Lymphoma fear. (having biopsy soon)

[Willtyler]

Hi.
Thank you for reading this and responding in advance. I’m a 21 year old male, who has a desk job with a 10 month old daughter. I don’t work out a whole lot anymore, i do take at least 10,009 steps a day though. I’m 160 pounds and 6 feet tall. I don’t eat the healthiest. I mention all this so you have an idea of my life style.

I feel like i’ve always had a few swollen lymph nodes for a few years, but i can’t particurally remember. I only remember them being swollen about 2 months ago. There were two swollen above my shoulder blade by my neck. Then i felt a few more in the side of my neck and under my chin. Then i felt them in my arm pits and my groin. This concerned me being a hypochondriac so i went to the doctors. They did a contrast ct scan on my groin to my armpits at first and the doctor said they didn’t see the lymph nodes show up or see anything wrong, but they felt the ones under my armpits. So I had another one done today on my neck area and they found about 10 I think. He said the biggest one being .75 inches by .5 inches I believe. He said there was no sign of infection either and says we should do a biopsy, which I have scheduled for the 22nd of July. I’m now convinced I have lymphoma because I was negative for HIV which can cause it, and I have no infections that is causing it as well (unless I have some rare one). But everything I’ve read online says if it’s not an infection it’s either cancer or a autoimmune disease which both terrify me. I guess my question is could it be nothing and I just have swollen lymph nodes, and my mom has a few she says have always been swollen and come and go. If anyone reading this has experienced the same, it’s help me calm my nerves A LOT.

Thank you again!

My other symptoms:
- Little tired
- Side pain
- Lower back pain
- Very Nauseous
- Stomach aches constantly

I also don’t think my lymph nodes have grown a lot either, i can move them too but some are harder than others.

[turbo1]

If you read my previous posts I have the same fear of lymphoma as you.I can touch some of my lymph nodes in my neck I got an ultrasound and one was 1.2 cm.This,in addition with some generalised itching in the last 3 months and a few mild night sweats (not drenching) has drive me mad.I did blood tests,chest X ray ultrasound of my neck and ultrasound of upper and lower abdomen (for possible splenomegaly/hepatomegaly or anything that can go wrong in that area).All came back clear.But i still fear as i dont have the 100% answer which only comes with a biopsy.Sometimes I am thinking that i want to demand a biopsy to make myself move on.


Anyway good luck with your procedure I hope it is nothing (and to be honest i believe it is nothing).Also if you want ,come back and update when you got the answer because there are many with the same fears in this forum.God bless you.

[Willtyler]

I feel terrible saying this but i’m glad there are others in the same boat as me. I didn’t really want the biopsy cause I just had a colonoscopy for a different problem and anesthesia makes me feel droggy all day. But I always come back and update as I know it could help others keep there mind at ease. I’ll take one for the team and get the biopsy and if it’s nothing, then you guys got nothing to worry about haha! Thank you

[NervUs]

You are in the dreaded waiting game. Personally, I think it's normal to feel anxiety when you have been referred for a legitimate anomaly. To prevent going off the rails, don't google. Google can't diagnose whatever is happening, and neither can we.

In your case, it might be a good idea to vsualize what you want the next days to be like, until you get the results of the biopsy. Do you expect to go through each day not thinking about it? Do you want to think about it? Do you want to prevent obsessively thinking about it? Then, come up with an action plan for how to make the days go as you want them to go.

I have been through referrals for possible cancer four times. Two of those times I was able to keep it in perspective, the other two I was a mess. For me, I'm not sure what the difference was, or why I have been able to handle it better versus worse. I do know that, for me, it is too high a bar to believe I can just not think about it at all. Thinking about the worst case has actually been helpful, as long as I am able to put boundaries on that and not obsess.

Just FYI- while I have been suspicious for cancer four times, I have received a cancer diagnosis zero times. Depending on disease, there are usually dozens or hundreds of people referred for biopsy to find one cancer. I hope you get the best news, and it is very possible.

[Fishmanpa]

He said the biggest one being .75 inches by .5 inches I believe. He said there was no sign of infection either and says we should do a biopsy, which I have scheduled for the 22nd of July.

I've seen thousands of posts about "swollen" lymph nodes. I'm a Stage IVa Head and Neck cancer survivor. I believe the word "swollen" is used much too liberally by HAers. A .75" x .5" node is not swollen. When I first noticed "swollen" nodes on my neck, they were clearly visible without having to poke and prod. They also kept growing. By the time I was diagnosed, they were estimated to be over 2.5cm. Two months later before surgery, it looked like I had the mumps on the left side of my neck and they ended up removing two 5+cm cancerous nodes along with 23 additional nodes for safe measure.

Frankly, it sounds like your doctor is practicing CYA medicine. Remember...

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

In the few years since you've been paying attention to these nodes, poking and prodding them and worrying, you would be clearly ill.

Positive thoughts

[Willtyler]

Hello, a quick update!

So I had 3 doctors discuss whether or not a full lymph node biopsy was needed, and 2/3 said it wasn’t, so I just had a needle biopsy of one today instead of having to go under general anesthesia and remove a full one. I am now going to wait 7 days for results. The radiologist who did it is also an expert in the lymph node system or whatever he said, and told me that my lymph nodes were most likely not cancerous, he said only two seemed concerning and even then he said it’s most likely an infection of some sort, so he did the biopsy off that fact itself.

Hoping for good news.

Also for anyone who’s getting a needle biopsy, it doesn’t hurt at all. The only part that hurts is when the give you the local anesthesia (feels like a bee sting). Then afterwards I feel kinda numb and tired, i feel like the numbness traveled to my leg lol but i’m most likely fine!