Hi
ive been ill for two months now starting with extreme dizziness, chest/back pain, fatigue etc. Brain ct/mri neg bloods (CBC, ESR, CRP etc) negative at start of illness; doctors conclusion anxiety!?!! I noticed my glands up on one side of my neck but figured that was normal as i was ill.

I was not happy that the doctor diagnosed anxiety and the dizziness persisted so he did an ENT referral for the dizziness. I have the appointment in two weeks but last week felt my neck and one of the enlarged glands has grown to double the size! I am aware what they describe as normal/abnormal feel of nodes but mine is questionable. It is not 'stony' hard but certainly firm, perhaps 'rubbery', not sure if particularly moveable feels about 2cm. Not painful, no ear infection or sore throat.

The last four days i have had a numb chin and bottom half of face, like i have had a local anaesthetic at dentist, still dizziness, fatigue, generally unwell. Went to doctor today in case they wanted to repeat blood test or maybe scan the neck prior to ENT appt (also as the referral was for dizziness not the nodes), crabby old fart of a doctor who said 'yes you do have a thickness there, oh i see you have a spot or two and some acne scarring on your chin i will prescribe some antbiotics, but its probably to do with your acne'!!

I have had bad skin for 12 years(also now is best it has ever been so not nice of him to comment that i had one spot on my chin!) but have never had enlarging lymph nodes. He said wait and see the ENT! I am very worried now i have been poorly for a while and everyone saying it is in my head. I know anxiety can cause a lot of symptoms but come on i must be bloody good if i can make my lymph node swell! And take antibiotics? with no sign of infection?! not sure on this.

Anyway sorry so long, appreciate any words of advice or support, have read through a lot of the threads you seem a great bunch of people.:)

xx

Hi,

As a fellow sufferer of anxiety i can understand what you are going though. Anxiety and (usually underlying) depression can manifest itself in countless ways, light headedness and dizziness are common, and believe it or not, lymph node swellings can be depression related.

I can't say what it is you have, if its not anxiety related as am no expert but i can say that you need to try and relax. Don't get too worried until you've seen the ENT specialist, worrying will just make your anxiety worse. Jumping to conclusions of Lymphoma will unnecessarily make you anxious.

People will say these things are in your head, I get it all the time. I just ignore them, they're not being nasty, they are concerned but just can't relate to an anxiety problem. I don't think I could truly empathise with an anxiety problem until i started experiencing GAD. Take a step back and a deep breath and try to keep calm until you see Mr ENT. Be realistic at all times, lymphoma if thats what it is (which is very very unlikely as you don't have any "classic" symptoms) is a very cureable disease, we're living in the best time to get treated for cancer in human history and its getting better every day. But like i say thats a very very unlikely possibility.

Don't beat yourself up over something you cannot possibly diagnose on your own on the internet.
Good Luck.

Stacy,
it's normal to be nervous when a person finds a swollen lymph node.
and lymphoma's don't always have symtoms. people who DO have symtoms are called B symptoms. hodgkins lymphoma's usually have symtoms, but the 30 other different types of non hodgkin lymphoma's can be symptom free.
I've met so many people on line with lymphoma's and ALOT of them did not have any symptoms and all of their blood work were normal too.
you can not rely on blood work to detect lymphoma's.
Only a biopsy can know for sure.

stress and anxiety can make a person feel that they have a terminal illness,.
people with GAD which stands for general anxiety disorder is a physical illness and not just a mental health problem.
it causes really problems in the body and can make a person sick.
they feel more pain than others and are more sensitive to stimuli than others, there fore they feel more aches and pains and because the mind is constantly worrying about things, which can raise the blood pressure and put the body in a constant fight or flight response, where the adrenaline is always running on high, can really injure the body's system.

it's hard not to be offended when you go to multiple drs' who can't find anything wrong and yet the person who's sick know's they're sick and the dr's don't have a diagnosis that jumps right out at them, so they label it "stress".

you hire the dr's, so if you feel they're not helping you and if they're just making you feel like you're a hypochondriac because you're a woman, by all means find a new doctor.
you hire the doctor, they don't hire us. we pay for their services so have all the right to find another dr who will listen to us and not make us feel like we're crazy.
it's your body and you know you're body best. you are your best advocate and no one else is.
there's been so many mis diagnoses because doctors tell patients, "oh it's nothing' don't worry, or "its' just a cyst" or "lymphoma's are very rare.
lymphoma's are not rare like they used to be and there is an increase double fold in this country. for non hodgkins lymphoma's. there's less hodgkins.
they dont' know exactly why there's such an increase either.
they're doing studies on it and have learned alot in such a short amount of time.

also, the protocol, the first step after they find a lump is first send the patient to an ENT, depending on where the lump is, and then the next thing they do is put the person on an antibiotic to see if there's an infection going on. They also do a cat scan or MRI and THEN if the lump has not gone down after the antibiotic treatment, then they consider doing a biopsy.

malignant nodes don't have to be huge to be malignant. any node over 1cm size can be. dr's become concerned over lymphnode size when they're over 1cm.
normally scans aren't able to detect 1cm size lymphnodes, so if they're detectable on the scan, then usually they're larger than 1cm.

also, very thin people can feel their nodes better than others. you can feel them mostly in the neck, the underarms and groin.
it's common in thin people to feel them there.

