Lymphoma Worries

[GirlAfraid23]

Ok so, long story...here goes.

Last weekend, I woke up with a swollen face. I didn't understand why it had occurred. I had dyed my hair a few days previously so I was worried it was a reaction. I visited the out of hours doctor and was told I had a viral infection as my glands were up too.
Went home and took it easy. Felt fine.
The next day (Sunday) I woke up and my face felt really heavy, I went and looked in the mirror, my face had got massively worse...swollen and just generally awful looking. All under my chin and around my neck.
I went back to that doctor and was given antibiotics and steroids to bring down the swelling, this seemed to work.
However, two days later, I woke up shaking all over and with a blotchy rash starting all over me. I went back to the doctors and was told I had a allergic reaction to either the antibiotics or the steroids.
I stopped them both immediately.
Fast forward to today, my glands are still swollen, specifically on the left side - it feels hard and a little bit immovable under the skin. It says on the NHS site that if the lump is immovable and hard then you should get it checked.
Normally the ones which come from infection are tender and soft, usually warm.

I've got myself into a state thinking it's a Hodkins lymphoma as I'm in the right age bracket - mid twenties.

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Anyone help? :(

[eeesh]

Firstly, I love Morrissey. Seeing him at the end of this month =).

Secondly,

try not to worry. It sounds like you have a viral infection. Have you had glandular fever before? All these symptoms seem attributable to that - or any other viral infection. But, the chances of it being lymphoma is miniscule.

That said, I am in the midst of a lymphoma panic myself!

[GirlAfraid23]

I'm also getting night sweats - round the back of my neck when I wake up in the middle of the night and I know this is one of the symptoms of a lymphoma :(

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Firstly, I love Morrissey. Seeing him at the end of this month =).

Secondly,

try not to worry. It sounds like you have a viral infection. Have you had glandular fever before? All these symptoms seem attributable to that - or any other viral infection. But, the chances of it being lymphoma is miniscule.

That said, I am in the midst of a lymphoma panic myself!

What are your symptoms?
I've been to the doctors but they don't seem to take me seriously...they keep saying it's just an infection making my glands swell up.

[eeesh]

I'm also getting night sweats - round the back of my neck when I wake up in the middle of the night and I know this is one of the symptoms of a lymphoma :(

---------- Post added at 10:08 ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 ----------



What are your symptoms?
I've been to the doctors but they don't seem to take me seriously...they keep saying it's just an infection making my glands swell up.

That wouldn't constitute a night sweat.

A night sweat would entail your bedding being so wet it would need changing.

[GirlAfraid23]

That wouldn't constitute a night sweat.

A night sweat would entail your bedding being so wet it would need changing.

I feel the need to put cold water on the back of my neck though...

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I'm really panicking, should I go to my walk in clinic doctor? There are no more appointments left at my normal GP.

[Fishmanpa]

I think you need to ride it our for a week or so. You were just at the doctor and he said it was a virus. It needs to run it's course.

Positive thoughts

[bluetopazgirl]

Hi,

read and didn't want to leave. I suffer with ha also and although I have a variety of conditions - its lymphoma that scares me. 1, because I have three swollen neck glands, 2. because my dad died of lukeamia. I totally understand your fears and it's even worse when you have symptoms which you know can be L. BUT you are getting over a virus, general rule is to go back within 2weeks if symptoms persit. as Fishmanpa said, give it time to run it's course and than you can go back. My first gland has been up 4years and my 2nd and 3rd been up 6months.

[GirlAfraid23]

Hi,

read and didn't want to leave. I suffer with ha also and although I have a variety of conditions - its lymphoma that scares me. 1, because I have three swollen neck glands, 2. because my dad died of lukeamia. I totally understand your fears and it's even worse when you have symptoms which you know can be L. BUT you are getting over a virus, general rule is to go back within 2weeks if symptoms persit. as Fishmanpa said, give it time to run it's course and than you can go back. My first gland has been up 4years and my 2nd and 3rd been up 6months.

