2 lumps in neck - scared!

[Qwerty1985]

Hello, new to this so bear with with.
Last summer I our of the blue developed health anxiety, no idea why. Main fear is getting cancer, especially being misdiagnosed for months on end and then when it is discovered it is far too late and I leave my kids with no mum.
Fast forward to now, I have discovered 2 lumps in my neck,right hand side, one under my jaw, about the size of a grape, and one just below it, a bit bigger than a pea maybe. The pea one is harder than the one above bit both can move slightly under my finger.

In February I had 2 bouts of cellulitis on my nose, 2nd time it spread to my sinuses so had sinusitis on top of that, which affected mainly right hand side of face. Antibiotics finally cleared it up. Then caught a cold middle of march that took a couple of weeks to clear. It was after this that I found a lump when rubbing my neck as it was feeling sore.

Went to the doctors, he felt it, said it was a lymph node and not to worry unless it grows bigger in a month. It possibly has, but that could be because I constantly touch it. Then yesterday I found another lump above it, tucked up under my jaw. Also looking in my mouth, one tonsil is bigger than the other (could have always been like this, who knows!) and has a yellow line on it. Again right side. Slight ear ache in right ear. And neck ache. No fever or feeling unwell currently.
Now I know everyone will say I've been poorly so it's my nodes doing their job and take a while to settle,but my fear is that what if these lumps have been there a long time (I never touched my neck before) and it's just coincidence that I've noticed them now.
I've booked another doctors appt for 1st may, firstly to address the anxiety issue I have, but also to check the lumps. Do I insist on a referral for piece of mind? I can't see how I'll be able to move on otherwise.
Going on holiday tomorrow and cannot get excited at all with this looming over me.

[BlueIris]

You'll find lots of people on here with tons more lymph node experience than I have. However, from what I've read on here, lymph nodes can take forever to go down after an infection, especially if you keep on prodding at them.

You're doing the right thing to try and tackle your anxiety - I'd bet money on this not being anything serious.

[Lajaca]

Hi
I get a lump in the right side of my neck at certain time of the month. Freaked me out at first then disappeared after couple days. It’s a regular occurrence for me last few months so mine is hormonal.
If requesting a referral makes you feel better do what you have too. But I’d imagine the doctor will check and give you all the reassurance you need

[Fishmanpa]

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

We have 500-700 nodes in our bodies. At any given time, if you poke and prod enough, you can feel some. You're correct in what I will say. As a survivor of Head and Neck cancer, I know nodes. Nothing you've said raises a red flag except your anxiety over your nodes.

Positive thoughts

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

[Qwerty1985]

Thanks for the replies.
I know logically it's all down the infections I've had recently. The thing that nags in my mind is, despite my anxiety, poking and proding my neck is not something I'd ever done before, so I assume the lymphs are raised due to illness, but they could have been raised way before then for all I know.
Weird thing I was plagued with bacterial tonsillitis all through my childhood and into my mid twenties, never worried about anything back then though!

And when I have my logical brain on, the sweating at night that I've had all winter is probably down to the new foam mattress we've now got....

[DenisD]

I am also a mum of a 9 months old baby girl and it’s been a year since I struggle with the fear of lymphoma and leaving my baby alone. Looks like this is the most common fear among moms and the trigger of our anxiety.

It’s been 6 months already since I found 2 lymph nodes in the posterior cervical region, around 1cm each, both left and right hand side. I prodded so much that I even found my axillary and supraclavicular ones. Had them checked out several times by different docs, all said they’re fine.

Of course, my anxiety was telling me that they are missing something and by the time I will get properly diagnosed, it would be already too late.

So I am pretty sure you are fine. Your body just did its job and cleared all the nasty things caused by infection. Enjoy your children!

[Qwerty1985]

Now got a third lump which is bigger than than the other 2! All very close together on one side of my neck. Getting very worried again......

[Js2019]

Google "shotty" lymph nodes. You will find that yours match the description perfectly. A common cold/infection, also poking the nodes, can cause them to almost calcify and become shotty. This is completely normal and harmless.
Relax for your children

[Qwerty1985]

A while bunch of lumps hav come up now, all in the same area on one side of my neck. The infection I had was over 2 months ago, leaving just one swollen node as far as I'm aware (I've done so much poking and proding there is no way I would have missed the others). Just seems strange for so many to pop up now. And to me, they feel hard, one is more squishy I guess, but the rest are hard, one buried deep in the neck muscle, is this normal?