I wish you the best outcome and understand how horrible you're feeling. I too am feeling sick and have for quite sometime. and I too have GAD like the other person. I've been on medication for it now for 3 years and it's not true that depression can cause your nodes to swell. I've never ever heard that or read that anywhere.
you should be careful though what you read on the internet because it can scare the living day lights out of you.
it will only make you feel worst. so try not to read too much about lymphoma's until you're diagnosed with it.

I do it too, so I know.;)

best wishes,

Linda

Thank you both very much for your replies, it is reassuring to hear from fellow anxiety sufferers. I admit that i responded to being ill by surfing the net and thinking i had everything under the sun, perhaps it was me willing myself to find something. But the node is definately there but i will certainly take the antibiotic and wait to see the ENT.

Oh and try not to worry in the meantime! :)

It is hard especially with friends and family thinking it is all in your head but i guess it is a hard thing for others to understand. If there is nothing pathologically wrong i think i will get help for the anxiety.

I really appreciate your responses

Stacey,
I finally went to an ENT the day before yesterday and they got the authorization immediately for me to get a CT scan performed. usually it takes the insurance companies so long to give approval to the dr's office.
I did tell them my insurance is running out at the end of this month which helped push this fast.
I wound up having the CT scan the next day which was yesterday.
they did it WITH contrast and WITHOUT contrast.
I told the ENT that this lump is huge on certain days and other days less swollen but still palpable. he agreed that this can happen.
he numbed my throat and nose and put a lighted tube down it. only on the left side though. he didn't go all the way down on the right side where the lump is.

he said he definetely feels a mass, (duh!) that's what I went there for.

It just so happened the time I went to him was at a time the node wasn't in it's huge state, so I was alittle worried he might have thought I was being a "pain in the neck woman who over reacts about the slightest things"
I say this mockingly because we both know that's the way we've been treated in the course of our illnesses.

I almost felt like he was summing me up at times trying to see what type of person I am and whether he should take my worries seriously or not.
I didn't care for him very much. He was not warm in his greeting, nor during our session. I hope his expertise is better than his personality is.
but then again, I"m not there to socialize, but I'm there for buisness. right?

anyway, the test is over and I go back to see him tomorrow for the results.
he said if it winds up being a lymphoma that it won't be enough time to get all the testing done by the end of the month.
at least we got the intial step over with and whether to see if it requires a biopsy or not.
I'd feel alot better getting a biopsy and I told him also that I do NOT want a needle biopsy, but an excisional. I may not even need it, who knows?

I also had an apptn right after the CT scan to see a rheumatologist to see me for some problems I'm having and I finally got an answer to the pain I've been suffering for 3 yrs. I have fibromyalgia ontop of having my arthritis and osteo. so the pain is real and is NOT just in my head like most people treated patients who had an undiagnosed fibromyalgia.
it's a chronic condition and is very painful. they can't cure it and they don't know what causes it. the good thing is they have finally agreed that it's NOT in the persons head and it is a very real thing.
I FINALLY am going to feel good again stacey and I can't tell you how happy I am to know I'm going to feel good and be able to do things I used to do before without suffering pain anymore.
I'm beginning to think now maybe my lymph node is swollen due to the fibromyalgia and i forgot to ask the rheumy dr if this can be associated with it?

so things are looking up for me and I"m getting ready to go for a job interview today, which hopefully I"m hired and hopefully now I can keep a job and not miss so much work due to my health not being well, because now they can treat it.

to have anxiety is normal by the way. do you know how many people suffer with anxiety this day and age? it's a wonder we all don't have it to some degree. all the expectations that are demanded of us in our jobs, at home, and by others is enough to make our blood pressure soar.

so hand in there sweety and I can't wait till you finally get to see the ENT.
I forgot. do you already have a date set up to one?


Linda

Hi Linda

Thats great news you will finally have some answer tomorrow, please post when you get it.

Sorry to hear all that you are having to deal with regarding fibromyalgia etc it must be horrible. I think a lot of the time these things cause anxiety, especially when going undiagnosed and unfortunately this is then all that the doctor will focus on, thats what i am finding anyway.

I feel a bit better today, my step grandmother (86 years old!) has just been diagnosed with low grade NHL and due to start chemo, luckily she is a fit 86 year old so they are gonna give chemo a go. Kind of put things in perspective for me, if she can deal with all that i really should not be sitting here worrying 'what if' i will deal with it IF and when it comes.

Glad to hear you are feeling positive, great news about the interview really good luck to you. Im currently not working and feel it may be a viscous circle; am worried about going to work with this awful dizziness i am scared i will have attacks but i think sitting at home all day is contributing to me feeling like this so i need to get myself together.

Regarding the swollen lymph nodes caused by fibro (had been looking at this due to pins and needles and arms literally falling asleep which is quite scary), it seems that can be associated with long term viral illness, CFS etc which i know can result in glands constantly being up so that is a possibility. Anxiety also a symtom.

Yes i have ENT appointment nov 6th, also have 24 hour ecg booked due to palpitations and chest pain (classic anxiety i guess, bizarre how it happens at the moments i am feeling more positive about things just to bring me back down!)

Good luck for tomorrow, here's to hopefully some good news and an avoidance of a biopsy! Please let me know. I am sending out hope and positive thoughts to you :)

thanks Stacey for your reply.
and thank you for your kind wishes regarding my results.
I'll let you know what the results are on Friday morning. I always get on the computer in the mornings.

