Bwh5199
14-06-17, 18:30
Hi,
I'm a newcomer to this forum and I just wanted to get my worries off my chest to a group of people who would understand my stress and anxiety.
For at least 6 years (I am 23 currently), I have been able to feel lymph nodes in my neck and above my left collarbone (more on that later), as well as always being able to feel them in my groin as well. One thing to note us that i had a severe case of cellulitis as a child (I was hospitalized for a few days), and I've always wondered if that could have lead to some shoddy nodes or something. I first noticed these and started worrying about them in high school, when a friend of mine was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer that would take his life a few years later. When I noticed these nodes, I freaked out and googled things (always a bad idea), and was convinced that I had lymphoma and that I would die because of it. I went to the doctor and had a CBC taken, which came back clean, and was told to watch them to make sure they didn't grow.
Over the next few years, my anxiety about these nodes has cone and gone time and time again, and I've had 2 more CBCs (both clean) and an ultrasound done in my neck last summer (also clean). However, last week, something convinced me, late at night, to do more googling, and I came across articles that spoke of "virchow's node", which apparently can be a sign of late-stage stomach cancer, and when I noticed that the lymph nodes I Can feel in my collarbone seem to be the same nodes mentioned, my anxiety went into overdrive, with me becoming convinced that I have late-stage stomach cancer that is going to kill me. I called the American Cancer Society 24/7 hotline out of desperation, and they pretty much told me to keep my doctor up to date on any changes, but that stomach cancer in someone my age us extremely rare. However, for the last few says, I have been unable to shake this feeling of impending doom from my life, and it is really starting to affect my personal and professional life. I find it extremely hard to even get out of bed to eat or shower, let alone spend time with my friends/fiance.
But, considering I've been able to feel these nodes for years and years, and the haven't grown, if they were a sign of something serious, wouldn't I already he dead? I haven't lost weight, I don't get fevers or night sweats, I don't gave blood or pain when passing stools, but for some reason I just can't shake the anxiety.
I pushed and pushed my doctor to give me a referral to an ENT, which he eventually did, and have my first therapy appointment tomorrow, but in the meantime, I just wanted to get the opinions of the people here, as I'm hoping some if you can understand what I am going through.
Thanks a lot in advance.
I'm a newcomer to this forum and I just wanted to get my worries off my chest to a group of people who would understand my stress and anxiety.
For at least 6 years (I am 23 currently), I have been able to feel lymph nodes in my neck and above my left collarbone (more on that later), as well as always being able to feel them in my groin as well. One thing to note us that i had a severe case of cellulitis as a child (I was hospitalized for a few days), and I've always wondered if that could have lead to some shoddy nodes or something. I first noticed these and started worrying about them in high school, when a friend of mine was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer that would take his life a few years later. When I noticed these nodes, I freaked out and googled things (always a bad idea), and was convinced that I had lymphoma and that I would die because of it. I went to the doctor and had a CBC taken, which came back clean, and was told to watch them to make sure they didn't grow.
Over the next few years, my anxiety about these nodes has cone and gone time and time again, and I've had 2 more CBCs (both clean) and an ultrasound done in my neck last summer (also clean). However, last week, something convinced me, late at night, to do more googling, and I came across articles that spoke of "virchow's node", which apparently can be a sign of late-stage stomach cancer, and when I noticed that the lymph nodes I Can feel in my collarbone seem to be the same nodes mentioned, my anxiety went into overdrive, with me becoming convinced that I have late-stage stomach cancer that is going to kill me. I called the American Cancer Society 24/7 hotline out of desperation, and they pretty much told me to keep my doctor up to date on any changes, but that stomach cancer in someone my age us extremely rare. However, for the last few says, I have been unable to shake this feeling of impending doom from my life, and it is really starting to affect my personal and professional life. I find it extremely hard to even get out of bed to eat or shower, let alone spend time with my friends/fiance.
But, considering I've been able to feel these nodes for years and years, and the haven't grown, if they were a sign of something serious, wouldn't I already he dead? I haven't lost weight, I don't get fevers or night sweats, I don't gave blood or pain when passing stools, but for some reason I just can't shake the anxiety.
I pushed and pushed my doctor to give me a referral to an ENT, which he eventually did, and have my first therapy appointment tomorrow, but in the meantime, I just wanted to get the opinions of the people here, as I'm hoping some if you can understand what I am going through.
Thanks a lot in advance.