going crazy - swollen lymph nodes

[Alliwantistobenormal]

Hello

I hope someone can answer me or give me some advice reassurance. My HA is going through the roof recently let me fill you in. Ive had lymph nodes in my neck for 4 years now. Doctors havent been concerned and I haven't had any tests (to be honest im to scared to get them anyway) they are very small, pea sized, squashy and movable. However just below one of my small nodes a large say 1cm node has appeared and it is solid, wont move. Does anyone have the same thing.

few other things to note that might be the cause apart from my fear of lymphoma is that maybe once or twice a month in my sleep I get this excruciating ear pain from inside the ear canal that the doctors are completely puzzled by as everything looks fine. I also have no sense of smell and haven't had for as long as I can remember.

I know that everyone will say go to the doctor but im am so scared I have a panic attack each time I think about it. I don't want to die so young I want a to marry my amazing fiancé next year and have a beautiful family but I dont even see the point of handing out invites as im sure I won't be here :'( :'( :'(

[joelhall]

Well I'm fairly certain you'll be able to get married. The gland itself doesn't sound large enough to worry about, but by all means see your doctor for reassurance.

[panicperson]

I have had this. Still do. It's longer than 1cm but not wide. GP told me its due to an infection in my ear. My ear seems ok now but still not gone down.
Could be an infection?
I'm the same with lymphoma worries. I'm actually terrible, so I feel ur pain x

[Alliwantistobenormal]

Thank you, I hope one day we will be able to see this and live a normal healthy life. Its really taken its toll and waring me out x

[greenlady]

i too had these worries as I had a node in collarbone.felt hugh..had it scanned it is 7mm and shotty..please don't let this wreck your life I worried about it for nearly 2 years..had normal blood tests x rays etc..we waste so much time by worrying..hope this helps as I have beeb there...gina x
ps ..please don't google x

[panicperson]

I've avoided google this week and felt better.

It's a start x

[greenlady]

It sure is..be strong Google is the friend of HA I should know I have had breast cancer bowel cancer lymphoma and heart attack in a year..life is for living not fearing..god bless..Gina x

[Apple81]

I have a swollen node in front of my ear which I noticed a few months ago. It's probably a cm in length and quite firm. I worry about it - my cousin had lymphoma - too. I know how you feel.

[Alliwantistobenormal]

I hope you get through it and the node goes away. He can stay swollen for a few months therefore im staying positive that yours will subside. Im having a good day today these are few and far between. I wish i could be like this every day xx

[Alliwantistobenormal]

I made the next steps and booked an ultra sound to be on the safe side. This was a huge step for me as it has taken 4 years I really hope I dont have a panic attack and not attend the appointment

[panicperson]

That's good. At least you will know either way.
I'm having a bad moment. The swelling of my node went down and I didn't mess with it.
I had a period of being worry free.
However: I've started to check it again and it's just a hard area behind my ear lobe an under the jaw. I don't know if I call it a lump as its not circular shape.
I am worried its Mets to a primary I have not found yet.

[Alliwantistobenormal]

Try to think positive my "hard lump" couldn't be felt by a doctor only me all he could feel was swollen muscle which is also behind my ear maybe you're the same x

[panicperson]

Thanks. Well sometimes I feel it and think "I can't feel it really", then depending on how I tilt my head, the next time I'm like "wow that's huge and hard and not normal!!!"
I am no doubt making it worse by prodding!
I have two small ones in my neck but not overalls worried about them. I have three is groin which are apparently just because I am slim I feel them :-/

[Fishmanpa]

We have close to 300 lymph nodes in our head and neck area. Most are 1cm or smaller. Yes, you sometimes can feel them. Perfectly normal.

As a survivor of head and neck cancer, I can tell you that your symptoms do not present themselves as cancer.

"T"

[panicperson]

I value your post fishmanpa, thanks. Yeah I don't worry (anymore) about the smaller ones. It's just the area that feels hard that I worry about. That area start to finish is more than a cm and not the same on the other side. You can't see it to look at though.
I feel silly writing about it when you have actually had a serious illness x

[Fishmanpa]

Head and Neck cancers typically don't show themselves until they're pretty advanced. I had a painless swollen lymph node that didn't respond to two rounds of antibiotics and was slowly getting larger. By the time I was diagnosed (4 months after I noticed the symptom), I was stage IV.

The only way to know definitively if there's something amiss is to visit an ENT that's experienced with oral cancers. A biopsy of a suspicious area, node or lesion is the only way to diagnose cancer.

There's a mantra us survivors say... "It's not cancer until they say it is".

In respect to your HA... that's the curse. I understand. I hope you feel better.

[panicperson]

Yeah, that's if I can get past my GP first!?
I have to learn to trust my GP too.

Good to hear you beat it!!x