Please help, visibly enlarged lymph node

[Lady123]

I know so many of you have posted about having a lymph node you can feel.when I turn my head the the left I can see one of the right of my neck. It’s worrying me terribly.
Has anyone ever had one that was visible and turned out to be ok?

[Lady123]

Anyone?

[Dobbiedoo]

My son has. Been there at least 5 years (he's now 19). Got it checked out earlier this year. GP wasn't worried but referred him to consultant who had a quick feel and was actually quite cross he"d been referred. Sent for a non-urgent ultrasound anyway which confirmed all fine. Told we can see it as quite close to surface and that sometimes they come up due to an infection and never return to normal size.

Having said all that, I have one I can feel (can't really see it) and have done for at least 5 years. GP felt it a year ago and wasn't worried but for some reason I've started stressing about it recently and wondering whether to go back but I do have health anxiety....

[Lady123]

Thank you for replying dobbiedoo. Logic tells me it’s totally possible but the anxiety monster is torturing me with some awful thoughts.

I have a gp appt today and I’m so scared.

Sorry to hear you’ve started stressing about yours too. I have cycles of feeling ok about something and suddenly it’s at the forefront of my mind again?!

[Dobbiedoo]

Good luck with your appointment please update the thread after x

[.Poppy.]

I had a visible one for years and years. Finally went to the doctor and he wasn’t concerned. It actually went away, I don’t have it anymore. Lymph nodes can do weird things, but it’s not always sinister.

Good luck at your appointment today.

[Lady123]

I saw the gp. With my head straight she couldn’t feel it, when I turned my head she could and said it’s a lymph node. Small nothing to worry about. She said I can feel it when my head it turned as the muscles move etc.

Then she said the dreaded bit. If it gets bigger come back.

I don’t know why I don’t feel reassured :(

[Fishmanpa]

I don’t know why I don’t feel reassured :(

Because of your HA :lac:

As a Stage IVa H&N cancer survivor (almost ten years), I'm one that has actually lived your fear. It started the end of August of 2012. I had an upper respiratory infection and all the fun symptoms that go with it including painful swollen glands. Called the doctor and he prescribed an antibiotic for ten days. The infection cleared and I felt better but the glands on the left side of my neck remained visibly swollen. I say visibly in a different context than you because you could clearly see the glands. I didn't have to turn my head and when I showed the doctor. He said "I can see that". I know it can take weeks for glands to resolve so I didn't put any thought into it. The difference was that while it was still visibly swollen, it wasn't painful.

Saw the doc again and this time I could sense the concern. He prescribed a stronger antibiotic that frankly was not a joy to take as it made me feel like crap but you gotta do what you gotta do. After that course of antibiotics, nothing had changed and the glands on the left side of my neck had visibly grown. I went to the doctor this very same time in 2012 and was sent immediately to the hospital for a scan. The scan showed definite enlargement and I was scheduled immediately (a few days) for an appointment with an ENT oncologist. And from the time I was diagnosed until I had surgery to remove the glands and cancer. The glands went from visibly swollen to it looking like I had the mumps on the left side of my neck.

Long story short, it was cancer. I've said this here hundreds of times.... "Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts." Just based on my personal experience, I wouldn't be concerned in the least.

FMP

[Lady123]

Thanks so much for replying Fishmpa I really appreciate it.

My anxiety is like it has a mind of its own, it’s so strong!! What you say makes total sense I will keep rereading your message!