Convinced of lymphoma

[a90snoah]

A week and two days ago, I came down with something that felt like the flu. I had aches everywhere, a high fever (as high as about 102), and abdominal pain which lasted the entire day. It finally broke that night, and I was sweating profusely as a result. That night I was drenched in sweat. The following day I felt much better. I then noticed a lump above my left ear, which I googled and found out was a swollen lymph node. Normally I wouldn't have assumed the worst, except for the next several days, I was still sweating at night. I went in to have a chest xray (came back clean), and blood work (which showed I had slightly low platelets and high liver enzymes).

Since my chest xray was clear, I was told to relax and go back to the doctor the following week (this week). That I didn't have Hodgkin's.

Then on Friday and Saturday night, out of nowhere, I developed itching and hives, which I've never had. It should be noted that I was EXTREMELY anxious both of these nights - convinced I have cancer.

The thing that's most troubling for me is that about 1 month ago, I noticed a large swollen lump on my waist. I didn't think much about it, but decided to have it checked out if it didn't go away. After a couple of weeks, it did go away. I'm telling myself it can't be lymphoma if they go away, and that the sickness I had was the start of a virus, not cancer symptoms.

I told my doctor all my symptoms yesterday and she ordered a rapid result CT scan, more blood work, and gave me some medicine to help me relax.

This last week has been hell. This last weekend has been filled with doomsday scenarios that I will have to derail my life to beat cancer, that I will probably lose my boyfriend who means everything to me if I get sick, etc. I just can't stop crying.

I have the test results today at 4:15 and I don't know how to make it until then.

[Jordo]

There's more of us
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42917

I've had my cancer scares too that end up being absolutely nothing. About 2months ago i found a lump on one of my testicles. Obviously right away i'm thinking testicular cancer. I went to the doctor, she didn't know what it was and seemed urgent to get an ultrasound done. I never had an ultrasound done before, so i wasn't real thrilled about that either. Getting my ultrasound done, i watched the technician's reactions closely. It lasted about 20min and then i went home and waited for about...4days for results, since it was over the weekend. They results were undetermined, so then i was sent to a Urologist. His appointment wasn't until about a week after the results, so i'm getting plenty of time to worry. The appointment finally comes up, i'm his office for about 5min, he exams me and says it's "absolutely nothing to worry about, it's just normal."

[a90snoah]

I just don't know how I can make it another 4 hours to wait for the result. I'm at work. Man it's hard.

[Jordo]

Please let us know how it went. :winks:

[a90snoah]

Well I had my appt pushed up yesterday and with much help from this forum, I was able to be as relaxed as I could be going into the appointment, suddenly knowing that I was probably just fine.

Then I got there and right away the doctor came in and was like "the CT was clear." The only thing the CT picked up was a swollen spleen. I had no abnormal lymph nodes anywhere else on my body, and that combined with the lymph node that went down and the sickness that's not getting worse, that pretty much rules out lymphoma. There is a blood test she wants me to do though. I had two blood tests in the last week - the first one showed the presence of smudge cells, which are usually associated with lukemia. But the second one (which was a smear and counted by hand), did not. So she wants me to see a hemotologist just to be 100% sure, but she told me if I were you, I would not worry at all.

I'm trying to hang on those words for a week or so and then it will be all over. My anxiety has much improved already though. In fact, I left town until Saturday to see my boyfriend and make up for being so miserably anxious last weekend.

Thanks for all the threads that calmed me down!