Worried about lymph nodes! Please help!

[Flyingpenguin]

Hello there,
I was going in for my flying medicals. I want to become a pilot.
My relative lympocyte count came a little high. It is usually around 45%. Absolute lymphocyte count is always normal. Neutrophil count came normal. Eosinophil count was normal. Wbc count was normal. Blood smear came normal as well. No abnormal cells detected. No blasts seen. Doctor says that it is due to my chronic upper respiratory infection that I have. He says that it is normal.
Being anxious, I searched the reasons for lymphocytosis. One of them was lymphoma. I naturally got scared. I remembered that I have a swollen node behind my ear for last 3-4 years on the left side.. That got me even more scared. It is a little hard, non tender and slightly movable. I tried to find more and as expected, I found more nodes naturally. I showed my nodes to 3 doctors. They were confident that it was not lymphoma. They said that the size of the biggest node was about 1.2 cm and it did not justify a biopsy. I was told that nodes are considered serious when they are 2cms and over.
I am still not satisfied. What to do?
I don't have any B symtoms of lymphoma. No sweats, no rashes, no fever etc...
I have lost 10 kilos over the last 3 moths but I have been dieting and running 5-6 kilometers every day.
My Chest X-Ray is clear. My spleen ain't enlarged (flying medicals).
I really don't want to die. I really wish to become a pilot.
I suffer from health anxiety and always end up googling.
Regards,
Prabal
P.S- My post was quite long but I really need your help. I have gone through all the threads on this forum regarding lymph nodes.

[Mumzy]

Wow I could’ve written this myself!!!
I sympathise.
I’ve had a lump just above my left collar bone and it’s been there 3 years, no bigger nor no smaller. I had it scanned 2 years ago and they said it’s fine.
Around 5 weeks ago I started googling (due to having itchy skin) and google told me I had lymphoma! Went to the doctors, 2 days later had bloods taken, all came back normal apart from raised bilirubin which I’m having a re test for tomorrow. I’ve had a chest and abdomen X-ray both clear. My anxiety has been terrible ever since. Same as you I’ve lost weight in the past month (half a stone without trying) but I think maybe that’s down to worry. I’ve hlso had a stupid cough for the past 4 weeks, but no sore throat.
I’m sorry I have no advice but just wanted to say I know what your going through

[diego_]

I'm going through the same thing. I have recently found a node behind my left ear, and two occipital nodes. They all seem to have less than 2 cm, but perhaps more than 1 cm.
One of my occipital nodes is very hard and immovable, which made me terrified over it. It's not movable as the other two. Google says normal lymph nodes would never have this characteristics, so I don't know what to think :weep:
I still didn't go to a doctor because I've just met one due to another cancer fear and my family would think I'm a crazy hypochondriac. I try to measure my node every day to see if anything changes but it's hard to be precise.
My best wishes towards you, since you got doctors to see your nodes I'm confident you will be OK. They know what they are talking about.

[Flyingpenguin]

Hello,
@Mumzy.
I hope your tests came out okay??
@diego_ I too am considered a maniac by my family. I have been to 4 different doctors since the start of the year and I got diagnosed with anything but anxiety. I first started feeling that my ear was full but that was just due to my respiratory infection. Then my ECG showed LVH. After multiple ECG's showing LVH, I got an Echo done which came out normal. Then my lymphocytes came high. Which again we're normal and within clinical limits. The start of this year has been bad. You shouldn't worry. My father has two really hard nodes. They don't move at all. Present since last decade.

Thanks for replying. Atleast I am not alone.
I went to the doctor the fourth time due to my anxiety. He explained that anything related to a cancer will be fast growing. He said that he wont biopsy my lymph node until it got bigger than 2 cms. He added that since my node was up since years, it will be permanent. He was quite cool about it. He told me that he saw swollen lymph nodes atleast twice every day and till now, only 5% of >2cm nodes have turned out to be lymphoma.
So I am cool now. I just need to shave off the habit of trying to locate new nodes.
I have my flying medicals coming up on 23rd August and I need to loose 8kilos more. I hope I can join a flying school by summer next year.
The doctor also added that I have an upper respiratory infection which is 100% causing my nodes to be prominent. 2 (0.5cm) of them are very slippery. 1(1.2cm) is not slippery but it can be moved. They are non tender but soft-ish.
I do hope that you guys turn out fine as well.

Google is the worst thing to do. I once got diagnosed with cancer because of leg pain by DR. Google. Google dosent have a degree. What it does is show a problem even with the smallest symptoms.
Best way to get rid of HA is to remove the source. I disconnected my router so no high speed net for me. Only slow mobile data. I feel different now.
Regards

[diego_]

It's nice to hear you're cool about it now. Stopping the habit of searching for new nodes and poking the ones you already found is very difficult, I'm also struggling with it myself. I know excessive poking makes them swell, and when they swell we want to poke them even more, so we need to break the cycle.

Good luck with the flying school. I hope you get well.