Guys. I don't complain but my life hasn't gone the very smooth. Hopefully this new adventure will be another speed bump

Tldr at bottom.

I had to have a CT last year for an issue I was having. Not related, but they noticed a nodule on one of my lungs. Got referred to a Pulmonologist and he's like 99/100 when something like that appears out of nowhere it's an infection, since you are already on a antibiotic it will probably clear up. To be safe orders another CT month later.

Get CT done and it's gotten slightly smaller. Nothing was said for a bit but they wanted another one. Insurance company was fighting it, so 5 months later I finally get another scan. By this time it's been over 6 months since it was noticed. Results come back and it's the same size. Now they ordered a lung biopsy.

I'm scared. I've had this random cough for over a year, not bad and I always thought just thought allergies. I've also had issues where I get shortness of breath. It's not often and if I just slow down a minute or two I recover.

I probably won't sleep at all tonight. Probably get very little until the biopsy is done. If it's cancerous, idk what I'm going to do. I don't see what others do who get told something like they got a year.

Tldr:
Lung nodule has appeared, Pulmonologist told me 99/100 it's an infection and antibiotics take care of it. 9 months later it's still there, now I get a biopsy

How big is the nodule? Noted as solid or something called ground glass? Do you smoke? If you live in the Midwest there’s a fungus (histoplasma) that infects everyone and causes benign nodules called granulomas. Very common. I see nodules all the time on CT scans (almost everyone). Not sure how old you are but for over 35 the Fleischner criteria (based on size <6 mm, 6-8 mm, >8 mm) are used to determine follow up for solitary pulmonary nodules. At greater than 8 mm typical recommendation is 3 month follow up CT, PET-CT, or biopsy. Can be difficult to get good samples on nodules less than 1 cm

The fact that the nodule got a little smaller or stayed the same size is reassuring.

Start here: biblegateway.com

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

I have a sh!tload of nodules in my lungs from valley fever (Coccidioides).

FWB had a 3 cm nodule in her lung two years ago that has since resolved.

Very common. Surprised they want a biopsy since it has not grown in size.

based

are you vaccinated? all you can do is follow up. the biopsy will tell alot.

I'm 37 and never smoked. Live in the south east. It's 12mm from last scan.

August 3, 2021 CT had no notes about seeing it.
August 12, 2021 CT picked up 4mm. Radiologist notes said may or may not have been on previous scan.
September 9, 2021 it was 2.1 x 1.3.
October 2021 says it decreased slightly to 12mm
Scan last week just notes it has not changed significantly.Nah, nothing major just random cough and shortness of breath. I didn't even think once about it until this came up. I was being scanned for another unrelated issue.

how much money you got?

And how many years do you think you might have left?
What are you doing with your life now
what dont you like doing

As a worker full time at McDonalds I can tell you...


We see a lot of nodules on chest x-rays and they seemingly never turn out to be anything.

If you are a pessimist, here is some optimism for you - the cancer that kills people is the kind that goes unnoticed until its mets and is causing problems. You've already got eyes on this, whatever it is.

It's ok to be anxious but make sure to be realistic.

Back to making big Macs now, gtg.

Your thread title is pretty profound, really a question that could be asked at any point because how do you ever exist knowing that death is the inevitable conclusion of all life

Don’t worry needlessly dude, you’re doing the right stuff