I am so sorry to hear about your grandmothers diagnosis of lymphoma.
I wish her the best outcome and that she's able to handle the treatments well.
I'm sure you'll be a great support to her.
she sounds strong which is good.

when are you starting the antibiotic?
I'm assuming they've given you this later date to get into the ENT because you have to see if the medicine works first?

you read that numbness in arms and extemities at night can be caused by swollen lymph nodes?
because that's what's been happening to me the past year. it's horrible.
I can't lay in bed watching t.v. with my arms laying on my lap or anywhere above my heart level. the hands and arms go numb and I have to constantly shake them. even my skull gets numb by laying my head on my boyfriends chest while snuggling in bed watching a movie.
It wakes me up constantly at night and I have to move to change my position. my arms do what they want when I'm sleeping and I have no control over them.
also I was told it's common to not be able to sleep well with fibro. I've been waking up with severe lower back pain so bad that I can't even roll over onto my side. It feels as if my back is going to snap. that's another thing I can't help when sleeping. I roll onto my back which is what causes the extreme pain. then if I stay on my side too long, my hips get so painful right thru to the bone. I wanted an answer as to why I was suffering like this. It simply couldn't be normal for someone my age. THIS I KNOW IS NOT IN MY HEAD.
it's all over my body. LOL

I feel like I'm literally in my 80's and not the age of 47.
I am falling apart.

thank God for boards like this where I can come to and get the much needed support you've been giving me.
thank you again for listening to my aches and pains and worries.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from you as we both go along in our journeys to getting help and our health back.

till then,

Linda

Hi Linda

No you are right it is not all in your head, you know your own body right but it is so hard when the medics have that attitude. That is exactly what happens with my arms and legs, although last two days has not happened which is good. Very scary though. Fortunately i do not have the bad pain like you that must be awful, i have sharp pains in my head only.

No i didn't read numbness can be caused by swollen lymph, i read that fibromyalgia is common with chronic fatigue syndrome and swollen lymph nodes are seen in patients with that. Not saying that you have it but anxiety, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, swollen lymph nodes are all present with that. Or if you have arthritis it is possible you have other autoimmune things going on but maybe you have already looked into that.

Started the antibiotics already. I had the ENT appt booked already due to the dizziness, only went to the doc about swollen lymph couple days ago realising it had got bigger. Fortunately i had the consultant referral already otherwise would probably be a few more months.

Anyway look forward to hearing GOOD news from your CT (positive thinking!)
Take care

Yes Stacey,
I did bring up the possibility of my arthritis being an autoimmune one, like rheumatoid arthritis rather than osteoarthritis. I don't know how the dr's are able to distinguish on an x-ray what type of arthritis it is.
I do know with rheumy that blood work and physcial signs can show the dr it's rheumy. but the rheumatologist said he didnt' think it's that.
I asked him if I could have an MRI performed and he says it can't do anything to treat the arthritis. I wanted the MRI because the progress of the pain and the spreading of it is becoming worst in such a short period of time that I thought maybe it's another form of arthritis or a specific type of bone disease, being it runs in my family, but he said that osteoarthritis can definetly progress at a high rate. I didn't know that.

I feel no one is doing anything to find out the extent of damage that is happened since the xray that was performed over a year ago.

thanks for listening to my gripes. I feel better now.

I'll talk to you tomorrow morning or later on if I have time to get back on the computer. we're packing up the truck today to move tomorrow. it will be a few days before we're really settled in. I have so much work to do once we're there. you know, putting a womans touch into our place.
at least i"m not working just yet so i have the time to do what's needed to get settled.

such a stressfull few past weeks. time to do some tai chi.

later,

Linda

Hey Linda

Read the result of your CT scan on the other post, that is excellent news, really really glad for you. And i really hope that has taken a huge weight off your mind:D

Your moving house today as well (or moved as you are quite a few hours ahead of us i think) so i am glad you had that good news to allow you to focus on moving. What a great time for a new start. It is difficult with all the pain that you are in with the arthritis and fibro but keep staying strong and seeking answers, after all its your body and you have to look after you.

Hope the move went well, yes you will definately be busy putting 'a womans touch' and making your home.

Once again fab news
Stacey

thought i would update as i know when seeking information on here it is good to see what the outcome is for fellow worriers.

finally saw the ENT doctor this morning and was prepared to be told it is nothing, watch and wait more antibiotics etc; was gearing up to fight my corner! he felt the swelling and said 'have you had any imaging?' i said 'no i hadn't'. he said it could be the salivary gland or lypmh node and said i will send you for an ultraound. he then said if it is they can 'put a fine needle in and take some cells'. i think he thought i would have no idea about biopsy etc! saw him write the request form and he wrote something about 'will need FNA' (fine needle aspiration) and underlined it twice!

so i will get the testing that i wanted and need however now i am scared because in the back of my head i expected him to say it was nothing! i hope now the wait is not too long :confused:

Hey Stacey,
I didn't realize you're in England. wow! you are far away from me.
but close in heart. I am praying for you that everything turns out negative, and that you get a supportive answer on what the possibility is that is causing your swelling.
what are the next steps for you?
do YOU have to make the apptn at the imaging center? do you go to the radiology dept of your local hospital?
I'm NOT going to tell you not to worry, because you're going to anyway.
it would be nonsense to tell someone not to worry when you know darn well the person is going to be very nervous till they get an answer.

hang in there sweets. you'll do just fine. the more anxious you become, the slower time will go by and that's not what you want.
please let us know when you have your apptn. set up for the imaging test and the FNA.
did i mention to you that the FNA might not always pick up any bad cells?
they should take a couple samples and not just one?

