Terrified of Lymphoma. Lymph nodes and abdominal pain.

[eeesh]

I'm a 22 year old male, and this is driving me nuts! I'm generally a very anxious sorta fella, and this has pushed me over the edge.

6 weeks ago I had intermittent flank pain on my right hand side.

Went to the doc and they said to take gaviscon and paracetemol (was definitely not indigestion). I requested for bloods to be taken.

Bloods came back with slightly low white blood count (specifically lymphocytes) and was asked to get another one done to check the differential.

Since then I returned back to the doc before retaking my bloods as the flank discomfort had not subsided. Again I was just asked to take paracetemol as and when required.

After that, 2 days before I was scheduled to take another test, a single lymph node in my groin rose. To about the size of a kidney bean on my right hand side. I went to the doc the following day, by which point another lymph node had risen on my right side, and 3 other on my left. The doc said anything awry would show up on the bloods, and that they were movable which is a good sign diagnostically.

I took the bloods and was told 'no further action was required'.

Now the nodes in my neck are up too, two weeks on. The nodes in my groin are still up, but have not increased in size.

This is ruining my life. This past six weeks have been hell and I just need to know what is going on. I'm not having night sweats, have not lost any weight, but think I'm fatigued (could well be psychological). In the gym I am having to shorten my workouts though, due to early exhaustion (I bodybuild, so this is very abnormal).

I'm back at the docs tomorrow to demand a scan and/or biopsy. This is all I can think about. I genuinely cannot focus on anything else, my life at work is ruined, as I can't concentrate. I don't see the point in going if I'm faced with something like this.

I hope it's not anything like lymphoma, but in my head I've already basically succumbed to the fact that it probably is and I'm just psyching myself up for the ride. Non-specific abdominal pain, and generalised lymphadenopathy seems to me a terrible combination. Worried I can feel collarbone nodes also. For a time I thought maybe glandular fever? But if so, wouldn't my wbc be high? Wouldn't my lymphocytes be through the roof? But no, nothing. Heck, even slightly low lymphocytes only 4 weeks ago!

Argh, I'm going mental!

[chickpea]

I'll be honest - I know nothing about lymphoma.
However, you clearly do - which suggests that either you have matched your symptoms to it, or matched it to your symptoms...probably with the help of good Doctor Google.

Am I right?

I'm not a doctor, so I can't tell you what's causing your nodes to swell.
What I can say is that you are also suffering from anxiety, which blood tests won't diagnose, and you will feel much better if you can address that - it would certainly explain the fatigue you say you are feeling.

[eeesh]

I'll be honest - I know nothing about lymphoma.
However, you clearly do - which suggests that either you have matched your symptoms to it, or matched it to your symptoms...probably with the help of good Doctor Google.

Am I right?

I'm not a doctor, so I can't tell you what's causing your nodes to swell.
What I can say is that you are also suffering from anxiety, which blood tests won't diagnose, and you will feel much better if you can address that - it would certainly explain the fatigue you say you are feeling.

Of course! I think that is quite possibly the root of many an anxious soul's qualms!

The fatigue may be a caused by anxiety. But then health anxiety has never been an issue for me until these symptoms first reared themselves. Since then I've been a tad messy, and will continue to be until this is sorted. I'm going to have to do my best to be very firm with the doc tomorrow, as to not be fobbed off and asked to grab for the paracetemol again!

[Fishmanpa]

When you talk about swollen nodes, a kidney sized node is considered normal. Having had Head and Neck cancer, I had nodes the size of golf balls in my neck. It looked like I had the mumps! I thought it was lymphoma but it turned out to be Squamous Cell Carcinoma. All cancers are bad but SCC makes lymphoma look like a puppy dog.

Poking and prodding will aggravate your nodes and cause them to swell and I know you've been doing that... probably to excess right? ;)

"No further action required" means just that. Blood work would show certain markers that would indicate an issue and further testing would have been ordered. Certainly you can put your foot down and most likely the doctor will cave and order more tests but you'll only be feeding the anxiety dragon and the cycle will continue. There's a member here that has had these fears for over 7 years and went so far as to actually have an invasive procedure to remove the nodes he suspected were cancerous. All was negative. Nothing wrong and he STILL thinks it's lymphoma. Stop the beast before it takes total control.

