Back to the lymph nodes

[veryworriedgal]

Okay! I made a post a couple of days ago. Reading other peoples safe stories hasn helped me here and that was the only advice i was give. this post (remove spaces) [www .nomorepanic .co. uk/showthread.php?p=1694430#post1694430] that i made concerning it has all of my symptoms and such. i am aware that diagnoses are not able to be given over the internet - thats why i'm simply seeking advice.

also - can veins feel like nodes? i noticed an easily movable but mildly long area in the left side of my neck not too far away from my main concern nodes.

thanks for the advice, i really need it.

[TattooArtist]

Why are you feeling areas of your body for the purposes of becoming afraid? That is what you are doing.

[veryworriedgal]

that isn't at all what i am doing

[Fishmanpa]

You have 400-600 lymph nodes in your body ranging in size from a couple mm to up to 2cm. At any given time, if you poke and prod enough (which IS what you're doing), you're bound to come across a few and nodes are many HAers worst nightmare. Every single node, even those "clinically" swollen are considered benign. They're just doing their job.

I don't know what to tell you to get you to stop the self examination. Poking and prodding will cause a node to swell and too much can make it shotty. Self examination will only yield additional things to worry about thus ramping up your anxiety. Perhaps professional help would be beneficial in helping you overcome this fear and behavior.

Positive thoughts

[Careful1]

Firstly, swollen lymph nodes are not cancer detectors. They are part of our immune system, basically they are filters and catch the bad stuff. Most of the times when they enlarge it's due to a bacteria infection or a viral one. They can also enlarge due to some auto immune disorders. They will enlarge if they are poked at as well.
There are MANY reasons lymph nodes enlarge. Sometimes after they do enlarge they never go back down to normal size. Drs really don't get concerned with enlarged lymph nodes till they are about 2 or 3cm and even then they take your symptoms into account.
There are something like 152 known cancers and only 2 of them are lymphoma. Blood cancers are pretty rare.
If your concerned make an appt with your Dr and let him/her have a look.

[axolotl]

To take your first question literally, I've had about 600 benign lymph nodes for 37 years - they're a totally normal part of our anatomy with a job to do, and nothing to worry about unless something dramatic happens. They're not something to constantly take and monitor, and in reality there's a huge proportion of them internally you wouldn't be able to do so anyway.

Leave them alone.