This way, IF and I say IF, there are bad cells, they won't miss them.

can you perhaps speak with your ENT and suggest they take out a sample surgically rather than fine needle?
I say this because I've seen people still worry after having the FNA that maybe they missed something if the person is told it's negative and yet they're still suffering symtoms? It's always in the back of their mind whether the test was 100% accurate or not.
then again, maybe I should just shut up and not cause problems for you. it's great! that you finally got the dr to listen to your concerns and that someone is finally going to biopsy it.
sorry if I'm discouraging. I don't meant to be. I just want to make sure you get the proper treatment.

ps- by the way, did I ever tell you that after I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and the dr. told me to come back for a follow up to see how I was feeling?
I went back and told him I was still feeling horrible and worst than ever and he asked me if anyone ever tested my vitamin D levels?
you can get very sick with vitamin D deficiency. especially bone pain like I've been suffering at night. the muscle weakness in my legs and arms, the numbness in my hands and arms, the loss of smell and multiple other bothering symptoms.
he told me my level was very low and that I need to take supplements of it.
I already am beginning to feel so much better pain wise and energy wise within days of taking it and still can't believe just a simple deficiency can cause death if left untreated at low levels.
I never believed in taking vitamins all my life till now. I was a skeptic.

well, just thought I'd share this miracle story with you. it was a real medical mystery and I'm so relieved I can get back my old self again. NOW i just have to find a new job.
I'll be thinking of you stacey.
sincerely,

linda in New York

Hi Linda

Great to hear from you and great to hear that you are doing well! Oh yes never underestimate vitamin or mineral deficiencies; can cause a whole load of symptoms and make you feel very unwell. I started taking a multivitamin when i first got ill as many symptoms seen with magnesium or b12 deficiency ect.

Im feeling bit more rough last few days, bad chest pain. I had that 10 years ago with post viral they said costochondritis (i believe this is common with fibro too) the cartilage in my chest inflames and really sharp pains-very scary.

Yeah mixed views about today, glad he's gonna do test. Think i will stick to the FNA for now as they only gonna do it if indeed a lymph node; it must be though because i have at least three up on that side. I have read it is about 90% accurate, i will see what that brings up and go from there. They are gonna contact me regarding the appointment which will be at my local hospital.

Im having all this stuff thrown up now through my persistence that i am unwell. I have cysts on my ovaries and now they think IBS but want me to have tube down throat and tube up the other end with biopsy! Im glad they are testing but its scary.

Anyway i will keep you posted with any news, really good to hear from you and so so glad that you are beginning to feel better

stacey

Stacey,
did you get the apptn set up yet?
you also have chronic ovarian cysts? thats' the reason I would up having to have the total hysterectomy I had back in Oct.2005.
I was very ill due to gynocolgoical problems. I lost so much weight unintentionally and my family was very worried. the dr was too.
I am slowly gaining some weight back but still dont' gain like I should be considering the amounts and the high caloric foods I eat.
believe me, I count myself lucky I can eat what I want and not have to worry about it. but when I went down to 100 lbs. that was real cause for concern.
the thing is, the cyst was not malignant thank God. so why on earth did it make me so sick and lose all that weight and cause so much gastro problems?
I think it's related you know?
the ovarian and gastro symptoms.
it's so close to each other inside and sometimes woman are misdiagnosed for gastro problems and really it's gyno related and vice versa too.
when i had that cyst, while I was working, I'd break out in this very strange heat attack. it would feel like a furnace and I'd wind up being soaking wet on my face. as if it was menopausal symptoms, but my gyno dr said my hormone levels were normal and not below.
it effected the entire system and made it go whacky.
so you never really can tell what the cyst is going to cause symptom wise.
until it's removed.

are you prone to ovarian cysts?
may I ask how old you are and if you've had any children yet?
I don't recall from your prior posts. please forgive my mental fog and forgetfullness if I've already asked you in the past.

I hope you have a date set up by now. I didn't open my mail yesterday to see you had posted a reply to me. not till today.

please keep us updated.

I'm glad you're finally getting the help you've so badly needed.

Linda

Hi Linda

No appointment through as yet, suprise suprise-i really hope its not too far away.

I don't mind you asking at all and don't worry no fog this time, you haven't asked before;). I am 28 and no children yet, i have had a couple of miscarriages. Over here in england we don't have gynae check ups unless pregnant or something wrong, only a smear every 3 years with a nurse. I payed to have an ultrasound after my second miscarriage because they wont look into 'potential problems' until after three miscarriages! I wanted to know if anthing was physically out of place so to speak and had always had a hunch i had polycystic ovaries due to acne that only the oral contraceptive pill contolled; so thought my hormones must be out of whack!

