Am I feeling my mastoid process?

[Chlobo]

Hello, I’ve got myself all worked up because I was feeling my neck and if I push in just below where my ear lobes are I can feel two roundish bony lumps? I have to push in and if I raise my head they are more pronounced. I have researched and I’m not sure if it’s the mastoid process but I thought that was the larger bone that’s behind the ear. This is just where my ear lobes are.

[Fishmanpa]

Careful Chlobo, you know full well the behaviors, thoughts and 'research' you're engaging in make the rabbit hole harder to get out of.

FMP

[Chlobo]

Careful Chlobo, you know full well the behaviors, thoughts and 'research' you're engaging in make the rabbit hole harder to get out of.

FMP



You’re right and I know you are, just worried it could be some sort of neck cancer. Can’t seem to feel it on the two other people that I’ve checked so I’m not sure if they are hard glands now. I have messaged my doctors surgery about it, I’m hoping I can see the doctor tomorrow

[Fishmanpa]

'Told Ya So Gang' on standby :winks:

FMP

[Chlobo]

'Told Ya So Gang' on standby :winks:

FMP


I just feel terrified, I hope you’re right. But I’m not sure what else it could be apart from lymph nodes that have gone hard. And if it is a lymph node then all I’ve read is hard and immobile is bad news. I feel fine in myself, just exhausted from the anxiety eating away at me.
The doctor called me and I have an appointment tomorrow at 10am.

[Chlobo]

'Told Ya So Gang' on standby :winks:

FMP



Hey fishmanpa.

So I went to the doctors and he felt my neck and said what I’m feeling is glands but they are normal. He also said he would take some bloods to see if I was low in anything which I’m also panicking about now with waiting for results. I’m in a hole and I know I am right now, struggling to do normal life, the usual. My other issue is I have checked my account on the nhs and it shows the information he has typed on the computer about what he has seen me for, but by his name it says paramedic so he isn’t even a doctor. Now I’m doubting him. He was very nice and seemed knowledgeable but my mind is doing overtime.

Trying to tell myself what will be will be! And I can’t change the outcome of bloods so why worry. Still jumping at my phone though and I will be all week he booked me in for a telephone consultation to go over my bloods next Friday, but sometimes the doctors send an automated text message to your phone which I hate about test results. All I can do is pray.

[Chlobo]

I’m feeling so awful. Bloods were taken Friday morning around 11am. My anxiety is out of control waiting for a text or a phone call. I have an appointment booked Friday morning to go over them but I’m scared they will call me sooner to tell me the results aren’t good. It’s been about 2 years since I had bloods done, I’m exhausted and it’s half term this week so all my children are off school, all I want to do is hide away. I’m doubting that these lumps are normal, I don’t see how they can be personally when they are hard and I haven’t felt them like mine in anyone else’s neck. My neck is aching which doesn’t help. I’m not sure if they were really bad would I of had a phone call by now, it’s bank holiday Monday today but I wonder if the hospital would have called if they had found anything as I would think they would have been tested by now…. My anxiety is in overdrive about lymphoma

[Chlobo]

Anyone? I feel terrible. It’s Tuesday and I had my bloods taken Friday, I’m scared I’m going to have a bad phone call today from the doctors, I want to call them but I’m too scared. I feel so bad

[Sparkling_Fairy]

There's not much anyone can say really. You're in a spiral, and you know it. And only you can get yourself out of it.
I'm confused on you saying you went to the doctor's, but on the paperwork it says he's a paramedic? Where did you go then? Not your GP's office? If he was at your GPs office and took bloods and everything, I'm assuming he is an actual doctor and not a paramedic and he may used to have been but the system hasn't been updated yet?

Other than that there's nothing to do but wait for your bloods, and try and distract yourself in the meantime. I'm terrified every time I get my bloods taken. But I have to get through the wait just like everyone else. Try to hold onto the feeling of relief you'll feel when they come back clear, rather than expecting the worst

[Chlobo]

There's not much anyone can say really. You're in a spiral, and you know it. And only you can get yourself out of it.
I'm confused on you saying you went to the doctor's, but on the paperwork it says he's a paramedic? Where did you go then? Not your GP's office? If he was at your GPs office and took bloods and everything, I'm assuming he is an actual doctor and not a paramedic and he may used to have been but the system hasn't been updated yet?

