Thank you for this much needed website, and your much needed and greatly appreciated responses.

There's something terrible going on with my lungs due to what has been diagnosed as COPD. One of the things that keep me distraught is the fact that I am always denied being shown (and explained of course) just what is on and in my lungs.

I was diagnosed in 1991, and in 1993 or 94, was the only time that a doctor ever showed me a copy of my x-rays and pointed out where there was a small size mass. That was also the time in which I had been diagnosed with non-active T.B., and was given the drugs INH and vita. B6. At a later time I was given a second, more longer period of INH and B6, because I believe that (for some reason), I must have stopped taking the first therapy before the time was up.

Since that time (1993 or 94) and two doctors later, I've been denied the right to see and have explained to me the condition of my lungs. The more I've asked, the more annoyed they've become. Their main excuse being that the films are hard to read, even for them. But someone does know how to read them, or at least see where or how spreaded the masses are. I know that I could be shown them regardless of what is being said.

I was shown x-rays of a lump in my breast, that was later removed and found to be benign. And then I was shown the x-rays after the removal of the lump. So I can't understand why I can't be shown the x-rays of my lungs.

This reaction of theirs is causing me to have a lot of negative thoughts and feelings, the main one being depression. I've suffered from depression since my early teens,(I'm 43 now). Their reactions has also caused me to become paranoid, because sometimes I feel like something is being kept from me,(well the x-rays are), but important information regarding my disease. The doctors know how I feel, so please don't tell me to continue to press the issue with them. It only annoys them (which I find odd).

What I'd like to know is do I really have the absolute right to be shown my x-rays, and how do I go about having them shown and discussed to me?

I'm beginning to go to bed every nite and cry and wake up and begin to cry. All of this, not only because of the pain and discomfort of my chest and lung areas,(which always seems to bother me more during the approaching evening), but because it causes me to automatically wonder what's going on in there (lungs and chest), and why is my doc keeping pictures of "MY" x-rays from me.

Thank you once again,

Signed...Sleepless from pain, discomfort and negative thoughts

Absolutely you have the right to see and have explained to you your X-ray. Your doctors may be dragging their feet because it will take extra time to do this, and perhaps because they fear that they will be inadequate to the task. If continued efforts don't get you the show-and-tell that you desire, then ask for copies of your films and find a physician who will do this for you. I imagine that you could consult an infectious diseases doctor or a radiologist who would be able to do this for you. Good luck!