Scared I have lymphoma

[rosieforests]

I'm 18, female. A few months ago, I had lots of swollen lymph nodes in my armpits and behind my ears. Went to the doctor about them, got a blood test and everything came back as normal. They went away after a few weeks. After that I had a dull achey right abdominal pain. However, I forced myself not to panic about it as it was probably down to stress of exams - it stopped after my exams finished. But then, a week ago it came back and it's been gradually getting worse over the past week. I've been to the doctors about it and as there's no other symptoms with it they can't identify what it is so I've been sent for an ultrasound in a few weeks. Then, two days ago I ran my hand down my neck and realised I had loads of painless swollen lymph nodes - all along the right side of my neck. They're all pea sized and painless but very mobile other than one that is slightly larger than the rest right under my jaw (also painless and mobile). I actually remember feeling it a few months ago but I thought it was simply part of my neck as it's quite deep... turns out I was wrong as the doc confirmed it was a lymph node today. I also have a painless mobile swollen lymph node on my groin. So I've been sent for more blood tests which I will get the results for next week. But now I'm really panicking as I made the mistake of typing these symptoms into google... I know. But apparently abdominal pain can occur due to swollen lymph nodes in the abdomen?? It's like a dull ache but sometimes it's stingy and it's both in the lower and upper quadrant of my right abdomen. I've been prescribed stronger painkillers than paracetamol but they don't seem to be working so I can't put my mind off this at all :(

[nomorepanic]

It is highly unlikely you have it at your age to be honest.

I assume you generally suffer with Health worries?

[ClipClop]

Hey there,

Ok, firstly, take a deep breath. That's right, a really deep breath. I know you're panicking, but it's health anxiety tricking you into panicking.

Let's look at the facts, you had blood work done and it came back normal, right? That is excellent news. So the doctor can feel a few lymph nodes, did he/she actually suggest your worst fears or is this your fear tricking you? It's so easy to jump to conclusions and then run with it. Chances are you are absolutely fine.

Are you by any chance on the thin side? If so, it is absolutely normal to feel your lymph nodes, even to see them poking out a bit. And if you start digging, anyone of any weight is going to feel something.

Ok, just to reassure you... I have had two lymphoma scares (me initially more scared than the doctor, but was still sent for tests). I had lymph nodes popping up under my armpits and the ones on the neck were asymmetrical. I was sent for an ultrasound, and during it, the ultrasonographer was so worried she actually called in the specialist!! (She had picked them up in my groin, too). Can you imagine how freaked out I was?? But, I went to a haematologist, and I was absolutely fine. It was just one of those things, they even suggested I may have some weird (harmless) infection, but all I'm saying is that i was FINE and, over time, it just all settled down again.

Interestingly enough, I also started having abdominal pain not long after, I even went to another ultrasound. But, it turned out to be fine, again, and even though I had had the pain for months, it started going once I told myself it was nothing more than anxiety. Anxiety can cause virtually any symptom if we try hard enough!

It is good that you are being checked out, but have faith in your previous blood test, and in the doctors themselves. As much as you can, try to remind yourself that you are probably absolutely fine. And if nothing else, take comfort from my story! Even now, I still feel the odd lymph node pop up (especially when stressed) but I don't worry about it anymore.

Please try to keep calm. Sending peace to you x

---------- Post added at 23:41 ---------- Previous post was at 23:31 ----------

P.s. I forgot to say, try as much as you can to distract yourself. Step away from Google and go for a walk, spend some time with a pet or a friend, or read a really good book. It always amazes me how getting out the house helps, and weirdly, my 'symptoms' are often less noticeable afterwards. Distraction is key :-) x

[rosieforests]

Hey there,

Ok, firstly, take a deep breath. That's right, a really deep breath. I know you're panicking, but it's health anxiety tricking you into panicking.

Let's look at the facts, you had blood work done and it came back normal, right? That is excellent news. So the doctor can feel a few lymph nodes, did he/she actually suggest your worst fears or is this your fear tricking you? It's so easy to jump to conclusions and then run with it. Chances are you are absolutely fine.

Are you by any chance on the thin side? If so, it is absolutely normal to feel your lymph nodes, even to see them poking out a bit. And if you start digging, anyone of any weight is going to feel something.

Ok, just to reassure you... I have had two lymphoma scares (me initially more scared than the doctor, but was still sent for tests). I had lymph nodes popping up under my armpits and the ones on the neck were asymmetrical. I was sent for an ultrasound, and during it, the ultrasonographer was so worried she actually called in the specialist!! (She had picked them up in my groin, too). Can you imagine how freaked out I was?? But, I went to a haematologist, and I was absolutely fine. It was just one of those things, they even suggested I may have some weird (harmless) infection, but all I'm saying is that i was FINE and, over time, it just all settled down again.

Interestingly enough, I also started having abdominal pain not long after, I even went to another ultrasound. But, it turned out to be fine, again, and even though I had had the pain for months, it started going once I told myself it was nothing more than anxiety. Anxiety can cause virtually any symptom if we try hard enough!

It is good that you are being checked out, but have faith in your previous blood test, and in the doctors themselves. As much as you can, try to remind yourself that you are probably absolutely fine. And if nothing else, take comfort from my story! Even now, I still feel the odd lymph node pop up (especially when stressed) but I don't worry about it anymore.