Positive thoughts

[chickpea]

What I meant about Dr Google, is that I would perhaps find a lump in my groin, wonder what it was, see my GP and accept his diagnosis - never worrying about lymphoma. You are only thinking lymphoma because that's what Doctor Google threw up.
Here's a question then.
What if your doctor once again reassures you that there is no need for scans or biopsies?
Will you accept it?

I know what you mean about the health anxiety only starting with the symptoms, but you now HAVE HA in addition to the symptoms, so you may as well deal with that and let your doctor deal with the lymph nodes.

[eeesh]

When you talk about swollen nodes, a kidney sized node is considered normal. Having had Head and Neck cancer, I had nodes the size of golf balls in my neck. It looked like I had the mumps! I thought it was lymphoma but it turned out to be Squamous Cell Carcinoma. All cancers are bad but SCC makes lymphoma look like a puppy dog.

Poking and prodding will aggravate your nodes and cause them to swell and I know you've been doing that... probably to excess right? ;)

"No further action required" means just that. Blood work would show certain markers that would indicate an issue and further testing would have been ordered. Certainly you can put your foot down and most likely the doctor will cave and order more tests but you'll only be feeding the anxiety dragon and the cycle will continue. There's a member here that has had these fears for over 7 years and went so far as to actually have an invasive procedure to remove the nodes he suspected were cancerous. All was negative. Nothing wrong and he STILL thinks it's lymphoma. Stop the beast before it takes total control.

Positive thoughts

Fantastic that you've overcome everything and still here to drop pearls of wisdom from your own experience!

Dr. Google has landed me in a pickle. Yes, you are right. And yes, I am neurotically toying with the fellas down there. Symptoms have developed since previous visit though, in that the nodes in my neck have subsequently risen. Of course I immediately googled this and was told I had either Lymphoma or Leukemia! When the Doc felt my nodes he did ask if I had experienced any 'sudden weight loss'. Obviously this scared me to no end! I mentioned Lymphoma to him, and he said a blood test should reveal anything terribly off. If things hadn't changed I would have likely put this to rest, it's the additional neck nodes that enflamed this frenzied wreckage!


What I meant about Dr Google, is that I would perhaps find a lump in my groin, wonder what it was, see my GP and accept his diagnosis - never worrying about lymphoma. You are only thinking lymphoma because that's what Doctor Google threw up.
Here's a question then.
What if your doctor once again reassures you that there is no need for scans or biopsies?
Will you accept it?

I know what you mean about the health anxiety only starting with the symptoms, but you now HAVE HA in addition to the symptoms, so you may as well deal with that and let your doctor deal with the lymph nodes.

I think if I hadn't googled, or had that tool not be available to me, I would probably leave things for another few weeks before returning. That said, with the information I have, and with the very slight possibility of something malignant, it seems silly not to ask for further tests to hone in on a diagnosis, or to rule out the extremes. See, that seems rational to me. What I know is not rational is thinking I know I have Lymphoma. But... its a very real, persistent and all-encompassing scare.

[eeesh]

So saw the Doc this morning.

He made me feel like an idiot.

The second blood test still showed slightly low lymphocyte count, but other inflammatory markers were normal, which he assured me is pretty normal and will likely be due to a virus (last time I had a virus was over 2 months ago, but I suppose it could likely have been dormant). My lymph nodes were not large enough to be of any concern, and my abdominal pain was, yet again, to be treated with paracetemol.

I am not overly satisfied with this, but I should at least put this out of my mind for a few weeks. My family have been using this doctor for over 30 years (multi-generational) so it seems unlikely he would mess me about if he had the faintest inkling of something serious. Of course, the only reason I have been freaking out is due to Dr. Google telling me I was going to die.

Man, the internet is my best friend and worst enemy.