Swollen lymph :( really concerned.

[ElectricAlice]

I'm just a bit worried because I've realised my lymph node near my hip bone on the left side is a bit swollen. Not sure if it's meant to be like that normally. It's a bit raised and like a pea size. Worried because that's an HIV symptom :(

Any help would be great guys, thanks.

(oh and I got a date for my breast clinic app. About a month away from now, long wait :( )

[ElectricAlice]

Anyone :(

[kibbutz83]

Hey, my whole body is a mass of swollen lymph nodes :( Doctor's do nothing, cos they're pretty rubbish... Probably means you're fighting off an infection... do you know how long it's been swollen? My gp puts everything down to my heightened anxiety... god forbid I really am ill!! I think our national health service is falling to bits, and half the country are falling with it :( I don't think one lymph node is anything to worry about :) Take care

[ElectricAlice]

Thanks for your reply, I have had a cold/virus for the past fortnight. I mean it isn't massively swollen, it's smaller than a pea and stuff.

Not sure if there's a problem unless it's fairly bigger?

It's on the same side of my body as my breast cancer worry too :(

Just worried about HIV or cancer :(

[ElectricAlice]

Bump...

[kibbutz83]

Me too :( But add to that lung cancer cos I used to smoke... we will worry our lives away, and wake up one day and realize we've enjoyed nothing :( My fear of dying started in childhood, and won't leave me alone! :( You aren't the only one believe me... good luck x

[nomorepanic]

Give it time to go down and the cold go then re-evaluate

[ElectricAlice]

I will do yeah. I mean it's not massive or anything, it's really small and pretty flat, smaller than a pea. And i've got a few similair at different places on the other side.

I guess I'm just worried even more because I feel tired a lot and run down in general. But I guess anxiety does this too right?

[worried91]

Does it feel like it might be attached to the skin from the inside? Can you pinch it and does it move around freely? If so then something pea-sized could well be a harmless raised sweat gland. I have at least five on my body that I can feel.

[ElectricAlice]

I can't really pinch it no, it's too small to do that.

I think i've found some small lumps that weren't there before under my left armpit area too now :( I got into a full panic attack last night over it. I have an app. at the DR's at 3.40 so they can see if I'm just imagining all this :(

I can't wait another 4 weeks for this breast clinic appointment. It's eating me alive :(

Any suggestions?

[debs71]

To be honest Alice, my advice would be stop examining your body.

It is pointless to do this when you are already ill. When you are well you can discriminate between what you think is or isn't normal for you. Whenever you are unwell with a virus or bacterial infection, you get swollen lymph nodes, and not just in your neck where the doctor usually feels, but anywhere there are lymph nodes.

That is perfectly normal.

I know that HA must be hellish, but do try if you can to stop jumping to the automatic conclusion that you have a serious illness. I have had lumps in my breasts(cysts) lumps in my armpit, swollen glands in my neck, abnormal vaginal bleeding(ovarian cysts) palpitations, and more and all have turned out to be nothing major. It is just a case of overriding your mind with positivity instead of negativity so saying things like, 'ok..well it is probably nothing, but let's see what happens, and if it doesn't go, I'll see the doc.' instead of 'It's serious, I've got cancer/aids/etc'.

It can be done, truly. You just need to do it every time you start to worry to get it to stick with you.

I wish you well, and good luck with your appt.xxx:hugs:

[kibbutz83]

Wise words debs... and very good advice speaking from my own personal experience :)

[ElectricAlice]

Thanks for the replies guys :)

Good advice.

Well I went to the DR's today, felt so nervous I felt like I was going to be sick, but I figured that instead of spending the next 4 weeks worrying about something that might not even be what I think I'm feeling, I'm no dr, so I should get a professional opinion. Because really my brain seems to think I'm a dr or something!

So I toll him about everything I was worried about. He was super nice and he 100% felt no lymph glands under my armpit. The lumpiness is simply sweat glands. He also said the one near my hip bone was completely normal and most people have one there. It's only when they get big and stay big you should get them checked out, but even then he said its usually 99.9% nothing serious.

He also felt the 'lump' on my neck, which was just muscle he said.

And told me tiredness is caused in most cases by stress, in young people.

So I feel really happy I pushes myself and went :) because I was really expecting him to say he felt something wrong.