Well it'll be two weeks on Saturday since I first woke up with the swollen face. I keep feeling stabbing/aching pains in my groin area. I'm scared to feel around there in case there are any lumps...I haven't felt under my arms either...for the same reason.
I went to the doctor today and she felt my neck and said one side Gland was up which immediately sent my heart racing. I asked her out right if it felt like cancer. She said it wasn't a typical consistency of a cancerous growth as they are normally rock hard and immovable. To me it does feel hard and immovable but apparently it isn't.
She said it was typical of the usual inflammation of the gland after an infection.
How long do these glands take to go away after an infection? It certainly has gone down since the weekend before last...it was so large and swollen around my neck and face that I looked obese - a triple, double chin grown over night. Would it go down if there was something wrong? I just don't understand why it's still slightly swollen?
Sorry about your dad :(

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Also if I didn't have the night sweats and fatigue, I wouldn't be as worried...night sweats aren't really typical for me.

[oldnews]

Hi, firstly glands can stay up for weeks even months after infections, trust me i have suffered many infections in my 21 years and i always always get a raised lymph nodes after an infection. secondly, nights sweats are terrible, literally to the point you are SOAKED. I had night sweats for 2 weeks after the birth of my daughter and i literally would have to strip my pjs of and put a towel on the bed during the night until the morning. It feels like someone has chucked a bucket of water over you. Your clothes would be soaked, what your describing sounds like a fever which is very common with infections x

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May i add, you have answered your own question. You say its gone down since you first had it, if you did have lymphoma then i doubt the nodes would go down. But yes its completly normal to have swollen lymph nodes after infections which could take weeks or months to go

[GirlAfraid23]

Slightly worrying update, I have a low grade fever on and off - about 37.2C I thought this was normal but apparently it counts as a "low grade" fever and these are common with lymphomas. If I'm already in B symptoms including night sweats then it's surely not good.

I haven't had a HA episode in so long, but this all feels so real to me this time round.

[GirlAfraid23]

Woken up today...gland still up...it feels immovable and hard to me :( keep wanting to check my groin glands but too nervous.

[Fishmanpa]

She (doctor) said it was typical of the usual inflammation of the gland after an infection. How long do these glands take to go away after an infection? It certainly has gone down since the weekend before last...it was so large and swollen around my neck and face that I looked obese - a triple, double chin grown over night. Would it go down if there was something wrong? I just don't understand why it's still slightly swollen?

Here is your answer. The gland is going down but it will continue to persist if you keep poking and prodding. Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't go down.

Positive thoughts

[GirlAfraid23]

Here is your answer. The gland is going down but it will continue to persist if you keep poking and prodding. Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't go down.

Positive thoughts

Yes it's gone down since then but it's still swollen and I can feel it, which I know I shouldn't be able to if it was a healthy gland :(
Thank you though, I've decided I'm not going to touch it again until this time next week and if it's still up then, I will go back to the doctors for a second opinion.

[GirlAfraid23]

Oh god guys, seriously need some help tonight. Thought I could ignore it but had a relapse this evening and started prodding around my groin and armpit nodes...I can't feel any under my arm but I think I can feel some lumpy things in my groin...plus the one in my neck feels hard and immobile still :( although the doctor said it isn't. I'll have to book an appointment for next week.

[eeesh]

Oh god guys, seriously need some help tonight. Thought I could ignore it but had a relapse this evening and started prodding around my groin and armpit nodes...I can't feel any under my arm but I think I can feel some lumpy things in my groin...plus the one in my neck feels hard and immobile still :( although the doctor said it isn't. I'll have to book an appointment for next week.

Unless you are overweight, it is not at all unusual to feel them in your groin.

Don't worry about that.

[SteveReutov]

updats

[Enoughalready!]

It’s not abnormal to be able to feel your lymph nodes. I’ve literally had a noticeable one on the side of my neck for, get this, over TWENTY years. I really think you’re ok.