Lymph node - Can you guys please share experiences?

[Glyph]

Hello everyone. Sorry to keep showing up. I wanted to ask for people who’ve had similar experiences (I know I've said this before). I’d really, REALLY appreciate you telling me some similar stories!

I noticed a pea sized lump in my middle, upper neck a few weeks back. It’s quite hard and slightly movable (this has changed, it was softer before). The Doctor sent me for blood tests and an ultrasound, which I’ve had both of.

The blood tests came back normal (I worry that since I took vitamin pills that day it would have cancelled out anything wrong on the test, is that silly of me?) and the ultrasound doctor seemed to see nothing that worried him. He showed me the screen, and told me that it was likely a lymph node and that sometimes singular ones can swell up while fighting infection or something (don’t you have to get ill for that? I haven’t felt more than a slightly sore throat lately). Sometimes they go away other times they don’t.

I left feeling reassured but now the panic is creeping back in. :weep: I’m trying to trust the doctor, who was very good, but it’s difficult putting your fate in the hands of another however well trained and if something IS wrong they're going to miss it now. :weep:

The lump got harder and doesn't move so well now, (it seems to get softer if I’ve been prodding it – as I haven’t poked at it much for about a day, so maybe that’s why it’s harder now?)

PLEASE help me nip this fear in the bud before it ruins my Christmas. :weep: Does anybody have a similar experience to mine that you could share here?

[SamanthaAU]

I had a lymph node in my neck swell about 4 years ago. I had an ultrasound that showed not much.

It took me a long time to come to terms with it being just that. But it took years to go down. I think mine was from a pimple that popped up on my neck, but I can't be sure.

And no, you wouldn't need to feel ill for your body to fight something.

Take heart that you have had a blood test AND an ultrasound. You have been given the all clear so forget about the node and it will get better over time xxx

[kirstynic]

I know it is hard and as you may know am going through something similar only my blood test isn't normal :(( and googling has made me worry, off for another blood test today.

I think tho it is easier said then done that you can try and move on from this, unless it gets bigger or you have another symptoms. You don't have any issue with your teeth do you? Only they can cause swollen lymph nodes.

[sarahsarah]

It was a pea-sized lump in my neck that started off my health anxiety 4 years ago. I notice it when I was travelling overseas so couldn't really see a doctor about it as it wasn't an emergency. Of course I spent the whole trip obsessing about it, diagnosing myself with every form of cancer under the sun and it went a long way to ruining my holiday.

Of course by the time I it back to the UK, the lump had gone and it had obviously been nothing to worry about. Not had anything like it before or since.

[robin321]

You have done the hard part, which is see the Dr and have the ultrasound.... Trust me, anything not typical shows up on the ultrasound. They are the best way to diagnose lymph nodes.

I had one in the front of my neck exactly one year ago. I really prodded it, and it got much worse. I think I also made it worse by putting steroid cream on it (thinking it was ingrown hair).

I had an ultrasound, and my actually looked suspicious. I had no fatty helium... and was recommended for a CT scan. Mine was 2.4cm X 1.2cm, with two other 1.4 cm ones...

Anyway, I was super anxious. I was prodding it 100's of times a day. My GP recommended me to a top ENT surgeon... It took 6 weeks for appt to come and I stressed all month. But I finally stopped prodding as much, and it went down.

When I saw the ENT, he told me that he sees cancer all the time and that this wasn't cancer. He said cancer always gets bigger, never smaller.

I still didn't believe him. I had a follow up ultrasound, and sure enough it got smaller. My radiologist even told me that it was normal for that node to be bigger cause it fights a lot of infections from shaving, etc...

Bottom line of my story... I had a lot of stress. You had a clear ultrasound, I didn't. But even if the ultrasound isn't clear, my story shows that there are many other causes than cancer... sometimes there is no cause. sometimes you do it to yourself.