I had severe hot flushes few months back when i first felt ill, really scary so perhaps that had something to do with it-i know cysts on ovaries can cause lots of weird symptoms. Yes gynae probs and GI probs interlinked i think-i had kind of diagnosed the IBS myself also but glad am seeing GI now to get things checked.

Doctor wasn't very helpful when i showed him the ultrasound result, he said 'oh well your not obese and most women with pcos are and you can obviuosly get pregnant and as the main problem with it is infertility i wouldn't worry'! He is mid sixties and probably did 6 month gynae rotation in 1967!! It is well known that it can increase risk of miscarriage because the hormones to sustain pregnancy are too low at times. So i went back to a different GP and he is going to do necessary hormone level checks etc. No wonder they think im a hyperchondriac having to make so many appointments, but if they just didi a thorough job in the first place it would benefit all involved.

Anyway thats my rant. Cant wait for the ultrasound/biopsy appt now get things sorted. Hope you ok, are you still feeling better? I hope so.

Sending good wishes to you

Stacey

Neighbor kid had swollen lymph gland in neck and Doc said usually that signals an infection in the mouth.Sure enough he had an infected tooth due to a cavity.

Yes, that's true. A person can have a tooth problem going on and wind up having a swollen lymph node in the neck due to it.
lymph nodes swell due to many reasons but have to be investigated for a malignancy if it doesnt go away after being put on antibiotics.

I"m so sorry to hear that in England you don't have yearly pap tests Stacey.
how horrible that can be! you can have a serious problem going on and have it go undetected till the next 3 yr ck up?
gosh, I never knew they run things there like that.
the medical system is so different.
they have no right to blame anyone for being a hypochondriac there because of the way the doctors treat you there.
you have a reason to go to different doctors. if one is inadequate, you have to find one that really cares and really takes the time to listen to the patient.
my goodness.

I agree with you about the hormone levels and not being able to get pregnant.
our ovaries are so important to have them perfectly balanced in order to concieve.
get a new dr stacey. if you can that is.

It took me four months of trying to conceive before I got pregnant with my first child. I thought I was barren. I thought getting pregnant was so easy, but now know that is not true. it takes that certain time of the month, and only when the follicle spits that egg out and the sperm has to be strong enough to reach that egg, considering the distance it has to go to reach the egg. so much is going on in the body at the time we're ovualating and able to concieve. such a short amount of time too.
so really if you think about it, it's really not that easy.
I have four children and one miscarriage.
I was 22 with my first child. I got married at 19. very young. but felt so much older at the time.

I can't wait till you get the date all set up Stacey. I'm waiting anxiously with you. I'm here for you anytime. just drop a line, and I"ll be informed on my mail site.

I'm still feeling much better physically, thank you for asking. it's just the mental part I'm now dealing with. my boyfreind and I are living with his pareants again and she's very demanding.
I have to clean her house for her and I'm not even moved into my own space yet. I have to help my sister do her laundry, clean her place for her, because she broke her foot and ankle last year and jsut had her 2nd surgery to remove the pin and screws. I have to go and help my older brother to clean out his little yard, to get rid of the fallen leaves, becasue he has heart trouble and can't do it alone, plus I"m looking for a new job all at the same time and I'm also dealing with my 24 yr old daughers cervical cone biopsy coming up on the 27th. I have to take her for her pre-op testing a week before the surgery. there's no date set up as of yet to have the blood tests performed. so there's ALOT going on in my life in all directions.
everyone needs my assistance and I'm JUST getting my health back again now that we know what's going on.
I just wish I could heal, alone, by myself for a little while.
I dont' want to sound ungreatful and sound like I"m feeling sorry for myself, because it's good to help others in need, especially family.
but.... I also feel guilty for feeling I need time for myself and to be able to get my head together here.
is that too much to ask for you think?

enough of my ranting.


Linda

I have had a dental check up recently and all is well there.

Linda, wow you have a large family how lovely. Sorry to hear you are spreading yourself thin helping out though-it is hard isn't it, they are your family and your a caring person so of course you do all you can but you do need time out too. No it is not selfish of you to want a little time out to help yourself recover at all, but being a caring person you will feel that you are.

Sorry to hear about your daughter, so is that because she had an abnormal smear or something? It is terrible over here, as i say we do not routinely see a gynae, so we do not get breast exams or anything; have to rely on self exam or GP i suppose but they never have time to be thorough. The smear thing really is ridiculous, we start having them at age 20 but they are now increasing it to 25 due to the amount of them that come back abnormal in younger women due to 'normal' cervical changes. Fair enough, my first was abnormal so i had them every six months for 3 years and all fine; my friends at 20 was abnormal however hers continued to be and she indeed had HPV and early cancerous cells requiring colposcopy and treatment. Imagine if her first smear had been at 25 which they now want to do-it would have been very advanced.

So far in my search for diagnosis of why i am feeling unwell, i have paid for 3 scans and two private consultations off my own back because i knew i would not get it on our national health service. We dont have that kind of money, how my partner has not got angry i do not know. It has kind of become an obsession for me now, i just want some answers now. Hopefully i will get ultrasound/biopsy appointment through next week.

