New and scared--please help if you can - Lymphomas Message Board

snakenole · 05-05-2004, 09:50 AM

Hi. I've been reading for a couple of weeks but this is my first post. Last Novmeber I was sick with an upper respiratory thing and went to the doctor. I had an enlarged lymph node on the right side of my neck, sore throat, stuffed up nose, all that. It turned out to be strep. I got some antibiotics and about 2-3 weeks later the node went down and that was that. Then in January I got what I think was a sinus infection: sore throat, green/brown mucuos, etc. The same lymph node enlarged again. Then after 2-3 weeks it went away again. Then about a month after that it enlarged again but for no apparent reason (I've had allergies though with lots of mucous). It's been enlarged now for about 2.5 months. I haven't felt sick or anything but my throat is occasionally sore, I have allergies and my mucous is brown and "lumpy" in the morning. I went to the doctor two weeks ago but at that time the node seemed to be getting smaller and he did another throat swab to see if the strep was back. It wasn't strep. He said to come in if it didn't go down in another 2-3 weeks. The node moves (meaning if I touch it it sort of "slips" or "pops" from under my finger), I can feel it mostly when I'm sitting, sometimes I barely feel it when I'm standing and it seems to get slightly smaller or slightly larger occasionally (though this may be in my head since sometimes it's hard to find). But it's not going away and I'm scared to death. I don't have any other symptoms (no fever, sweats, weight lose or anything) and it's just the one that's enlarged. I've never had a node stay around that long. Also, it doesn't hurt but it sometimes feels "uncomfortable" if that makes sense. Like I can tell it's really there then other times i almost expect it to be gone. Has anyone else has a similar experience? I'm really afraid to go back to the doctor...

Thanks for any help you can give me.

ysco · 05-05-2004, 12:49 PM

What you are describing sounds very much like reactive node/s to your throat infection. How big is your node? Does it continue to grow?

I don't think you got good enough reasons to worry this much as you seem to. Although reactive nodes usually subside in several weeks it can take some many months to go away. 2.5 months isn't a long time enough time to judge.

I don't understand one thing, why are you afraid to see your doc again?

snakenole · 05-05-2004, 12:57 PM

the node doesn't seem really big but it is enlarged. It's probably
the size of a large bean maybe bigger. You can't see it if you just
look at my neck. But if I turn my head and look into the rear view
mirror you can see a lump.

I'm scared to go back to the doctor because of afraid of what it
might be. When I first noticed it I went on the internet and it
was basically saying enlarged nodes are either from infection or
cancer, period. And I didn't really have any reason to believe I had
an infection. I feel fine and have the whole time its been enlarged
and my throat doesn't hurt. Very rarely it feels kind of sore but not
all the time. My mucous is brown in the morning but later in the
day it clears up and is clear. I have allergies every year and this is
no exception. So I'm just scared of what it might be. I have two
friends that lost someone to lymphoma. And from what I've read online
it just sounds like if it's not an infection (and wouldn't I know if I
had an infection?) then there aren't many other things it could be.

Thanks for your reply. Any other input would be great. Would anyone
recommend going to an ENT to get checked out?

snakenole · 05-05-2004, 12:59 PM

Oh yeah, forget to answer one of your questions. It hasn't continued to
grow, at least not that I can tell. At one point it seemed to be getting
smaller and then the next day it seemed to be back where it was before,
but not bigger. I touch it a lot but I'm trying not to. I doubt that makes much
of a difference but it probably doesn't help either.

ysco · 05-05-2004, 02:00 PM

Still doesn't sound very worrisome to me... in my point of view it is most likely a post reactive node to your strep throat infection, in this case it will grow away with time. As long as it does not grow further and you feel fine as you do there is no reason for concern.

Well, if the doctor told you to get back to him, you should. He or she will just give you his/her impression. Doctors can't give a definitive diagnosis of the enlarge nodes origin but rather can give you a better clue of what they may be by feeling them. ENT would be probably appropriate in case you'd like to have this checked. This is up to you. I think you got nothing but to be more sure you might as well see some professional to get a better impression.

good luck