View Full Version : Please Help Me - What do I believe?
Hey everyone, it has been a long time since I have had bad health anxiety. I have been doing very well. This is about my boyfriend. 3 nights ago before bed, he noticed a lump in the middle of his upper arm.
I wasn't too worried but we made a walk-in appointment to get it checked out and the doctor was old (70), came in in a wheelchair, didn't stand up once to even do an examination. He was there for a total of 5 minutes. He felt the lump and immediately said it was a lymph node and prescribed 10 days of antibiotics. This worried me because of lymphoma fears. According to many diagrams and online sources, there wasn't even a lymph node in that area and all this doctor did was scare me. An hour later he calls our phone and apologizes for "forgetting to send a prescription" but he did not forget, this man was literally out of his mind. He sent the prescription with us and then forgot he did so and had to call us to ask what he prescribed to him? This doctor is the perfect example as to why people suffer from anxiety!
After a few hours of horrid anxiety, I decided to take him to get a second opinion across town. This lady was younger and seemed more compassionate. She said she felt it and she did not think it was a lymph node at all. She said it is mobile, smooth and does not feel attached to any tissue and that she doesn't think it is worrisome. She thinks it is a cyst and said it is not very far down under the skin. She has referred us to a surgeon so they can check it out and remove it since it bothersome to us.
So I am feeling slightly better, but who do I believe? The first guy was an old loony-bin BUT he has many years of experience. The doctor's statements were contradictory. The placement of the lump did not line up with lymph nodes according to the diagrams. I don't know what to do or what to believe but I hate that this is making me suffer so bad. I am graduating college in 10 days and I want this to be a happy time in my life but I am so anxious that I am making myself sick.
I would believe the second doctor. Her assessment sounds reasonable and the first doctor definitely sounds too disorganized.
My husband had the exact same thing a few yrs ago. We stopped checking. But we were also told that it’s normal.
I would believe the second doctor. Her assessment sounds reasonable and the first doctor definitely sounds too disorganized.
I am trying to just take her word for it since I was much more calm with her diagnosis but I just couldn't get the first doctor and what he said out of my mind. Either way, we are going to be going to a general surgeon for a removal consultation so hopefully, I can stay calm until then.
---------- Post added at 02:42 ---------- Previous post was at 02:41 ----------
My husband had the exact same thing a few yrs ago. We stopped checking. But we were also told that it’s normal.
I personally do not have any cysts, but my sister has had a few. I know lumps and bumps are common but with health anxiety, it is just so scary and your mind immediately goes to the worse possibility. It is hard for me to believe it is just nothing
I have had a small mobile lump under the skin on my thigh for four years now. It hasn't grown, it hasn't changed, its a cyst.
Don't be worried about this - with lymphoma they act quickly. If there was any suspicion of this, they'd be on to it.
I have had a small mobile lump under the skin on my thigh for four years now. It hasn't grown, it hasn't changed, its a cyst.
Don't be worried about this - with lymphoma they act quickly. If there was any suspicion of this, they'd be on to it.
Thank you. I am trying to reassure myself. Your guys' responses really do help it's just hard. They referred us to a general surgeon since it is causing anxiety so they can just remove it. We have an appointment on December 19th. I am scared and anxious so hopefully, I can relax until the appointment come. I can't wait for it to be removed.
Hey guys I am back and still worried. I went about a week without thinking of this at all but last night I randomly got really anxious and sick thinking the lump in his arm could be something sinister. We were at my moms house today and I had her feel it again to get her input (she is a medical assistant) and she said it feels slightly bigger. So now I am so so worried because “fast growing” is a bad characteristic for lumps. I am so worried. Our appointment with the general surgeon is Wednesday but I don’t want to be a mess until then with worry 😭 I am so sad thinking about this.
Signs of a worrying lump:
* Fixed eg doesn't move at all
* Hard like a frozen pea under the skin
* poorly differentiated from surrounding tissue eg no real border
Your boyfriends lump is MOBILE, SOFT AND WELL DIFFERENTIATED according to the examing doctor (your description)
This lump is 99.9999999999999999999(you get the picture) % BENIGN!!!
Good luck and keep us updated
Edit
Benign lumps can increase in size. And when they say 'rapid growth' they mean growth your boyfriend would have clearly noticed - not just your mum 'thinking' it's 'slightly' bigger
Could they just do a biopsy on it or ultrasound to try and figure out what it is instead of surgery? It's likely benign, so that might help confirm the diagnosis.
Two anecdotal stories of my own:
1) Breast cyst of my own that hasn't changed in 2.5 years that's still being followed up on. Yup, it's still there. Yup, it's still nothing. Sucks that it's there and I wish it would go away, but it's nothing (they are required to follow up for 3 years unless they biopsy it and since I've refused biopsy they have to keep following up until then).
2) Oldest son has an enlarged lymph node that appeared behind his ear when he was 4. It feels hard to me. Got it checked out by the doc when I found it, they said it appears benign. It's still there and still the same size - you can even see it when he turns his head just right. It's nothing.
Hope this helps! Don't panic!
Yep, it's true that benign lumps/bumps can and do often change size. I have several lipomas in various places. I noticed the first one (noticed; not to say it wasn't there previously) all the way back in 2008. It was tiny, soft-ish and mobile. It's now visible without "trying to notice", along with three or four others nearby. I showed my doc a few years ago and he wasn't the least bit concerned. They could be cysts, just because I've not had actual tests done, but cyst or lipoma they're bother entirely harmless. Just frustrating at times for cosmetic reasons.
Hello again, thanks for all of your words of encouragement. We go to the general surgeon tomorrow morning at 9am to see what he wants to do. I am still a mess about it. My step brother was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma 4 years ago. He is now in remission thank God. But when you google “lump in upper arm” the main thing that comes up is soft tissue sarcoma. Since this awful disease has attacked a loved one before this is my main fear. I have been with my boyfriend for 5 years. He is the love of my life and I worry about him so much. I am praying and praying that is isn’t sarcoma or any kind of cancer. I hope that when we go tomorrow we won’t have to do a bunch of testing and waiting. I need to know what it is for my own sanity
UPDATE AFTER DR APPOINTMENT:
The general surgeon (who is the highest rated doctor in my area) said that he believes the lump is a lipoma and he is in no way concerned about it. He said it was up to us if we wanted to get it removed. To be on the safe side and have it out of our minds we decided to have it removed. We go in on January 8th to have it removed. The doctor said it will be a 15 min quick and easy procedure with local anesthetic. I am relieved that there was no concern and even more relieved that it is going to be removed. Thank you all for your kind words.
Tomorrow is removal day and while I am happy it is being removed I am still afraid and slightly anxious. For a month now I have had to rely on a doctors thought without solid testing. Tomorrow around 10:30am he will have the lump/cyst/lipoma removed and hopefully it is nothing sinister. Positive thoughts or prayers appreciated.
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