Try and enjoy your weekend :)

Stacey,
I'm very upset to hear they're pushing to age 25. how insane is that?
the younger girls because of sexual activity at earlier ages are putting these younger woman at higher risk of getting the HPV virus which they say is the cause of cervical cancer.
I don't understand why? lack of money? is that the reason they're stating?
I guess we're so spoiled here, aren't we?
I have no right to ever really complain about our medical system.
I"ve learned something very important since coming in contact with you.
thank you for opening my eyes.

the breast exams are the most important and I cant' advocate that enough.
so many woman in this country do NOT get their annual mammograms, which is able to detect early breast cancer.
I have to admit I don't always perform my monthly breast exams and being both my sisters have had breast cancer, I have to be more diligent.
I do go for my mammo's though.

I don't think you're being too obsessed with getting these tests performed.
you have something going on. the reason you feel you may be obessesing is because the drs make you feel that way.
it is your body and you know it best.
something is going on and you want to investigate it. you can begin to feel that way too when the dr's don't find something right away or when you have to begin asking for tests and the dr's don't ask for it.
people who are hypochondriacs are afraid of death and afraid of having any type of illness effect them.
there's a big difference.
time is passing and you have to make that appointment.
I dont see any reason in the world you're partner should be upset with you.
of course your partner loves you and wants to see you well too.
don't worry about that.
things are beginning to roll for you now which is fantastic. your diligence has paid off.
how are you feeling today?
well I hope.

sincerely,
Linda

hi

the reasoning behind pushing them to 25 is because of lots of false positives in young patients, but yeah its prob money really. But they now giving HPV vaccines to girls age 12 so thats good.

yeah th medical system over here is not as good as yours but you pay for yours dont you, we have a 'free' national health service but pay national insurance tax to the government to pay for it. probably better off getting medical insurance.

the health service over here offers routine mammogram every 3 years from age 50; that is the extent of our breast screening! if you have strong family history they offer earlier screening and genentic testing. i am going to a private clinic to get checked by a professional so that i know what is normal and what to look for etc.

sorry to hear your sisters have both had it.

anyway will hopefully be posting you with an appointment date soon

take care

so it's really not for free if you have to pay taxes toward it, right?
it's probably not that much though. where as if you're paying premiums each month to an insurance company, it can be as high as $600 and more.
It varies with each company.
I can't possibly afford to pay for my own insurance and have to get it by working a full time job and the company I'd work for usually pays half and i"d have to pay the other half.
it's very very expensive here as you well know.

I'm glad to hear at least they offer frequent testing and even genetic testing if one is high risk.

I hope you don't think i"m knocking your system. not at all. I'm just interested in learning how other places around the world handle their health care system.
its pretty interesting to see the differences.

I am waiting for you to post your date. hope it's soon.
I'm waiting for my daughter Alicia to call the hospital today to set up her apptn for pre op testing before the surgery date.
she wanted me to do it because she feels inadequate to do it. she's never done it before and doesnt' know what to say.
she started panicking on the phone. I got alittle upset with her that she doesnt' calm down and listen to my instructions.
I understand her fears. but if one has to do something and face it, you have to be strong and not give into fear.
I keep telling her the only way to learn, is to just do it!

I can't wait till this is over with so we can find out her results.

My thoughts are with you Stacey.

always,

Linda

Hi Linda

Sorry not posted few days, been feeling bit yuck this week. Hope you are ok and continuing to get well?

Got appointment through today for the ultrasound/biopsy-Nov 28th so 2 weeks still to go.

Stacey

Yeah Stacey!!!
You FINALLY have a date set up. I know you're nervous and all, but just think about it, it's only 12 days away today.
That will FLY by.
For me the days and weeks go by so swiftly that I can't believe a Season is over and another one is beginning. I'ts almost scary.

What time is the apptn? morning or afternoon?

I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling well. What's going on? how are you feeling?
what symptoms are you having?

I'm feeling fantastic lately. Better than I've felt in YEARS! I don't wake up in pain anymore and I'm no longer stiff either.
PLUS I don't have to sit up in bed for a few minutes before I stand up.

I'm not sleeping as soundly like I thought I would, but that must be from the fibromyalgia, because it's a fact that people who have it,have sleep disorders. They've done sleep research on the people who have it.
They don't reach the REM stage as well. It's like having one foot on the bed and one foot off, as far as deep sleep goes. It feels like being half awake & half asleep.
I constantly wake up during the course of the night. It would be so nice to just sleep right through an 8 hour night, plus I'm still getting the flu like symptoms and I feel like I have a fever going on and I have to lay down when that happens.

I have a job interview on Monday. I'll be doing a total switch in jobs. I"d be going from working in medical offices and hospitals to a school. A teachers Aide, working with very young children. Grade K-4. I'm so excited! and I pray that I get the job. I'd like nothing more than share my love with little youngsters again. I miss that age group now that my children's youth is gone.

I'm hoping that this line of work is less stressful because they say stress is related to activating the fibro. Maybe that's another reason I was always sick on my jobs. I always chose very stressful type jobs.

You're biopsy day is the day after my daughter's (Alicia) biopsy.
I'll be praying for you Stacey.

Sincerely,

Linda

Hi

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers by the way, very much appreciated.
So glad things are turning in the right direction for you. Yes i had read about the sleeping disorders with fibro, and flu like feeling; hopefully you will have some releif from this over time. Good to hear things are improving at thos time.

I just feeling that general virally feeling which i pretty much live with now, the chest pain is quite bad; is ok when i sit or lay still but if i so much as sit up it hurts. Anyway could be worse so shall not complain more.

the appointment is 10.00.

