Background: I have been asking many questions as I have been having trouble swallowing and voice issues for quite some time. I am seeing my regular pcp and an ent. My pcp seems to show more concern for me than the ent...but I am scheduled for a biopsy on two thryoid nodules this week. I have been told by the ent that my nodules are not large enough to cause the trouble I am having with swallowing and voice. My pcp sent me for a chest x ray.
Although I do not have an official report...I did see my x ray yesterday while the tech was checking it to make sure it was okay...she pulled an image up on her computer screen...I asked is that me? she said yes...in the x ray (front veiw) I could clearly see that my trachea is curved and not straight up and down. I asked shouldn't that be straight and she said yes...they will probably order more tests to look at that. It was clear that something low in my neck near my collar bone is pushing my trachea to the right. The left side is where I have always felt that I have something the size of an egg or larger in there. I have told the docs when i turn my head to the left (which is harder to do than turning to the right) I feel something pushing on my throat.
My question is: Should I contact my docs on Monday and ask about the x rays or wait for them to contact me. I just have always felt that the ent especially is too non-concerned (if that is a word). Whatever this is, although I have felt "something" for a year....has gotten very noticably worse in the last two months. I feel that the ent always thinks I am complaining...I am usually the last to complain about something ....but i feel that every week i have new concerns and symptoms....(this week...before the chest x ray I had told my husband that I felt pressure high on my chest...not really my heart but higher...which I think what i saw on the x ray may explain)
i would call the doctor monday to get the ball rolling faster. you've already been waiting a long time with this sensation in your throat/chest, which has worsened, and i can totally understand how you are probably quite anxious at this point.
the doc might not have the report by monday but i'd call anyways, and then i'd call every day until they got it.
i'm not sure what follow-up tests they'll want to do. ultrasounds?
make sure your idiot ent who hasn't been listening to you gets a copy of the report.
good luck. it sounds awfully uncomfortable and unpleasant.
Call your doctor on monday, it may trigger them to get your results if they aren't available.
In the meantime, don't worry too much about anything you saw on a screen of your xray, or anything a tech. says, you need to wait for the report after the radiologist reads it and your doctor interprets it---anything else doesn't mean much at all.
And, as always, make sure YOU get a copy of your results. I used to just leave it in the hands of my doctor, but have been through so much medical stuff lately that I insist that I get a copy of all of my lab work, test results, etc. That way, YOU can also be in control of your own health - be it going to another doctor,etc. you have access to your own information.
Good luck to you and I hope you get some answers soon!
