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View Full Version : what are some good questions to ask my doctor about my lymph nodes



Thelegend27
23-03-17, 20:44
In case you dont know my story from my previous threads I'll update you.

6 month's ago i found a small palpable lymph node on the lower left side of my neck almost in the center close to the base of my neck, i turned to Google which scared me so i poked around to find more, and i found 4 lymph nodes, 2 side by side on the lower left side of my neck, and 2 side by side on the lower right side of my neck, i immediately thought they were supracalvicular lymph nodes and ive read bad things about these particular nodes, so i went to my doctor who felt of them and said they didn't feel large but as a standard precaution she ordered a complete blood count, and ultrasound, which revealed the biggest of those 4 node was 1.1 cm x 0.8 cm, when i went back to get my results i seen a different doctor who read my results and said everything looked good, she then felt my neck, groin, pits, arms, legs, and said she doesn't see anything to worry about. Well I'm still worried, so i set up another appointment with a doctor that i seen a while back that i like and i want to get his opinion on the test results, but i want to know what kind of questions to ask so that i can better understand my situation and maybe get some reassurance. My lymph nodes doesn't seem to have changed much at all in these 6 months, they feel small, non tender, and a little firm but not hard like a rock and i can move them, sometimes i have to turn my head and raise my arm to move them i guess they get blocked my muscles and tendons. I'm not here for a diagnoses but i know alot of you deal with lymph nodes yourself and you know this obsession is insanely scary. I constantly worry i have cancer and that the doctors aren't going to find it until I'm sick and laying in the hospital. I feel great though, no lack of energy, no night sweats, no weight loss, i literally feel as healthy as i did 5 years ago i just have this anxiety looming around me. I also found one more node right below my left ear right after i came down with a ear ache sore throat and sinus pain so i linked that to the illness i had so i am currently waiting for that node to go away its been 4 days since i got ocer my sore throat and my ear is still clearing up at the moment. What are your thoughts honestly?

---------- Post added at 15:44 ---------- Previous post was at 15:41 ----------

I forgot to mention, my doctor said that it isn't the supracalvicular lymph nodes, its in the supracalvicular area but apparently it's not those nodes. I was also denied a biopsy when i asked for one, she said theres no surgeon going to attempt a biopsy due to the small size of the nodes, and there is fatty hilum present which i was told is a good thing.

Fishmanpa
23-03-17, 20:57
I had cancer. I had cancerous nodes. I know nodes! What you describe in no way, shape or form sounds sinister :shrug:

I know you'll be told there's nothing there to be concerned about so what you really should be asking your doctor is how you can treat the real illness which is your anxiety :)

Positive thoughts

ServerError
23-03-17, 21:27
"I have anxiety focused on lymph nodes. How can I move forward? What therapies are available and how do I go about accessing some?"

Thelegend27
24-03-17, 15:41
Thanks for your repkies, i know there are people iut there facing real problems like cancer and i should be feeling blessed to recieve good news from doctor's, i feel bad because i spend my days worrying myself when theres people out there thats really sick that would do anything in the world to be in my shoes. I will talk to my doctor about getting some therapy for my anxiety, i have to get this under control before it actually makes me sick.

Fishmanpa
24-03-17, 16:17
Thanks for your repkies, i know there are people iut there facing real problems like cancer and i should be feeling blessed to recieve good news from doctor's, i feel bad because i spend my days worrying myself when theres people out there thats really sick that would do anything in the world to be in my shoes. I will talk to my doctor about getting some therapy for my anxiety, i have to get this under control before it actually makes me sick.

That's the right attitude... and speaking of attitude....

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church....a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.”

― Charles R. Swindoll

Positive thoughts

AHF
24-03-17, 21:13
I agree with asking about how to treat your anxiety with the doctor. Gotta keep moving and you will. If you feel you have any unanswered questions make sure you write them down and take it in. But after you visit you gotta keep working on it and over time you'll start to realise you're healthy and learn to control your hypochondria. I know I struggle with it too and it's hard but it's something you'll learn from too.

GlassPinata
24-03-17, 22:56
In case you dont know my story from my previous threads I'll update you.

6 month's ago i found a small palpable lymph node on the lower left side of my neck almost in the center close to the base of my neck, i turned to Google which scared me so i poked around to find more, and i found 4 lymph nodes, 2 side by side on the lower left side of my neck, and 2 side by side on the lower right side of my neck, i immediately thought they were supracalvicular lymph nodes and ive read bad things about these particular nodes, so i went to my doctor who felt of them and said they didn't feel large but as a standard precaution she ordered a complete blood count, and ultrasound, which revealed the biggest of those 4 node was 1.1 cm x 0.8 cm, when i went back to get my results i seen a different doctor who read my results and said everything looked good, she then felt my neck, groin, pits, arms, legs, and said she doesn't see anything to worry about. Well I'm still worried, so i set up another appointment with a doctor that i seen a while back that i like and i want to get his opinion on the test results, but i want to know what kind of questions to ask so that i can better understand my situation and maybe get some reassurance. My lymph nodes doesn't seem to have changed much at all in these 6 months, they feel small, non tender, and a little firm but not hard like a rock and i can move them, sometimes i have to turn my head and raise my arm to move them i guess they get blocked my muscles and tendons. I'm not here for a diagnoses but i know alot of you deal with lymph nodes yourself and you know this obsession is insanely scary. I constantly worry i have cancer and that the doctors aren't going to find it until I'm sick and laying in the hospital. I feel great though, no lack of energy, no night sweats, no weight loss, i literally feel as healthy as i did 5 years ago i just have this anxiety looming around me. I also found one more node right below my left ear right after i came down with a ear ache sore throat and sinus pain so i linked that to the illness i had so i am currently waiting for that node to go away its been 4 days since i got ocer my sore throat and my ear is still clearing up at the moment. What are your thoughts honestly?

---------- Post added at 15:44 ---------- Previous post was at 15:41 ----------

I forgot to mention, my doctor said that it isn't the supracalvicular lymph nodes, its in the supracalvicular area but apparently it's not those nodes. I was also denied a biopsy when i asked for one, she said theres no surgeon going to attempt a biopsy due to the small size of the nodes, and there is fatty hilum present which i was told is a good thing.


I think what people like you and I really want is for a doctor to come and take out all of our palpable lymph nodes, so that we don't have to feel them anymore, because they scare us.
But you must realize that if a doctor did that, it might calm our anxiety, but our actual health would suffer. Those lymph nodes are part of our immune system. They fight illness and keep us healthy. In fact, when they swell up, that is what they are doing: combating infections.
I know it's hard to live with the fact that you may always have a couple of palpable nodes.... but that is where treating the anxiety comes in. Because people without health anxiety also have palpable nodes, and they aren't bothered by them one bit.
But these nodes bother us to no end, and since getting rid of them is not a reasonable option, we need to learn to live with them comfortably.
I completely agree with the idea of asking your doctor what help is available for your anxiety.

Best wishes.