Serious Question - Trying HARD to be Rational

[Booboo111]

I haven't logged on here for 7 months. I've made great strides in my sever health anxiety, though it's still there I've been managing ok. Unfortunately it appears that I'm cycling backwards.... So in going to ask a basic, straight forward question.

If I have to really poke/prod at an area to feel lumps - whatever they may be, whether it's muscle or a lymph node or God-forbid a growth - then that means that wherever it is isn't truly swollen or alarming, because I have to
poke/prod/dig in order to be able to really feel it.

The reason I ask is because lymph nodes have always been one of my top 3 triggers and I swear I feel a few - or some bumps whatever they are - in the front of my neck, near my trachea and larynx. Maybe near my thyroid. But I'm a 32 year old female with no other symptoms of anything. Perfect blood work a few mo this ago, feel great, just anxious. Ugh.

Your rational responses to my rational question (which I already feel like I know the answer to based only my husbands and my moms responses) is much appreciated!!! Thank you and a God Bless you all as we suffer from health anxiety... <3

[Fishmanpa]

Not quite sure what the question is but reading between the lines, I assume it's "If I have to poke prod to feel a node is that an issue?"

If that's the question the answer is no.

Positive thoughts

[becca98]

I always wonder this! [emoji849] I have a swollen glands in my neck I can feel with slight touch and if I touch my collar bone I can feel muscles all sorts and not sure what it is but have to dig for it!


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[Booboo111]

Not quite sure what the question is but reading between the lines, I assume it's "If I have to poke prod to feel a node is that an issue?"

If that's the question the answer is no.

Positive thoughts

Hi Fishmanpa! Thanks for taking the time to respond. Yes, my question was, if I have others feel my neck and they tell me they can't feel anything, but then I have to essentially poke, prod, and almost dig to feel what I am feeing/thinking is a lymph node or growth or maybe muscle or whatever, then does this mean that I shouldn't worry because it's essentially not even swollen if I have to manipulate the area in order to be able to feel the lump/node/whatever it is (or really isn't)

I'm sorry, I'm long winded and essentially circle around the issue in my question because If I'm honest - because I'm trying to be rational - I think I know that the answer is no, I shouldn't be worrying because if my husband and my both feel my nexk and tell me they feel nothing swollen or abnormal, then I'm normal and heathy and fine...

Thanks again, I'll circle back to my CBT techniques and meditation for a bit to try and regroup, recenter and stop freaking out....

---------- Post added at 20:25 ---------- Previous post was at 20:23 ----------


I always wonder this! [emoji849] I have a swollen glands in my neck I can feel with slight touch and if I touch my collar bone I can feel muscles all sorts and not sure what it is but have to dig for it!


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Yes, this is me obsessing with nodes or whatever they are that I can really only feel on manipulation, some digging and then that makes me sore and potentially enflaming whatever it is that I'm bothering. So totally defeats the purpose! I truly hate health anxiety.... ������

[budgie1979]

I have this tendency to poke and prod at myself too (as do so many of us here). With things like lymph nodes in your neck, I like to think back to the many exams I've had at various doctors. When doctors feel your neck for lymph nodes, they use very little pressure. Swollen lymph nodes, even the ones that are just swollen due to a simple infection, are obvious even without pressing hard or probing around. Nodes that a doctor would consider worrisome are even more obvious, because they tend to be very firm and not mobile.

Basically, if you have to poke around to find them, they aren't actually swollen (but they might get swollen and will get sore if you poke too much). Also, there are a lot of "things" in the throat/neck that aren't lymph nodes, so if you poke around you'll always find something to make you wonder. I find it's best for my mental health not to touch at all other than my daily face wash/moisturizer application.