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Follow Up Low Dose CT Scan

desiree465
Member
1 16 232

I had a doctors appointment 2 weeks ago for an unrelated issue to smoking and asked again about getting a low dose CT scan. When I first quit I had asked my doctor about it and he had told me he wanted to wait a year, wish I had asked why, but I assume he wanted to see that I was serious about my quit. Anyway this time he went into more depth about what the scan entails. A regular CT scan is the equivalent of 100 xrays! Um yikes. A low dose scan is the equivalent of 50 xrays. He asked how many packs I smoked, which was a pack a day the whole year prior to my quit, before that I was half a pack every day give or take for about 22 years. Apparently I was not a heavy enough smoker to justify a CT scan (he went pretty in depth about what that means). So I said isn't it true that people with lung cancer don't usually know they have it until it's too late, and he said this was true. I then asked what my options were. He agreed that an xray may show an abnormality and that I could safely get one of those yearly. 

Anyway like I said that was 2 weeks ago, I got the prescription for the xray but I have been terrified to get it done. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. I need you guys to snap me out of this. I have driven by south jersey radiology countless times since then while doing other things and I have no good excuse as to why I won't just go in. I know I am being ridiculous but I am really nervous. 

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About the Author
I worked as a veterinary nurse for 10 years as an anesthesia/dental prophy tech. I recently left that job to pursue a career in dental hygiene for humans. I started smoking when I was 13 and have made many many attempts to quit. Married no kids and 1 dog.