Anxiety about my 5 year olds health

[chatty girl]

I've been trying not to look on this site for a while in an effort to help myself but I'm in quite a state at the moment about my son who's 5.

I don't remember if it was before his first birthday or after but he had a terrible throat and high temp so we took him to the doctor's. She said he had a large gland up behind his ear, I'd never noticed it but after she said that he does a a strange lump/ridge going down behind his ear lobe on the bone. Its never worried me and 3-4 years later its still there.

He's had various infections including chicken pox and hand foot and mouth. He's healthy growing well, eating and drinking well. But all of a sudden for no reason I've become paranoid about this thing and could it be lymphoma. He is a warm child and often sweats alots first thing in the night as he drifts off, soaking his hair, I've googled that before and it seems generally normal but in my mind not now.

I took him to the doctors friday and explained my story, she felt it and said she was unsure if it was his anatomy but could feel a small gland. She didn't think there was anything wrong, i told her about the sweating abd she said some children just do. She knows me and guessed i was thinking something bad. She said if it was we would of known about it by now, if i was really concerned he could have blood tests. I said no i was happy with what she said but I'm not. I'm really not.

I'm hoping to take him Friday to see my actual doctor who i trust but getting an appointment is tricky.

I'm terrified he is ill. I literally would die if anything happened to him especially if i could have done something.

Just after a little advice.

[Melonpony]

Just do the blood work for your own mental health. <3
I had my son do blood work when he was about 2 (cross contamination concern at the hospital where he had had a surgery, wanted all the kids tested for HIV and hepatitis). I figured he was ok, but YOU JUST DON'T KNOW, and e anxiety, that's not good!
I think your son is fine, but for your own sanity, I recommend the tests.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[worryingmum]

Hi Chatty Girl

From what I understand about lymphoma by now your son would be very poorly. He would be getting progressively worse and I would say have other things such as weight loss, poor appetite. I would also think other glands particularly in that area would be also enlarged. Lymphoma usually makes people extremely fatigued where they are bone tired and cannot be bothered to do anything.

I have also heard that particularly in children lymph nodes have a habit of staying up and from what you said your doctors reaction was it doesn't sound as if the node was particularly big clinically.

Please try not to panic, although I completely understand as i have had this worry with my little girl before with children GPs don't tend to take any chances. If you do have the bloods be reassured it is more for your piece of mind than theirs. :)

[scared22]

I also have a 5 year old son. It is not unusual for him to be drenched in sweat in the first couple of hours of going to sleep. His hair can be soaked through. He's always bone dry in the morning.
I sympathise with the constant worry over their health though - I am the same.

[Cusper]

That is funny that you should write in. My son sounds almost identical. He does have something behind his ear but the dr. shot that down and said that is just how his skull is. I am also a paranoid mother and this year has been particularly bad for viruses and we just got over a bad case of strep throat. He also has night sweats, mind you it is just when he goes to bed and usually in the morning he is fine. I have always known him to be hot blooded. I would take him for all of his regular blood tests but as the person before said as long as he has a great appetite and is his usual self I think he should be fine.

[MyNameIsTerry]

If the doctor doesn't think tests are needed, why put a kid through unnecessary testing to reassure anxiety? What does an untrained anxiety sufferer know above what an experienced doctor does? She offered a reassurance test which is opening the door to further anxiety alone as the internal questions about why she didn't just shut tests down will introduce doubt.

I think you realise how tests achieve nothing in HA and that temporary reassurance just fades if it helps at all.

[chatty girl]

Thank you for your replies. I know your right and why should I be forcing my health anxieties onto him but what if i dont do something and something happens to him. It makes me feel sick even thinking about it, he is my whole life.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I guess in terms of the doctor offering that test you can determine whether they would offer it to all parents or only one they know has HA. If the former, then the test is quite reasonable anyway. If it's the latter, I think that's when you are right to challenge it.

Something to remember is that if a doctor wants to rule something out, they will say a test is needed. They won't make it your choice unless it's something in a complicated situation like a procedure with risks. With a blood test if they wanted to rule out just in case, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate especially with a child or elderly person. That gives confidence that the test is neither needed or needed because ruling out is required.

EDIT: I just want to add that if you do need to have the test performed even because of your anxiety, you won't be judged for it. I don't want it to sound like I would, anxiety is very hard to deal with.

[sdoxo]

Sorry you're having a rough time with your HA regarding your son. Im kind of the same way when it comes to my daughter, she's 6.

She has 2 nodes side by side on her neck that just refuse to go down! She had bloodwork like 6 months ago and got the all clear, but my irrational HA brain still makes me worry about her.

I think even without HA we would still worry the way we do, thats what parents do after all lol. Hope you find the answers you're looking for to put your mind at ease! :hugs:

[chatty girl]

Thank you, how long has she had them up for? Xx

[sdoxo]

They've been there for about a month now, mentioned them to her GP last time we were in. She didn't seem concerned at all.

Of course I still plan to just keep an eye on them foe ant changes. Though I've heard swollen nodes in children can take months to go away, and some never go away at all!