Visible lymph node on one side of neck

[Jess83]

Hi there, I'm a 34f and found this forum after some googling.

3 weeks ago my neck felt a bit tender and I felt around and noticed the lymph node on my left side of my neck (kind of under/behind ear) was a bit swollen and I could see it in the mirror. It's a visible lump like the size of a smallish grape. I brought it up to the GI I was seeing (I was getting an endoscopy as I've been dealing with a sore throat from reflux for some time) and he said to get it checked by my dr, so I did.

Dr felt it, did a complete blood test and said it showed I might have a bacterial infection causing it (from what I don't know) and gave me antibiotics and to come back in two weeks. I took all the antibiotics and no change, and when I went back, the Dr that saw me last time was gone for family reasons, and there was a really old Dr that was very nice but told me he couldn't see it (it's right there!) and told me some anecdote about how he had one once and it went away. He also had no idea about anything said or done in my previous appt, it just felt like a waste of time. He told me to come back if it's still bothering me.

Well it is bothering me, a great deal. It wouldn't bother me so much if I couldn't feel it but it feels fat and achey and my cheek/jaw area nearby feels tingly and weird, kind of like after you've been to the dentist and the numbness is wearing off. The other day the back of my tongue on that side was numb and tingly, and it just feels like something is not right.

I want to stop thinking about it but I can't because it's aching and I can feel it. I hate it and I want it to go away, I'm scared that it's something bad that is getting worse by it not getting properly looked at, but I would feel like an idiot going back to the dr again (in the past 8 months I've been there for my throat/reflux twice, and a spot on my face that wouldn't go away - dr sent me for a biopsy it looked suspicious, and now twice for this). It's a small town and I'm a foreigner and they know who I am and I feel like they're thinking 'what now' when they see me.

I don't really know why I'm posting, I just don't know what to do. I haven't been poking it, I'm trying to forget about it but it won't stop aching/tingling, I hate it.

[Fishmanpa]

Nodes are a huge concern of HA sufferers as evidenced by the sheer number of posts about them. Leave it alone and if it doesn't resolve in a few weeks have it checked. After an infection, it can take several weeks for it to resolve.

Positive thoughts

[Jess83]

Thank you for your response I am leaving it alone other than checking it in the mirror, but forgetting about it isn't easy.

One thing I'm unsure about that I didn't think to ask the Dr - the complete blood count that she said showed possible bacterial infection - would that have been definite? Or would it just have showed something unusual that they assume is infection and try to treat first with antibiotics? I haven't had any infections that I can think of. I did have the little biopsy on my face on the same side but that healed nicely with zero sign of anything.

I think the "come back if it doesn't go away" part from them is what bothers me the most, especially since it's not.