hi, this is my first time posting on here as i’m normally able to find reassurance by reading threads with similar symptoms but this time i can’t seem to find anyone in my exact situation, i know how many threads there are on lymph nodes so i do apologise if i’m not meant to make my own but this is the only thing i can think of to reassure me. i tend to ramble so i apologise if this ends up being a really long post and i’ll be really greatful to anyone who takes the time to read and reply.
some background info: i’m a 17 year old girl, i got cbt for anxiety when i was 15 but my anxiety got worse again so i’m back in cbt now, not really working right now evidently lol,
so about a month ago i noticed a swollen node in my left armpit while shaving, panicked for a bit then left it alone and thought it went down. however a few days ago while shaving i thought that armpit still seemed generally more swollen than my right so i felt about and noticed multiple nodes, i’m not sure if it includes the one i noticed earlier, i think that one was further up. there are about 2 or 3 nodes in the middle to lower part of my armpit. if i simply press on my armpit it feels like a general large lump but if i start feeling about with two fingers i can sort of ‘pick up’ the nodes between my fingers, not sure how to explain it ?? they don’t feel massive, one feels bigger than the other but i can also feel the layer of fat on top which is probably distorting the size. i can move the nodes if i hold them between my two fingers, but not anywhere i want, just a bit to the left and right. they feel hard and painless which is what worries me.
i understand nodes can swell for any reason, but the reason i’m worried is because it’s ONLY the left armpit, i felt really deep into my right one and couldn’t find any nodes, so if it was to do with shaving or deodorant surely both arms would be affected ??? also, i haven’t been noticeably unwell (i generally feel rundown due to a poor diet and exercise, which i’m working on) and i don’t have an infection that i know of. also i’m slim and i know it’s said slim people can feel their glands, but surely i would feel them on both sides, and these also don’t require me to dig around, the armpit is visibly larger.
i understand only a dr can diagnose me, i am going to book an appointment but i likely won’t get one until next week so i’m hoping for some reassurance until then, eg any ideas of benign causes or anything, i know lymphoma is rare in someone my age, i actually looked up the statistics and there’s less than 100 cases of each type in the uk annually for my age group, but in my mind those cases still exist if that makes sense.
again i’m sorry if this is not how posts are meant to be made, ive never posted before and i apologise for the long message and if i’ve done anything wrong in terms of format, i would greatly appreciate any insight from anyone, thank you !