Great news about job interview really good luck with that, will be sending out good thoughts for that. You are spot on about stressful jobs, i have always worked in the health profession and stressful is the tip of the iceberg. I know i always give 110% and take on all the stress and take it home with me etc and that has not helped my health one bit i dont think. Have not been working for the last few months though, but think when i do get back it will need to be a change in direction.

take care

stacey

You work in the health profession too?
what do you do?
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I used to glamorize working in a dr's office. I had no IDEA what went into running an office, period!
and yes, I agree, there is a stage in a persons life where they see they have to change things and take on a lighter load otherwise it will effect your health.

being in the health field tells alot about the person being in it. they want to help others and usually they are the type of people who are senstivie and take things home with them. it's hard not to.

did your dr ever perform an xray on your chest?

something?
I dont' like the sounds you're having in your chest. If it should get worst before the 28th, you should go to your closet emergency room and get it checked out.

I wish you the best Stacey. no one deserves to be in pain. there's always going to be others in the world who have things worst.
so don't feel bad about saying you don't feel well.

I'll remember 10:00. I'm glad you go an early apptn.

good luck,

Linda

Hi Stacey & Linda,

I so enjoyed reading your guy's dialog and found it so informative. I am also 28 and have been having the same symptoms as Stacey re the lymph nodes and chest pain. When I was reading about how England's system (which is suppose to be similar to Canada's) was going way off path with the pap smears and mammograms I was shocked. Canada has actually gotten better with advertising the importance of pap smears every year. My mother actually had cervical cancer and passed away in 1999 at the age of 44, so I know very well the risk. She only missed one, yes one annual exam and she is not with me today.

I am also on my way to see an ENT as well, but I have been waiting since August and my appointment is January 15th. We have a major problem with wait times in my province. I just had my gall bladder out and if I had not begged and pleaded with my doctor that I was going to lose my job then I probably still would be waiting. I had been struggling with my doctor's as well. I changed doctor's just before I was diagnosed with gall stones as my old doctor just stuck me on anti-depressants which did nothing for my chest pain, rapid heart rate and extreme fatigue.

I thought I would mention as I know this has helped me with my back pain. I started seeing a chiropractor and almost instantly I had relief. I had numbness down my arm which is now gone and would you believe I had not felt any chest pains in a week? This was happening on a daily basis. When the chiropractor said the chest pain could be muscle related I didn't believe him, but the pain is not there daily anymore. I am still going to wait it out and see, but I have been trying to see him 3 times a week. I find it hard to get to the office as my fatigue is so debilitating, but when I go my back feels so much better. Thought if you had not tried this it might be something you might want to try as I know I found a lot of relief.

It is past the 24th of November now so I hope Stacey that you got your FNA done. I do agree with Linda on getting an excisional biopsy. I will demand that on my part when I see the ENT. Good luck guys.

Hi

Had ultrasound on wednesday, is not a lymph node that is enlarged it is the salivary gland. He had a good look on both sides (teaching purposes as students in the room so i was grateful for that). He said it is mildly enlarged from the other side and that this could happen for a number of reasons, he said he saw nothing that looked suspicious to warrant a biopsy.

Very relieved at this news!!

Linda, hope your daughters biopsy went ok tuesday and that you will get some good results soon. Amy, good luck with your ent appointment and hope you feel better soon.

That is wonderful news stacie! I haven't been able to check my emails because I've so busy with working on the disability application on line, plus trying to do things in the house for my common law husband's mother and trying to help my daughter who had the cone biopsy.

I was just thinking of you this morning and low and behold there's a post from you explaining in detail what has happened with you.

this dr has to find out why your slavary gland is swollen. that's not good either stacey. sometimes they become diseased too.
what is causing it? is he going to do any further investigation on this?
why couldn't he tell it was the salvary gland upon first visit?

either way, I'm sure you're relieved it's not a swollen lymphnode and that you don't need the fNA now.
I am curious to find out what's causing the swelling though.

Amiee,
I'm so sorry to hear that you too are having to wait such a long amount of time to get help! this is ridiculous and I can't imagine that with the symptoms of your gall stones didn't make them hurry even further to help you?
you poor thing. I must say you've suffered for all that time?
and yet you STILL have to wait even longer yet.
I thought I had it bad here, but my problem is nothing in comparison to you and stacie.
It seems I'm almost spoiled by our system but I had no idea how difficult it is for others in other areas of the world. Until i'm confronted and hear how difficult others have it compared to here, I had no idea. I will never take our medical system for granted again.
thanks aimee for the recommendation of a chiropractor. i used to work for one for a very short amount of time years ago and learned how important our bodies work with the spine and how if a nerve is pinched in the spine it can directly effect any organ in our body. it's truly amazing.
i never used to believe in their theory but now do. even insurance companies are paying for patients visits now compared to years ago when they didn't believe in it at all.
the only thing is, I don't have insurance and I dont have a job or any type of money coming in for me to be able to see a chiropractor. I'm not sure if a chiropractor can stop the degenerating joint tissue in between the joints of my body from disintergrating?
they can manipulate and straighten out my spine, but I don't know if it can directly stop the arthritis from doing continuing damage.
I was thought to believe there is no cure for arthritis?
My insurance company wouldn't allow my doctor to get a better picture of what's going on with my spine and hip till I first recieved treatment from a physical therapist. they make you exercise your body back to health and use heat and cold treatment on it. My mother in law swears it helped straighten out her spine so she didn't suffer with the medical problems she was suffering.
it's an ever increasing medical treatment here in the USA. I"ve never seen it so popular or ever referred to as much as it is now in the year 2007.
they're finding out how it really works when applied for weeks and months.
you're supposed to do the exercises when you're home too.
the thing is, even with my insurance, the copays were $50 a treatment which the therapist wanted me to go there 2-3x's a week for six weeks. do you know how much that would have cost me? I simply couldn't afford to get help.
I wouldn't have been able to pay my rent, buy food, pay for gasoline and car insurance and utility bills. so I"m left with no help.
I feel so helpless and scared that I have no way to turn for help.

