Worried about blood cancer (Lymphoma/Leukemia)

[Hopefulhypochondriac]

Hey All,

This is my first ever to post the forum! I've been a lurker for a while and you guys seem to give good advice so I've decided to give it a shot!

Sooo as a bit of background I have been sick on and off pretty much since January of this year. I had a stomach flu for a couple of weeks that caused me stomach issues for nearly 2 months, with a couple of relapses in there before I started to feel better. I seem to have developed GI issues from this too that have not gone away and act like IBS symptoms.... Anyway after this I started to feel better, but at the end of March I then caught a chest infection. Felt pretty rough, and my "IBS" even flared up so i could only eat plain food. Eventually I managed to overcome the chest infection (a few days ago) with the help of antibiotics, only to immediately come down with a cold today/yesterday....

Its so unusual for me to be sick with one thing after another and I cant help get the feeling that something is up especially due to the fact that I have been having other symptoms on and off:

- light night sweats. I wake up with a sweaty chest/neck in a panic. Its not drenching however, and I dont need to change my sheets or anything.
- abdominal pain (I think due to gas with the "IBS")
- Aching neck muscle on the right
- fatigue. Been feeling beat and run down since the start of the year.

Despite the items noted above I have been running and cycling on and off, and maintain a decent level of fitness. I'm tired alot but I dont get breathless from walking up stairs or anything. I have also had a bunch of blood tests completed by the doc (CBC etc) and a physical exam and an abdominal ultrasound which failed to bring up anything of note apart from alot of gas was noted.

I know I'm jumping the gun here but I cant shake the feeling that its lymphoma or leukemia... and that I'm just waiting for the symptoms to get bad enough to warrant a positive diagnosis....

What do you think my next step should be here? Should I just hang tight here and I'm just overreacting, or go back to the doc?

[Lucky802]

Hi, I could have written this! I have been having infections one after another since December last year and also ended up with bad chest infection in the end of February after which I still feel tired and run down. I also have night sweats on my chest on and off and have a pain on the right side of my neck :( no advice, but just wanted to say - you are not alone!

[Emc]

Stress and anxiety can have a big impact on your immune system & leave you vulnerable to every infection going. None of your symptoms are screaming haematological malignancy to me but it might be worth popping to your gp for some routine bloods to set your mind at ease.

[utrocket09]

My father in law had leukemia. Believe me if you had it, it would have shown in your blood work.

[Cab9792]

So I've been having a lymphoma scare lately. So I've researched SO much about lymphoma and leukemia I could be a pro. Anyway....Its NOT leukemia. Your CBC would have showed either extremely high white blood cell count or extremely low. The only symptom you have that matches lymphoma is the night sweats HOWEVER...night sweats can be caused by SO many other things, and some people just sweat in their sleep. I remember my mom even in her 20s and 30s (when I was little and would sleep in the same bed) would be soaked with sweat at night. If you had lymphoma you probably would have found swollen lymph nodes by now. After reading so many stories about people having lymphoma- 9/10 people had a noticeable lump (lymph node) somewhere. If you haven't noticed any out of the ordinary lumps..and by out of the ordinary I mean like bouncy ball size... I wouldn't worry. I really think you are fine! Seriously. No need for more tests our doctor's appointments...enjoy being healthy and try not to stress over this.

[lofwyr]

Everything you wrote, even the nightsweats, could be me. My nightsweats are my chest and the back of my neck only, nothing else. I don't have to change the sheets.

My bowels are, and have been a mess for ages.

I am also fit, in spite of some other medical issues, and have put on a little weight (healthy amount though).

The only thing you and I have in common, aside from our symptoms, is our anxiety. I imagine many, many people could have written your post on this forum. I know I could have.

If you suddenly lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks or something drastic, then I would worry. Everything you described sounds like anxiety.