Doctor Mistakenly Lanced a Lymph node Thinking it was a Boil... NOW WHAT???

[anxdesert]

Si I went to the dermatologist a week ago for what I thought was a boil in my groin area. The dumbass doctor lanced it, while he was doing it commented I'm not getting much out. The skin redness started going down but the lump was still there and hard. Went to the GP today and she basically said she thinks he lanced a lymph node and is sending me for an ultrasound of the lymph nodes in the area.

Asked her what can happen if it's a lymph node he cut into and not a boil and she basically said you should be fine but I don't think they are going to say anything else cause all the doctors protect each other. So not what???? I've had swollen lymph nodes in this area on and off for 10 years. IF the lymph node is cancerous and doctor dumbass sliced it that's probably big trouble right? Even if it's not cancerous am I now going to have trouble with this node forever? Will it heal? Panicking and this is one of my worst fears that the doctor F's up and in this case it looks like it happened.

Everyone was telling me I was crazy to think he would have mistaken a lymph node for a boil but according to GP it looks like that's what happened. I go for an ultrasound hopefully in the next week.

[anxdesert]

Totally freaking out over this!

[Fishmanpa]

I don't know what to tell you. I can't imagine a derm being that incompetent. He got 'something' out of it so it most certainly could have been a boil with an underlying reactive node. The redness went away so that backs up my assumption. Have you contacted the dermatologist, brought this up and questioned him? Regardless, according to the GP, no harm was done and he's practicing CYA medicine.

Positive thoughts

[anxdesert]

At this point I really don't want anything to do with the dermatologist. I'm waiting for them to schedule my ultrasound, but panicking that if its cancer or something the dumbass derm just spread it everywhere. Also worried that the lump isn't gone and there could be lifelong damage. Worried that the GP doesn't want to rag to much on the dermatologist so isn't telling me how bad it could be till after ultrasound. This sucks can't stop thinking that this is the worse case scenario!

[WiredIncorrectly]

Slicing a node will not do you any damage. But surely you'd have felt the pain? I'm no expert but I'd image it would require more than a superficial cut to slice a node down there. I've had my right side nodes removed in my groin area.

As for the cancer if you've had nodes raised for a long time then this is a good sign. You wouldn't be alive if you was living with Cancer for 10 years. If it's any reassurance I have raised nodes down there all the time. It used to worry me because I've had Cancer, but I take no notice of them.

The worst case scenario thing is your brain playing tricks on you. You have no diagnoses of Cancer at this moment in time and the chances of you having Cancer is slim based on what you've said above. So flip the perspective. Instead of worry and fear, replace it with a smile and happiness. You literally have 3 choices here: think negative, think positive, or think nothing of it at all. Pick your sword

[jojo2316]

Whoooooops!

[anxdesert]

So I get what you're saying with the ten year thing, but what I'm seeing is that low-grade lymphomas can be there for 10 years without any real symptoms. In fact, when I first went to a doctor 10 years ago about swollen lymph nodes in the area a
I ended up at a hematologist (think that's what they are called) who told me that no use to biopsy because if it was cancer it was a low-grade cancer that they don't treat until symptoms start showing up or even at all since its really not curable and you can go for quite awhile before you become symptomatic. Well now with this latest swelling and the doctor mishap that 10 year thing is really starting to get to me and I'm really wondering if this was a low-grade lymphoma.

[RadioGaGa]

I agree with fishman - I can't even imagine a 2nd year medical student being that dumb or incompetent.

If cancer was in a node, then its already spreading. Lancing it wouldn't speed the process up or have any bearing on the progression..

Keep us posted - I'm curious to hear if he did in fact lance a lymph node.

Good luck

[RadioGaGa]

The more I think about this, the more shocked I am. If indeed he has lanced a lymph node, you may want to look at a negligence claim..

[Fishmanpa]

The more I think about this, the more shocked I am. If indeed he has lanced a lymph node, you may want to look at a negligence claim..

That's my point as well. And how could you slice that deep to hit a node without actually having to be in the OR? There are people here that have had groin node biopsies and that's a surgical procedure as you have to go through the abdominal muscle wall to reach it. And a GP to make that statement? I think the dragon is having a good laugh at the OP's expense verified by the fact he won't call the derm back. If it were me and something that incompetent happened, I would be on the phone to them as well as a lawyer.

Positive thoughts