Worried about lymphoma

[BlueIris]

I'm sorry, that must be incredibly tough for you - I have no idea how I'd cope. Wishing you all the very best - got a quiet week coming up so feel free to drop me a line any time you feel like talking.

[O_O]

I'm sorry, that must be incredibly tough for you - I have no idea how I'd cope. Wishing you all the very best - got a quiet week coming up so feel free to drop me a line any time you feel like talking.

Thank you. I'm ok. Back at work now. In a way I feel like everything that happened a couple of years ago has prepared me for this a bit. So I think at the moment I'm coping a bit better than I would otherwise have done.

[NancyW]

Not knowing and waiting is excruciating.

I am sorry you're going through this.

What happens now? Do you call the ENT? Do they call you? This whole waiting thing is crap.

[glassgirlw]

I will say a prayer for you that nothing of importance is found and the nodes return to normal. Try to stay strong, I know it’s hard waiting!

[O_O]

Thanks guys. I feel ok at the moment, but that may change of course. Right now I feel ready to just face everything and take it as it comes. The absolute best thing will be if I stay in this mindset!

I'll get a letter in a couple of days and then I'll be able to ring ENT and book an urgent appointment. It's terribly old fashioned how we do things here in the UK. Hopeful to see the day that everything is digitalised!

[Dying_Swan]

I'm sorry to read this and I'm sure it's a worrying time for you. I had a couple of dodgy lymph nodes years ago which caused some concern. In the end I saw a radiologist from the head & neck cancer team who specialised in neck lumps, and he was immediately able to put my mind at rest from their appearance on ultrasound (first radiologist said they were "suspicious"). They went down after a while, though I do understand how stressful it is. I think it's almost impossible to measure them accurately yourself. It's also really important to bear in mind that the 2 week referral doesn't automatically mean it's cancer, just that you've met the criteria for a specialist to have a look more quickly. Wishing you the very best, and I hope you won't have to wait long x

[O_O]

I'm sorry to read this and I'm sure it's a worrying time for you. I had a couple of dodgy lymph nodes years ago which caused some concern. In the end I saw a radiologist from the head & neck cancer team who specialised in neck lumps, and he was immediately able to put my mind at rest from their appearance on ultrasound (first radiologist said they were "suspicious"). They went down after a while, though I do understand how stressful it is. I think it's almost impossible to measure them accurately yourself. It's also really important to bear in mind that the 2 week referral doesn't automatically mean it's cancer, just that you've met the criteria for a specialist to have a look more quickly. Wishing you the very best, and I hope you won't have to wait long x

Thanks 🙂 glad yours were ok. I'm keeping open minded at the moment and not really prognosticating either way. Whatever the outcome I'm just going to try to be chill and take it as it comes.

[O_O]

My appointment at the hospital is on 10th March. Seems they take "2 week wait" very literally 🤦🏻*♀️

I'd rather go sooner so I'm going to try ringing and see if they've any earlier slots.

I still feel weirdly ok (not amazing, obviously, but then I've not felt amazing for about 3 years). My main concern still is for my parents. I'm also having a lot of trouble eating, which is what happens to me when something big happens. Still, I'm doing my best. In all other respects my life is continuing as normal, although I've been feeling a bit 'quiet' - I don't really want to see or talk to anyone apart from my mum.

The lump on the side of my neck hasn't seemed to have got any bigger over the last few days. It still doesn't hurt, but the area feels a bit achey. The submandibular node I can't really measure but in my mind at any rate it's getting bigger. It's slightly more tender than the other one, and if I roll my head back it hurts a little as if it's being stretched.

Jaw in general feels a little tight.

No fever, no sweating, no rash yet. But of course that doesn't really mean anything. I've had some itching... or, rather, a sort of skin sensitivity and prickling feeling. No insane itching yet. Again, I know that doesn't mean anything though.

Anyway, I'm just plodding along for now.

[pulisa]

Plodding along is the very best thing you can do but it's very hard when you're waiting..Please don't google-it won't help one iota. The consultant you see will know what's going on..Dr Google won't.

I think you are approaching this in a very sensible way.

[O_O]

Plodding along is the very best thing you can do but it's very hard when you're waiting..Please don't google-it won't help one iota. The consultant you see will know what's going on..Dr Google won't.

I think you are approaching this in a very sensible way.

I'm actually not really googling that much! It's not as if I'm having to restrain myself either, I'm just not really feeling the temptation. Obviously I've checked a few things - symptoms, prognosis, treatment, etc - but I know that only a scan/biopsy can diagnose me, not Google.

Until I get a snazzy ultrasound probe / fine needle aspirator accessory for my phone of course 🙂