sarjane
14-04-13, 21:44
Hi, I went to the doctor about a fortnight ago and just happened to mention that I had a swollen gland which I have had for years in my neck. I've always debated mentioning it previously but I've always convinced myself it was nothing to worry about. She assessed and sent me into a spiral of panic from that day to this.
She was shocked. She said it was probably 1cm to 1.5cm and definitely swollen. She couldn't understand why it had been swollen for so long but checked all of my other glands and they were fine. She decided to run some blood tests and send me for an ultrasound because of my age. Obviously, as soon as I got home I made the mistake of googling and lymphoma immediately came up. I was in hysteria and tears all night. So I made an appointment to see the doctor the nxt day -this time it was a different GP. I explained my worries and he examined my neck glands and said it was nothing to worry about. It was soft, moveable and probably a reactive node to what he thought was an inner ear dysfunction. He gave me a steroid spray to see if it would help.
It's been a week since I started the spray and every morning I wake up checking if the gland is still there. Of course it is -it's been there for years and isn't just going to vanish but the panic sets in that it could now be an indicator of something serious. I went back to see my dr because I wasn't sleeping with the worry and needed help dealing with the anxiety. She told me my bloods came back fine, I have no other symptoms and it is a constant size so she is 99% sure it's nothing serious. Yet, I still sit here panic stricken and worried it could be the worst case scenario and at the age of 28 I could have cancer. Everyone I mention it to, is shocked that it's been swollen for years- which makes me even more panic and angry at myself incase it is something serious and I didn't realise or just ignored it! I know it's irrational and I am seeking counselling for this new health anxiety but until it either miraculously disappears or I have my ultrasound and results in 3 weeks I feel in a constant state of despair :unsure:
I just wondered if anyone else had been through anything like this or had advice for coping with health anxiety in general? I am truly grateful for any advicex
She was shocked. She said it was probably 1cm to 1.5cm and definitely swollen. She couldn't understand why it had been swollen for so long but checked all of my other glands and they were fine. She decided to run some blood tests and send me for an ultrasound because of my age. Obviously, as soon as I got home I made the mistake of googling and lymphoma immediately came up. I was in hysteria and tears all night. So I made an appointment to see the doctor the nxt day -this time it was a different GP. I explained my worries and he examined my neck glands and said it was nothing to worry about. It was soft, moveable and probably a reactive node to what he thought was an inner ear dysfunction. He gave me a steroid spray to see if it would help.
It's been a week since I started the spray and every morning I wake up checking if the gland is still there. Of course it is -it's been there for years and isn't just going to vanish but the panic sets in that it could now be an indicator of something serious. I went back to see my dr because I wasn't sleeping with the worry and needed help dealing with the anxiety. She told me my bloods came back fine, I have no other symptoms and it is a constant size so she is 99% sure it's nothing serious. Yet, I still sit here panic stricken and worried it could be the worst case scenario and at the age of 28 I could have cancer. Everyone I mention it to, is shocked that it's been swollen for years- which makes me even more panic and angry at myself incase it is something serious and I didn't realise or just ignored it! I know it's irrational and I am seeking counselling for this new health anxiety but until it either miraculously disappears or I have my ultrasound and results in 3 weeks I feel in a constant state of despair :unsure:
I just wondered if anyone else had been through anything like this or had advice for coping with health anxiety in general? I am truly grateful for any advicex