symtoms? - Lymphomas Message Board

z150 · 02-05-2006, 03:33 AM

hey there, i posted once or twice on here when i was scared of certain symptoms. this website and the people help a lot. and i thank you all in advance. sorry this is a long one but i just wanted to get peoples advice and opinions so as i know what sort of thing to expect or look into further.

lately ive been noticing some of the symptoms that ive noticed before. here is a short list of things ive noticed

- a mole on my back seems to have a darker middle and light around the edges. also ive pushed on it once, and it almost looked like it was bleeding inside.
- swollen lymph nodes. some become noticeable from time to time and the go away, but the ones in my groin and neck have been swollen for some time. also the part that scares me so much about cancer, is that the lymph node on the right side of my neck beside the carotid artery, is much much more swollen than the others, they are not rock hard or anything, just definetly swollen. they are not painful, however i can sometimes feel that they are there.
- fatigue, im having a hard time keeping up with my life these days, i also notice that when i wake up in the morning my head feels stuffed like my ears nose forhead and throat are built up with mucus. it takes about half an hour and a shower, after i wake up to get rid of it. i believe this may be causing sleep apnea, because i do have a harder time breathing when i wake up, it feels like breathing through straws.
- loss of apetite, i notice that i miss meals more often for no reason and whatnot and it doesnt really seem to make me sure hungry, i do eat, just not properly. I have weighed myself recently and i havent moved more than 5 lbs from the weight i was in gr10 in high school, which was like 7 years ago now. i stopped growing when i was young at 5'10 150 lbs.
- mucus, i also notice that when i play sports or get breathing hard for whatever reason, i seem to have to spit out a lot of mucus, not dark yellowy type stuff, more like clear stringy stuff.
- i notice too that i have chest pain sometime, however it feels like its coming both from my sternum and from underneath (its not a really bad pain, but it is noticeable, i suspect it may be from swollen lymph nodes in my chest, as well as chostochondritis (swelling of cartilage and bone in the sternum/ribs etc.) that the doctor diagnosed on my last visit. i was also diagnosed with osgoode-schlatter disease of the knees when i was young. it is fairly common in younger guys, but i have a rather bad case of it. i have noticed a bone growth on the inside of my right foot, which makes me wonder if i have a bone disorder or something.
- ive also noticed strange blochy patterns on my skin, it looks almost like theres like red skin like someone slapped me, and everywhere else is rather normal, or a bit paler, but its really patchy, its not raised, it doesnt itch or hurt, its usually gone in less than 1/2 hour, and it also only seems to happen when my heart rate is elevated for whatever reason. but what worries me more is that more recently, ive noticed little red spots in certain spots resembling blood blisters from when you pinch yourself (i dont recall pinching myself or anything) that appeared like blood under the skin in a pocket, that turned purple and seems to be going away just like a blood blister.

i know that only a doctor can sort this make a dx, but as of right now im waiting on a new health card, some blood work and a chest x ray. i believe i may request a lymph node biopsy if i can get it in first.

im kinda worried becasue my great grandfather recently died of ALL that set on at a late age and took him suddenly. There was also a young girl (16) from my home town (where there is a nuclear plant) who also died of leukemia recently.

anyways back to the point, i was wondering if anyone could help me separate the symptoms i should be worried about from the ones that are probably stress/environmentally caused.

thanks a lot and sorry for writing a book....

Merimac · 02-05-2006, 12:13 PM

I would ask the doctor about checking you for a sinus infection since you have the mucous and the swollen nodes. The rest of the symptoms do not sound like sinus infection. They do not sound like they are connected to anything other than your own observations at this point. Just keep an eye on things until you get checked out.

z150 · 03-09-2006, 02:09 PM

hi there, little update for my situation.

about a week ago, i went in to see my GP. i asked for a physical exam with specific reference to my lymph nodes in my neck. after the exam, she told me that many of the symptoms may be due to stress factors. She explained that the loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue specifically could be directly linked to stress and depression. (my mother is rather severely affected by Biplor disorder (aka manic depression)) she did a little test and explained that the red spotty/patchy rash could very well be due to a condition she called (i think it was) topographic dermatitis, which she said was skin that is very sensitive to allergens and light scratching causes immediate redness and slight inflammation. when she examined my lymph nodes, she did agree with me that it is much larger than the others and irregular shaped, it is not fixed in position and it moves freely. id say its close to double the size of the other one. she told me that lymphomas are typically fixed and hard. mine is neither, it is slightly squishy and mobile. She ordered an ultrasound of the node, blood testing and chest xrays. i have had the xrays and blood test last friday. she said she would have the results by tuesday or wednesday and she would contact me if there was a problem. I have my ultrasound on the 20th of march, and she said depending on what it shows, they will probably perform an excision biopsy and test it. Its thursday and i havent heard back from her yet so im assuming the no news is good news stance, however i have a difficult time accepting the thought that nothing is wrong with me. anyone have any experiences with a lymph node of this description and any thoughts on what i should look into/testing to ask for? I asked about MRI and PET scanning, however she mentioned that the waiting list is over a year long. I having a hard time dealing with this situation and the wait is killing me. any help is appreciated!

z150 · 03-09-2006, 02:14 PM

oh i forgot to mention...

i did some research and discovered that the town i am from is actually the site of a nuclear meltdown, and also one of the largest nuclear waste disposal sites in the world. so im kinda wondering what sort of exposure to radiation i may have been exposed to... I grew up less tahn 10km from this facility and lived in this area for the better part of 15 years. im wondering what sort of impact that may have had on my health and whether it may be connected to any of the symptoms im seeing.

Debbiefix · 03-09-2006, 02:22 PM

I have a real hard time believing that the waiting list for MRI's and PET scans is a year. I had a CT scan and PET scan ordered. The CT was done the next day and the PET was done 4 days later. Something is weird there. What if they had an emergency? What if someone has a broken leg or bone problem and needs an MRI? They wait over a year??? Wow. Doesn't sound like that hospital is very big or have the equipment they need. Ask where there are other facilities that they could set you up for these tests.