Lymphoma Fear :( Pain & Enlarged Lymph Nodes in Neck

[katniss]

Hello everyone!

I am currently 29 weeks pregnant with my second child. I am 28 years old and have horrible health anxiety. I found two lymph nodes on the left of my neck. Both feel firm, are movable, and about 1cm big. I found them while going through an HIV scare. I got a false positive on my HIV test due to pregnancy antigens. That test later turned out to be negative.

Anyway, I found these lymph nodes two months ago. I keep touching my neck of course and I have noticed a weird pain on that side of my neck that extends to my left ear. The pain is what scares me more than the enlarged lymph nodes. I am so scared that the pain is coming due to a tumor pressing on the nerves of the neck :( So so scared! I actually haven't had a doc look at the nodes. But most likely will at my next appointment. I had a complete blood count done last week, I got a call back saying my hemoglobin is a bit low due to pregnancy. This has me even more scared! I have heard of lymphoma patients having low hemoglobin levels. Logic tells me it's because of pregnancy and not taking my prenatals daily. But that little nagging voice in my head keeps whispering the "c" word. So worried! Any help or experiences welcome!

[Fishmanpa]

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

If indeed this were sinister, the nodes would be growing. I had head and neck cancer. There was no mistaking it as the nodes grew pretty fast. In the 6 months from the time I first noticed it until surgery to remove the tumors, I had two the size of golf balls on the left side of my neck. It looked like I had the mumps. The discomfort is most likely from all the poking and prodding.

Positive thoughts

[katniss]

Thanks for the reply! Could I have caused pain that comes and goes because of simply prodding at the nodes?

[Fishmanpa]

Thanks for the reply! Could I have caused pain that comes and goes because of simply prodding at the nodes?

See my previous response but allow me to elaborate. If you poke yourself in the same spot over and over and over (no matter where on your body), you'll feel pain and maybe even bruise yourself. Doing that to a lymph node will cause it to swell and hurt. If you're able, stop doing that! ;)

It's like the old joke...

Patient: Doc, it hurts when I (insert action etc.)
Doc: Stop doing that!

Positive thoughts

[Captain irrational]

Thanks for the reply! Could I have caused pain that comes and goes because of simply prodding at the nodes?

Absolutely. I have a node in my neck I have been obsessing over for a couple of weeks now. Similar to you, about 1cm, fairly hard, movable, basically a textbook example of a harmless, shotty lymph node. At first it was painless, but after a week of irrational worrying about lymphoma, coupled with constant prodding and pulling of my poor node, it has become pretty sore, sometimes the whole side of my neck aches.

I know it's very difficult, but try to stop touching it for at least a couple of days and the pain should start to go away.

[katniss]

Absolutely. I have a node in my neck I have been obsessing over for a couple of weeks now. Similar to you, about 1cm, fairly hard, movable, basically a textbook example of a harmless, shotty lymph node. At first it was painless, but after a week of irrational worrying about lymphoma, coupled with constant prodding and pulling of my poor node, it has become pretty sore, sometimes the whole side of my neck aches.

I know it's very difficult, but try to stop touching it for at least a couple of days and the pain should start to go away.
Yes exactly! The whole side of my neck hurts! It's not constant, but it happens various times throughout the day. I also have a little pain when swallowing occasionally! I put that down to me prodding my neck muscles uncessantly

[Holds1325]

I put that down to me prodding my neck muscles uncessantly

Hi,

Congrats on your little one :)

I quoted you on this because as HA sufferers we tend to prod, poke, massage, press, and constantly "check" if its still there or try to make sense of any lumps or what have you. This only makes it worse. I had this lump in my side (still do after several years) that I constantly played with, massaged, pushed on and then complained about how my side hurt all the time, well obviously it was because I was agitating the tissue located there.

I'm sure you'll be fine, lymph nodes are sporadic, grow and shrink for no reason sometimes. Usually the first indicator of something "wrong" is when they grow larger and larger and larger and the sufferer without a doubt has something wrong with them, can hardly swallow, fatigued, pale, losing weight fast.

I had a huge lump in my neck for like 6 months, about the size of a golf ball. Had a doctor look at it, she said it was nothing. It disappeared sometime after.

Try to distract yourself whenever the need arises to mess with your neck or feel it. I sometimes have to do this even now just to reassure myself that there is no lumps.

Lymphoma is very rare though so you'll be okay I'm sure :)

[katniss]

Thanks guys!

I always hear of people complaining about their actual Lymph node hurting and had never seen a complaint about the side of the neck hurting (where the Lymph node is). So this makes me feel better. Just trying to get over the fear and anxiety so that I can enjoy my toddler and pregnancy