that's when I realized that all they're out for is the money. the greed and hunger for money in this world really saddens me. there's people who are genuinly in need for assitance and yet they are turned down.

I guess by my complaining about it isn't going to help the matter and it's just a waste of my breathe and waste of energy being upset by it. I can't change the system.
I am so sorry to hear about the death of your mom. she was so young.

My daughters biopsy results haven't come back yet. her dr said she'd call us when she found out anything. I hope she doesnt' make her wait till her two week follow up visit. I'm anxious to find out.

that day was horrific in the hospital. we arrived there at 7:45 a.m. and didn't leave there till 7:00 pm that night.
once they brought her in the holding room, the room before you go into surgery, they saw the cuts on her wrists and they smelled alcohol on her breathe and they informed the dr, dr made her go back to her room and told her she needed help. she even got a psychiatrist to come and evaluate her and try to convince her to seek treatment there. she refused. and being she's 23, and an adult, she can refuse treatment. even though she needs it desperatly.
she has a mental illness, a few of them, plus alcohlism which only makes matters worst for her. they had to make her wait 8 hours to make the alcohol level go down, even though she had drank the night before and it was before midnight too. it didn't matter, they were worried that the anesthesia would effect her liver because the liver was working hard to get rid of the alcohol she had drank so much of the day before the surgery. the dr TOLD her to try and not drink two weeks before the surgery, but she couldn't do it.
she almost jumped out of the bed and demanded to leave. we all calmed her down and convinced her how important it was to get this biopsy done.
the dr told her that cervical cancer could kill her quicker than the alcoholism could and told her it's only a few hours more to wait.
thank GOD we made her change her mind.
so it was a heck of day there. I fell asleep on the stiff hard wooden chair and just waited and waited and waited.
because of her illness, everything she does turns into drama. there is always chaos with her. I'm glad it's now over though and we're praying they got all the bad cells.
thank you for asking about my daughter. it really makes me happy to know others care.
I love her so much.

I wish you both wellness and happiness. hope to hear back from you all.

sincerely,
Linda

hi linda

so sorry to hear about your daughter having lots of problems, that must be very hard and so difficult to see someone you love so much go through all of that. I really hope at least the biopsy results are clear providing a little relief.

The ENT i initially saw was not sure if it was a salivary gland or not which is what he wanted confirmed by ultrasound. The doctor that did the ultrasound said there are a number of reasons that the gland could become enlarged, but there was no abnormal looking mass in it. I am looking into what else it could be involving chest pain etc, i wonder if it is not some viral thing that is hanging around (4 months is a long time but i have always been prone to things). Not sure if i am getting a follow up with the ENT or not, i will chase it up.

I am grateful nothing bad has been found at present but just to feel well again would be more reassuring.

I am looking into what else it could be involving chest pain etc, i wonder if it is not some viral thing that is hanging around (4 months is a long time but i have always been prone to things). Not sure if i am getting a follow up with the ENT or not, i will chase it up.

Hi Stacey,

Have you ever seen a Chiropractor? I ask because I had been experiencing chest pain as well for over a year. I had xrays, CT scans and nothing showed up. I knew the pain was real, but until I seen a Chiropractor who told me it could be because of a misalignment in my spine I had no where else to look. Once my chiro did a few adjustments I had no more chest pain. It was absolutely unbelievable. I seriously thought this chiro was lying when he said it could be my spine. I have been going for a few weeks now and the pain has not come back and I was getting it daily. Almost in waves.....like a deep dull pain on the right side.

Amiee

Hi Aimee

Ironically i was just looking up chiropractors to get an idea of prices etc, your previous post prompted me to think that may be an idea as the pain is now radiating to my upper back.

It is certainly worth a shot as x-ray clear and doctors just think the pain is anxiety or stress. Unfortunately i do not have the funds to do it at present, i will ring around and get an idea of prices.

Thanks for the advice, i am glad that you have found some relief from the chiropractor.

Stacey

Hi Stacey,

I take for granted that my work pays for 80% of my chiro appointments. Just to give you an idea here in Canada the first inital appointment is the most expensive. For me it was $75 CDN. The others where they do the adjustments are $40 CDN. Depending on how bad your spine is misaligned you may have to go 3 times a week for several weeks. That can get quite expensive. They maybe able to do something for you payment wise if you notice that the first inital adjustments help.

Try to see if you can get an appointment with students as that will be the cheapest route to go. I don't know if there are any chiropractic colleges/schools around your area.

Thanks,
Amiee