Lymph Node Question

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2004
Lymph Node Question
15
Wed, 11-15-2006 - 12:17pm

Hi All - I am in one of my anxious/worry modes and need to ask this. I woke up on Fri Oct 20 with a killer sore throat and felt bad all over in terms of muscle aches and just overall yuck. As the day went on, I felt worse and worse. It hit pretty sudden. I had tickets to a hockey game and had to visit someone in the hospital so I had to deal with it which probably made it worse. My ears, esp the right side, hurt and it hurt to swallow quite a bit. I was sitting at dinner rubbing my achy neck and felt a bump like thing on the right side. I freaked. I messed with it too much too trying to feel how big it was and was an emotional wreck over it. I felt bad all weekend and did not really take it easy like I should have because resting lets my mind get worse with worry. Monday I saw doc and she felt it and right away said it was swollen lymph node and looked in ears and said ear was infected and throat was inflammed. She put me on antibiotics for 10 days so I started those on Monday the 23rd. Finished them like Nov 1. During that time and even a few days after like say through about Nov 6 or 7 I still would have some sore throat pain. Then it seemed to go away. All the while the swollen node felt about the same to me. It never hurt at all to the touch even from day 1. It is not huge and may even be smaller than it was, but is not gone. Now I am worrying. I read stuff online, which I know I should not do. All I can think of is cancer - any of you that know me know that is my big fear medically thanks to a grandma that raised me and talked about it all the time. I cannot see therapist until Nov 29. I just want to know if any of you have had this happen? I keep saying to myself that maybe this node is just taking a while to go away but I can't seem to convince myself. It is on the right side of my neck like straight down from my ear. It is kind of on a muscle it seems. You can barely see it if you look straight at me. If I feel it, it feels rubbery. I can't really pinch it, I can pinch the skin above it but it is in too deep for me to be able to really get a feel for its shape. Grrrrr.......this is so stupid.

Kim

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2003
Wed, 11-15-2006 - 12:24pm

Yes, Kim, I have had the exact same thing happen and reacted the exact same way as you!

Jennifer

"Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evi

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2004
Wed, 11-15-2006 - 2:10pm
Thanks so much for writing. That is good to know. I am trying not to freak. I was a mess the day I saw it. Then when the doc said what it was, I was ok for a while. Now I am on the wrong path again. Did yours go away totally?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Wed, 11-15-2006 - 2:51pm

(((Kim))) I am sorry to hear this. I know how distressing it can be when we are not only sick, but have a swollen node that we can see & feel. We're easy targets for the doubts & *what if* thinking to set in. Please avoid the websites. For me, they only lead to more trouble):


ITA with Jennifer. Lymph node swelling takes time to go away. The fact that you improved with the antibiotic is a good sign. Tell yourself often that serious problems don't go away with antibiotics. You need all the reassurance & positive thinking you can muster.


Are you still working out? How's that going? It's always good to hear from you. I wish you the best. Please keep in touch. jan


 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2003
Wed, 11-15-2006 - 3:08pm
You know, it's funny.

Jennifer

"Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evi

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-28-2003
Wed, 11-15-2006 - 3:12pm
Actually it really didn't.

Jennifer

"Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evi

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Wed, 11-15-2006 - 5:02pm

Yes, I get the swollen lymph nodes, too.

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2004
Thu, 11-16-2006 - 3:02pm

Thanks so much for writing. Yes, I am still working out. Playing hockey a lot too. Loving it. I am able to forget about all anxiety when I hit the ice. Too bad I cannot live on the rink :) Yeah, I hate when these things pop up like this. The what if's spiral out of control sometimes. I have got to avoid surfing about this stuff. It always does more bad than good.

Kim

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 11-16-2006 - 3:35pm

I can totally relate. I can trace the beginning of my anxiety to about 6 weeks ago when the lymph nodes under my arms swelled up. Who knows why - some weird virus. Of course I was all over the internet (it's the worst thing to do isn't it?) and was freaking out. Went to an urgent care and the doc had TERRIBLE bedside manner. He said was "Well with a woman your age with swollen lymph nodes under her arms the first thing that comes to mind is breast cancer." Jerk. I know he was trying to make sure I got to my regular doc if they didn't go down with antibiotics, but honestly it was the last thing I needed to hear. Like people with anxiety aren't at the doctor's office every other day anyway.

One thing led to another - the lymph nodes went down but then I got chest pains and so on and so on.

Let's make a pact not to surf the internet next time we're sick. Too much information, right?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2004
Thu, 11-16-2006 - 3:56pm

My husband says that is what I am doing! He felt it back when it was big and felt it now and says it is pretty much back to what it should be normally but I keep swearing I can still feel it raised some. Grrr...Ok, I am going to try harder to let this go. Thanks so much for writing with me. It really helps!

Kim

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-18-2006
Thu, 11-16-2006 - 4:02pm
Well your not stupid, i freak out over a headache, so it will be ok. I have had a bump under my ribs and i feel them all the time, I freaked out about it asked the doctor, even asked the ER docs and finally they told me how our muscles are made up of several different layers and there is a bumpy layer also. I used to freak really bad but i have finally stopped worrying about it. If the doc said it was a lymph node then you have to beleive it until other wise. Does cancer run in the family? stop feeling for it and stop thinking about it, i know its hard but you will be ok. wish you luck

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