Lump in my neck....so scared!!

[Lorn]

Hi Everyone,

My health anxiety is back :mad:, I was doing really well after going to councelling last year but now it just seems to be one thing after another.

I was at the breast clinic the other week for an ultrasound, luckily everything was ok!

Now about 2 weeks ago I have found this lump on the right side of the bottom of my neck, maybe 2 inches above my clavicle, I would say its about half an inch wide, very moveable and smooth and of course im worried sick its Lymphoma. I woke up on Monday and all my neck and shoulders where so stiff I could hardly move them, they are easing now. Whenever I have read other posts on here it says that lymph nodes are like the size of a pea and this isnt like that.

I also feel really tired and worn out (although I am due on so it could be that, sorry if thats tmi)

I am getting married in October and supposed to be enjoying this time of organising our wedding but I just feel filled with dread, my fiance said if I am that worried I should go the doctor but i am really terrified :weep:

Anyone had anything similar or think what it could be?

Thanks Lorn x

[Alex94]

I'm having a tiny lump on my neck too and I was paranoid about it, but apart from prodding it (which I was doing for a week, so it could irritate the lymph node) it turned out that I've simply caught a cold... sore throat and a cold sore on my lips explain that to me.

also, my neck has been stiff and quite painful for a long time (it may be MS-related in my case), but it got worse because of that cold - I've read somewhere that tight neck muscles can make lymph nodes become visible and palpable

take care x

[worried Laura]

Hi I had a lump on my neck as well, it moved about to when I messed with it and there was no changes to my skin where it was, it was like it was under my skin. It took about a month to go but it was nothing serious.

[Dexterjames]

Hi Everyone,

My health anxiety is back :mad:, I was doing really well after going to councelling last year but now it just seems to be one thing after another.

I was at the breast clinic the other week for an ultrasound, luckily everything was ok!

Now about 2 weeks ago I have found this lump on the right side of the bottom of my neck, maybe 2 inches above my clavicle, I would say its about half an inch wide, very moveable and smooth and of course im worried sick its Lymphoma. I woke up on Monday and all my neck and shoulders where so stiff I could hardly move them, they are easing now. Whenever I have read other posts on here it says that lymph nodes are like the size of a pea and this isnt like that.

I also feel really tired and worn out (although I am due on so it could be that, sorry if thats tmi)

I am getting married in October and supposed to be enjoying this time of organising our wedding but I just feel filled with dread, my fiance said if I am that worried I should go the doctor but i am really terrified :weep:

Anyone had anything similar or think what it could be?

Thanks Lorn x

Does it smell on your fingers if you keep rubbing it like a bit cheesy it will all so move about under skin this means its just a cyst i have had 2 on neck for 8 years thinking about getting them cut out soon.

[cut_out_stars]

I've worried about lumps and bumps (and lymphoma) so I thought some of my experience might help you? I hope so!

I'm slowly coming to realize we have so many lumps and bumps on our bodies (after worrying about 2/3 lumps found myself. I spoke to the doctor about lymph nodes and she said to not not to feel for them. You'll always find something. If a lymph node was going to be a possible problem it wouldn't need finding, it would be really big and visible. Also the fact yours is movable is good.

Obviously if you are worried, go to your Dr's to help put your mind at ease :)

I've got one lump inside my cheek (either a cyst or a lymph node, I'm not sure) and I've had it YEARS, since I was a child. I remember having an ultrasound on it.. I can't even remember what the Dr said it was. It gets a little bigger sometimes, then it shrinks. My Dr said that sometimes things just get bigger (usually after a bad cold or flu) and never really properly go down! I had an enlarged lymph node for a horrible spot I had on my chin.

My friend had a lump on her neck / shoulder, had tests on it and was told "it's just gristle" lovely!!

Also tense muscles in the neck and shoulder are very common with anxiety I think?

Anyway, I've rambled a bit, but I hope this helps in some way x

[Lorn]

I have just read somebody else' post that said doctors are more concerned about lumps/nodes close to the collarbone like mine is :weep:

I just don't know what to do I am trying not to mess with it but I cant stop worrying. I try to think positive but then in the back of my head is this voice saying " what if you are ignoring something serious"

[Fishmanpa]

Lorn,

I had cancer. head and Neck/Oropharyngeal Stage IV... Yup... one of the big ones ya'll fear. I can tell you first hand you don't wake up one day, discover a lump and it's cancer.

Yes, I had a swollen lymph node in my neck. Very hard, painless and immovable. It was there for "months" before I noticed it and then for another 4 months and two rounds of antibiotics before it was biopsied and cancer was diagnosed. And it was huge by the time it was biopsied. Eventually I had two 5+cm nodes removed by neck dissection.

Your lymph nodes are the sewer system of your body and you have 500-700 of them. At any given time, you can have a slightly swollen node and it's absolutely nothing serious at all. The fact it's movable is positive and the fact you exhibit no other symptoms is another positive. Things like lymphoma and H&N cancers take a long time to develop and again, they don't just pop up one day while you're poking and prodding.

Chance are very, very, very, VERY high that this is nothing at all to be concerned with and your symptoms are stress related. In the time I've been on these boards there hasn't been one instance where someone's worse fears were realized. I'm willing to go with the odds and put you in that category as well :)

Stop messing with it (see, you were poking it while reading this weren't you? ;) ) and it will go away on it's own accord when it feels like it. Seek out some help with your anxiety so you can enjoy the wonderful experience of getting married :)

Positive thoughts

[GingerFish]

Hi Everyone,

My health anxiety is back :mad:, I was doing really well after going to councelling last year but now it just seems to be one thing after another.

I was at the breast clinic the other week for an ultrasound, luckily everything was ok!

Now about 2 weeks ago I have found this lump on the right side of the bottom of my neck, maybe 2 inches above my clavicle, I would say its about half an inch wide, very moveable and smooth and of course im worried sick its Lymphoma. I woke up on Monday and all my neck and shoulders where so stiff I could hardly move them, they are easing now. Whenever I have read other posts on here it says that lymph nodes are like the size of a pea and this isnt like that.

I also feel really tired and worn out (although I am due on so it could be that, sorry if thats tmi)

I am getting married in October and supposed to be enjoying this time of organising our wedding but I just feel filled with dread, my fiance said if I am that worried I should go the doctor but i am really terrified :weep:

Anyone had anything similar or think what it could be?

Thanks Lorn x

I have a lump in the exact same place as you and its roughly the same size and the same feeling and consistency. I also have one behind my jaw. I too am paranoid that it must be lymphoma even though I have been ill with a virus recently and that would explain swollen nodes. I'm not so worried about the one near the jaw because that one has been getting smaller, its the one near the bottom of my neck that gets to me.

It probably is a swollen lymph node and if its in the same place as mine, it sounds like one of the posterior cervical lymph nodes. I read up too that these often swell due to lymphoma but there are a million other things they could swell up from.

I'm going to the doc on Monday to get both lumps checked out. I'll let you know how I get on.