, which the new specialist said is what is causing my lung to collapse.
I’m relieved to finally have a diagnosis as it really plays with your mind when your doctor clearly doesn’t believe you. It’s also great to be taking medication that’s relieving my symptoms to the point I often feel normal. Such a novelty!
I’m feeling quite angry that the original specialist missed it and before I decide to make a formal complaint, would like to get some opinions, because I don’t want to cause people any hassle if it’s not justified.
Should the specialist have found the emphysema the first time? The CT scans were only 12 months apart and I’m quite fit and don’t smoke or live in a polluted area. The symptoms I described were those of emphysema and I said time and time again that I felt my lungs were simply too large for my chest and couldn’t seem to take a full breath
Thanks for reading and look forward to your thoughts.