lump in neck

[hatsoff]

has anyone ever had a blocked saliva duct? I've got a small quite painful lump in my neck just below my ear, and it hurts quite a lot, especially when I eat - an exagerated version of the sensation you get when you eat something sharp. dh thinks it's a blocked saliva duct. anyone ever heard of this or got any other ideas?

[LGJ]

Get your self to your GP, it is probably nothing, but we are not doctors.

Sorry if that sounds blunt, but your GP is the best person for this.


HTH

[hatsoff]

I know. I just wondered for now if anyone had any thoughts.

[LGJ]

Go to the doctor and when they tell you that you are a worry wart and all is fine, come back and I will tell you a story to make your toes curl.


This is a subject very very close to my heart.


Sorry don't mean to sound harsh.

[hatsoff]

I'll go. Doubt I'l get an appointment til next week though. Is your story about lumps in the neck or about avoiding doctors?

[LGJ]

Lumps in necks, but I am talking significant lump, not pea size, not taking from your concern, just quantifying it.


Basically one consultants ineptitude almost cost me my life.

[LGJ]

I am not trying to scare you, I promise.

Hope I haven't.

[tiffini]

LGJ, i have a lump in my throat, 2 in fact, one is quite far down and feels like i am trying to swallow a bubble, it is quite painful and i seem to be unable to shout, Doctor has said they are probably cysts due to a sore throat i had, do you think i should go back to see another doctor.

[LGJ]

A second opinion wouldn't hurt, but do you in essence as an adult trust your doctor ??

[jasper]

might be inflammation of the parotid gland . The parotid duct opens out onside your cheek about level with the biting edge of your first molar (counting from the front). If the duct is blocked you will likely have a small lump here.

Painful, but not serious. Get it checked out to rule out anything else

[LGJ]

Ok I am a very slow typer so bear with me.

[tiffini]

not rearly, rarley go to doctors, and usually someone different every time.

[hatsoff]

I've had a google and I think it is the parotid gland. But feeling crappy about it. Recently developed nystagmus, which is an eye problem, probably caused by a pre-existing condition (MS) but got referred for an MRI scan, which - although they were a bit cagey - was, I think, to rule out other causes. Still waiting for the results (the referral was supposedly an "emergency" but it has still been weeks). Now this. Maybe I was just born with a defective body. and I promise you I'm not the kind to get ill.

[hatsoff]

are you going to add something LGJ? your last post sounded like you were going to

[LGJ]

18

Large and I mean large lump appears on my neck.

My GP who was brilliant, took one look at it and said if that doesn't go down it will have to come out.


It didn't go down and it did come out, a 3 day stay in hospital became a 14 day stay in hospital.

Went back to see Consultant, well young lady, we were very worried about you, but you are fine, and it is benign.


Year later it grows back, went to see the Consultant and basically got patronised within an inch of my 19 year old life. I can take it out if you want, but you will have a neck like a railway track


Lived with it for 12 years, then one day it really flared up and to cut a long story short...


GP

Consultant

OP

Follow up with Consultant, expecting all clear.

C.........I dn't like the look of what I have just removed, I have made you an appointment with X, but he is the local cancer man !!!! Lets not get too excited yet, but I the Consultant am very very worried.


Went through all manner of tests, including having sample bone marrow taken, without a GA.


Worse bit ?? They asked for lab the slides taken when I was 18, tested them again and guess what it was there then which is why it grew back. It wasn't malignant but it wasn't benign and if I had any major chemical changes in my body it would have turned and I would have been dead in 6 weeks.

I ended up with all of my lymph nodes being removed, limited movement in my arm and a months worth of radiotherapy, OH and a very impressive scar

I am telling you all this only to ask you to go to your GP and push it through all the available channels.


I ended up being diagnosed with an extremely rare disease.


This not related to your problem, but please do not ignore it go to your GP PDQ both of you.

Play the lump card if you have to.

My situation was totally unusual, put it this way only two cancer specialists in the whole of the UK had even heard of it, so don't try and marry the two together.


But do please go and see your GP.

Hop all of this made sense, it brought back a lot of bad memories

[LGJ]

.

[LGJ]

Do you know how long that took to type you ungrateful lot

[hatsoff]

LGJ. I'm really really sorry for dragging all this up for you. And thank you for writing it down. I'm glad you are ok now but sorry you had such a bad time. I find the whole NHS thing scarey - you naively think that if tehre was anything really wrong you'd be in good hands but I'm not sure it's always like that. It's the fact that so many different people are involved and the bureaucracy that scares me - two examples for me recently - I had an MS flare up, tried as hard as I could, phoning and hassling people to see my consultant, got given an appointment for about two months time, (spent Christmas in a lot of pain) when I walked in in February and told him what had been going on he said "well I would have liked to have seen you two months ago" wtf??? you and me both mate. Then, more recently, he referred me for this "emergency" mri. I waited about two weeks and heard nothing. eventually phoned up the hospital to see what was going on. The referral had been lost, probably down the back of a radiator somewhere and had I not rang I would have been waiting indefinitely. Has made me realise that there is only one person who has the overall picture, who knows exactly what's going on, who said what to who etc etc, and it's you. I'l ring the GP tomorrow, don;t worry. thanks again for your postings and sorry my silly problems have brought it all up for you

[hatsoff]

sorry lgj - I'm obviously not quick enough!

[tiffini]

sorry was on phone to NHS,
that is awful, what a traumatic experience.
Sorry to have brought up bad memories

[LGJ]

HO

It only brought up bad memories, whilst I was typing it, honest.


Do you want a laugh ???


That delightful example of medical incompetence was the very best private medicine that money could buy at the time.

[hatsoff]

do you know what? I thought you were going to say that. Don't know why, just did. What are we meant to do ay?

[SleepyJess]

Hi hatsoff

My sister had a blocked salivary gland 2 months ago. She didn't know it was this but took herself off to A & E late one evening because this massive lump had appeared in her neck while she was eating! This is usual with these apparently.. the come up when you eat. She got antibiotics for it. A related symptom was that she has some little hard lumps under her tongue out of which she squeezed some hard, stone like deposits.

Just thought I'd post this as this was definiately a blocked salivary gland.

Hope all is well.. chances are it will be.

SJ x

[LGJ]

SJ

Squeezing her tongue, my eyes just watered on yours DS's behalf

[hatsoff]

yeah - you can get stones in your saliva glands - (a new piece of knowledge aquired tonight thanks to google) apparently they're made of calcium. They don;t really know what causes them but, as long as they get treated they're not really harmful

[LGJ]

See........ like I have said to DH on numerous occasions....(generally when trying to justify hogging the PC !!) this place is an education