Please try to keep calm. Sending peace to you x

---------- Post added at 23:41 ---------- Previous post was at 23:31 ----------

P.s. I forgot to say, try as much as you can to distract yourself. Step away from Google and go for a walk, spend some time with a pet or a friend, or read a really good book. It always amazes me how getting out the house helps, and weirdly, my 'symptoms' are often less noticeable afterwards. Distraction is key :-) x

When I mentioned it to my doc she asked me about all the symptoms for lymphoma (which I have not been showing), felt the lymph nodes and then sent me for bloods. I am rather skinny which I did take into consideration but I remember last time with the swollen lymph nodes I checked myself (and the doctor checked) for swollen neck lymph nodes and it definitely feels different now. Honestly though, I wouldn't have been *that* worried if it weren't for the larger one under my jaw that I'm pretty sure has been there a while... Hoping the bloods come back okay. And yeah I'm really hoping the abdominal pain is just me stressing out since it was there (although a lot less noticeable) during the exam period. I used to be able to block it out but now it's always there no matter what I'm doing. When I went to an out of hours gp about the pain he said he thought it might be to do with my ovaries, like a cyst or something, but this was before I was aware of the lymph node swelling. It just sucks not knowing and having to wait. And yeah I know google was a bad idea and I knew it at the time as well, thanks for the advice though I'll try distract myself.

---------- Post added at 23:17 ---------- Previous post was at 23:15 ----------


It is highly unlikely you have it at your age to be honest.

I assume you generally suffer with Health worries?

Yeah I do. Actually I'm pretty sure I have anxiety/ocd but I've never been to a doc about it because I've been pretty good at controlling it in the past. If it was only the lymph nodes I probably wouldn't be panicking this much, it's the pain that's got to me.

[Fishmanpa]

I had loads of painless swollen lymph nodes - all along the right side of my neck. They're all pea sized

I'm a Head and Neck cancer survivor. First off, you used the word swollen when in fact a "pea sized" node is not considered clinically swollen. I see this very often here. People, whether consciously or unconsciously, call their nodes swollen to validate their irrational thoughts and fears. Like Nic said, it's highly unlikely you have anything serious going on. Of the thousands and thousands of node posts I've read here, I don't know of one that was diagnosed with lymphoma.

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

Positive thoughts

[rosieforests]

I'm a Head and Neck cancer survivor. First off, you used the word swollen when in fact a "pea sized" node is not considered clinically swollen. I see this very often here. People, whether consciously or unconsciously, call their nodes swollen to validate their irrational thoughts and fears. Like Nic said, it's highly unlikely you have anything serious going on. Of the thousands and thousands of node posts I've read here, I don't know of one that was diagnosed with lymphoma.

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

Positive thoughts

It wasn't really the pea sized ones that got to me. It's the one under my jaw - it's about the size of a grape I think. When I first felt it I thought it was an artery or something due to it's position and it's deepness under the skin - it doesn't stick out at all so I didn't spot it at first - but the doc confirmed it was a lymph node. But I see what you're saying, thank you.

[Fishmanpa]

I didn't spot it at first

You wouldn't have had you not been poking and prodding :whistles: Self examination is HA all the way. The reassurance seeking that follows is pure HA.

We have 500-700 nodes in our bodies. They range from a BB up to 1.5-2cm. Poke around enough and you're bound to find a few. There's no way as non medical professionals we can really judge the size either. All I'm saying is I know nodes. I had two 5+cm nodes taken out of my neck and 23 additional for good measure. What you describe is not indicative of my experience nor the many others I knew that have battled the beast.

I've been on the boards for a while. I can recognize the HA patterns quite readily and you're textbook :winks: My daughter suffers from anxiety and depression. She came to me at your age and told me what was going on. I made sure she got help. She'll be 25 next week and she finished college and is pursuing her dream of teaching young children. She has her moments and she's going through one now but she also has the tools to manage it.

If your anxiety is holding you back, seek help. There's a lot of things in the world we have no control over and with anxiety, you can lose control of your thoughts, but the one thing you do have total control over are your actions and what you do to address those thoughts.

Positive thoughts

[rosieforests]

Hi just thought I would update. Apparently the blood tests came back as normal. I'm going to try and see my gp tomorrow to talk about them. However, even more lymph nodes have appeared since my last post. They now practically cover the back of my neck and I have one bigger one above my collarbone which has really freaked me out because apparently these ones are cancer suspicious. I've also been having neck pain and idk if the nodes are the cause. I'm going to ask my doctor tomorrow if I should be concerned or not cause honestly I'm terrified. I've been trying to avoid google but it's not really helped as I hoped the lymph nodes would shrink but instead more have popped up - in the worst places as well.

[Nervousmommy]

Lymphoma wouldn’t start with lymph nodes randomly popping up all of your body. That’s not how it works. To me, it sounds like self-checking has made you hyper aware of your normal lymphatic system. If you had lymph nodes with issues in the numbers you’ve described, you’d feel terrible and your blood work would show it. Try to calm yourself a bit and realize that we all have lymph nodes in various sizes. I got mono as a teenager and I have one node that simply remained large (over a centimeter). That was 25 years ago.