Swollen gland... for 6 months?!
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| Thu, 10-13-2005 - 12:30pm |
Hi there- I just wondered if any of you have something like this happen to you or someone you know & could make a suggestion. Or- could someone point me in the right direction?
The problem is this. I've had a swollen gland in my throat for 6 months now. It began when I got the worst case of the flu I've ever had. All the gross parts of the flu were with me for about two weeks, and overwhelming exhaustion lasted another two weeks past that. I simply lay in bed for a month. It was awful! That was last April. I noticed I had a swollen gland that didn't recede after I'd recovered, so I went back to the walk-in clinic (no health ins). I wasn't going to, but on my mother's advise, "DON'T COME NEAR ME, YOU HAVE STREP THROAT!!" I probably exceeded the speed limit just a tad getting there. They tested me & said I did NOT have strep throat, but gave me antibiotics to take ONLY if I had lots of pain in my throat. Since that wasn't the case, I STILL have the antibiotics.
A few months later I had reason to see another doctor about a completely different issue, and while I was there I told him of my throat woes & asked if I should keep NOT taking the medicine since it had been about 3-4 months since the swollen gland showed up & was still there. He said, "Yes, keep NOT taking the medicine, you'll be fine."
Now, I think I'm getting to understand how people in this day & age can easily become hypochondriacs. I just chose "Swollen Glands" in the "symptom finder". It asked, "Have you had swollen glands for more than two months?" I clicked "Yes", and the next line that popped up was, "Call your doctor now. You may have an immune system disorder or cancer."
I DO have a bizarre amount of health issues, (been tested for AIDS a few times- not worried about that) but couldn't this just be a weird, lingering flu-issue? Would taking the antibiotics help it go away? I actually forgot all about it- I got use to the annoying feeling when I swallowed. But Mom (again- thanks Mom!) asked me if it had finally gone away & to my shock, when I looked in the mirror- NO! How worried should I be, if at all? I mean, I guess I should go to the Dr, but I just thought I'd ask around first. (The 2nd doctor seemed so completely unphased by it I didn't worry.)
Lastly, may I share a little gripe my husband and I have about my health? I know this is probably completely illogical, but we wonder if there isn't anything to it. When I was 2 yrs old, I had chicken pox. I had the whole shebang. I was COVERED. When I was 31... I HAD THEM AGAIN!!! It was awful. I swear I have never been closer to death than that month. (Another month in bed. Seriously? The creature from the "Alien" was more attractive than I was that month. I stopped looking in the mirror because it made me cry.) The problem is that ever since that 2nd time, I am NOW allergic to things I wasn't before. I NOW can't eat walnuts or pistachios. I am NOW allergic to some laundry detergents. I am NOW more prone to colds. I am NOW even more intolerant of dust or mold. I NOW have rosacea, when I didn't before. My grandmother had it too, but I didn't show any signs of it until after I had chicken pox at 31. And now I have a gland that just sits there in my throat like an unused pinata? Could the chicken pox have just wrecked havoc on my immune system? I'm sure I'm leaving some things out- I can't remember the last time I felt allergy and pain free for a whole day. (I've had chronic headaches & back-pain, and- God forbid- constipation for about 13 years now.) I'm sorry if I'm over-sharing. I just feel I've HAD it with this body I was given. Why are there no returns or exchanges??? I'm only 35!
Anyone have ANY thoughts?? I'm sorry this was so long. I was going to say, "So- anyone have swollen glands for more than two months, and if so- what happened?" but then my annoyances got the best of me.
THANKS for your time!!!
Miss Vee

Greetings and Welcome Miss Vee,
The part about your not having health insurance worries me because you may
Sorry about all this! Hopefully you will find a answer soon. I would recommend that you keep going to docs until one does something about it. From what you have said, it sounds like all this may be sympthoms to something else. IMHO, if I were you, however, I would actually head right to a DO (see below) or at the least a accupunturist. It seems to me that they will be able to help better. Find the core of the problem. I totally understand about not having insurance. I am in that same situation. Often, though, either a DO or a accupunturist will have a sliding scale or be able to offer some kind of assistance. Good luck, Laura
DOs are complete physicians who, along with MDs, are licensed to prescribe medication and perform surgery in all 50 states. But DOs bring something extra to the practice of medicine. Osteopathic physicians practice a "whole person" approach to medicine, treating the entire person rather that just the symptoms. With a focus on preventive health care, DOs help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don't just fight illness, but help prevent it, too.