Other than that there's nothing to do but wait for your bloods, and try and distract yourself in the meantime. I'm terrified every time I get my bloods taken. But I have to get through the wait just like everyone else. Try to hold onto the feeling of relief you'll feel when they come back clear, rather than expecting the worst

Thanks sparkling fairy. I’ve had them back and from what I can see apart from low iron and slightly low lymphocytes they seem okay. But I’m not an expert so I have to wait for the call Friday.
I’m just scared of these bumps in my neck, I’m trying to find a logical reason such as part of my bones but I can’t really find anything online. I’ve felt my kids necks and they don’t have it, my mum and friend don’t have the same bumps. So they’re either hard lymph nodes or bones which the idea of them being lymph nodes scares the hell out of me due to how hard they are. The medical professional who felt my neck said he wasn’t concerned but maybe he’s wrong? So I did go to my GP office but I’m in the UK and you can see different doctors sometimes, on my notes he has put himself down as an advanced paramedic which I’m confused about as yes he did examine me and did take bloods, and he can read bloods as he is the one calling me. So I’m not sure of his actual title

[Sparkling_Fairy]

Years ago I felt a hard lump in my throat that also no one else I know had. And it really freaked me out, 'cause it was hard as bone!
I eventually went to my GP, she felt it, laughed, and said that's your adam's apple. And I was like: but I'm a woman! And she said yeah not just men have it, women too but they don't feel it, unless they're as skinny as you. I had lost a lot of weight through my anxiety so I didn't feel it before, but then suddenly did.

My point is, there could be any reason why you feel it and other people don't, and why you didn't feel it before.

[Chlobo]

Years ago I felt a hard lump in my throat that also no one else I know had. And it really freaked me out, 'cause it was hard as bone!
I eventually went to my GP, she felt it, laughed, and said that's your adam's apple. And I was like: but I'm a woman! And she said yeah not just men have it, women too but they don't feel it, unless they're as skinny as you. I had lost a lot of weight through my anxiety so I didn't feel it before, but then suddenly did.

My point is, there could be any reason why you feel it and other people don't, and why you didn't feel it before.



Yes and I have done the same, I’ve been and the doctor has said well that’s a bone etc. I also loose weight with my anxiety, I get so stressed I can’t eat much.

I mean the man who felt my neck said I had nothing to worry about, but I’m struggling to believe him, I’m worrying about a slight low result in my blood counts as well. My main worry was lymphoma, but I’m not sure if I would have two bumps the same size and on the same area on either side of my neck, I also have no other symptoms, no sweats or fever. And no other lymph nodes that I can feel anywhere else. I’m not sure what the range would be for blood cancers but I would have thought the bloods would be quite out in some ways and would result in an urgency from the doctor which mine haven’t. I also have heard that when a lymph node is the size of a golf ball and sticking out of the neck or is visible outside the skin that can be a concern, but these don’t do that. I also can’t really feel them unless I push my fingers into my neck quite hard. When I have a flat palm and flat fingers and stroke down my neck I can’t feel them so they don’t stick out. The other option is bone tumor, but on both sides? In the same place? Not really sure the likely hood of that one. I always used to have this rule where if I found a bump, if there was one the other side I could rest my mind. This hasn’t come into play with the anxiety this time. I’m panicking but I’m not even sure what about really? If I list my worry down.

[Chlobo]

I’ve got myself into a bit of a hole with my blood results. My white blood cells are below the rate suggested on my results and while my others are in range they are also on the lower side of things. It’s also marked as ‘low ferritin’ I wish I hadn’t downloaded this nhs app. My friend has said the white cells aren’t down by much but I’m scared he will want to retest them and then I’ll spiral into this awful hole. I have noticed I’m bruising a bit more too. Starting to feel that awful panic rising in my tummy and chest.