Swollen lymph nodes & other symptoms

[twoboymum1985]

Hey all, before Christmas I noticed 2 swollen lymph nodes. 1 below my ear and another between my jaw and neck. Since then I’ve had another one come up under my lower jaw. Had terrible ear ache but the dr said my ear is blocked with wax so they cannot see inside. They gave me antibiotics although I explained I haven’t been unwell. Following this my collar bone statues protruding and I would get a burning sensation from my lower head, down my neck and into my shoulder. This has been continuing and shows slight relief when I use painkillers. Then had a weird vomiting bug for 2 days. Antibiotics have finished, ear pain is still there, lymph nodes are still swollen and pain is now intermittent in my shoulder. Collar bone is no longer protruding but one of my tonsils (all on the same side) looks different. I went to urgent care who did an xray, nothing to report. Bloods were done, all normal. Visited the doctors 2 more times and been prescribed painkillers. Eventually referred urgently to head and neck on 2ww. My mind is now going a million miles per hour that something is seriously wrong. I’m a 40 year old female. Never had swollen lymph nodes before. I suppose I’m asking if someone has had anything similar and it hasn’t been sinister. I’m very nervous.

@ForestFlowerFairy thank you for coming back to me so promptly. I am so sorry that the way you found out was via the nhs app. That’s horrendous and must have been so horrible and shocking.

I do, and there is nothing there. I will keep checking. Ive been trying hard to stay grounded until I know what I’m dealing with but there are moments like today when the panic sets in.

I totally understand the panic, which is exactly why I responded as soon as I saw your message, having the Mumsnet app helps!!
I'll always do my best to reply, I get a lot of support from the page here for those undergoing treatment and we all say the worst part is what you are going through right now, until you actually get told it's not cancer or here's the plan and what were dealing with you are in a horrible position of a million what is
Do whatever you need to do over the next few days to try and stay calm, distract yourself but remember, soon you will know what you're dealing with and as soon as you know you will get a plan to tackle whatever it is

Thank you @ForestFlowerFairy I’ve really appreciated every reply you written.

@kayakhala hi did you find out what caused the lymph nodes to be abnormal. I am going through the same thing at the moment. I have enlarged lymph nodes on both sides of my neck

@mumof2bambinos. Unfortunately, it's Hodgkin's lymphoma. I got my diagnosis on Friday and am waiting to be referred to the hospital for treatment. From what I have read, it's a curable type, so I'm keeping positive and hoping for the best.

I pray yours is just a reactive node. Did you talk to your GP about it?

Thinking of you today @twoboymum1985

It does sound like a case of reactive lymph nodes ( they swell in reaction to infection and I flammation and can take a while to settle) . This is by far the most likely explanation.

It’s good that you are having investigations to rule out anything more serious .

@kayakhala hey so sorry to hear but sending you all the healing love. I went to the gp and they sent me for an US which showed abnormal features so now waiting on 2 week fast track to ENT. Did you have abnormal lymph nodes on both sides of the neck as the US confirmed i did. I also have a lump/swelling above the collarbone on the right side

Thank you so much @ForestFlowerFairy

Went today for my appointment. I was told that my lymph nodes are reactive and although I can only feel the ones on my right, the left were also swollen. No concerns re this.

Thankfully my biopsy results were benign but due to the size of the 2 nodules biopsied, I will now be monitored over an 18 months period and will be scanned every 6 months and if no growth etc then I will be discharged. However, if growth then another biopsy and/or possible removal of my left lobe.

I am so thankful that my results were clear but pretty unsure why the continual monitoring as didn’t have time to ask this, although they assured me everything was okay. One thing I think I will feedback is the consultant said ‘no cancer yet’ and I felt that wording was poor but maybe not!

How are you getting on @ForestFlowerFairy ?

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis @kayakhala sending you the best of luck and @mumof2bambinos wishing you all the best.

Thank you so much @ForestFlowerFairy

Went today for my appointment. I was told that my lymph nodes are reactive and although I can only feel the ones on my right, the left were also swollen. No concerns re this.

Thankfully my biopsy results were benign but due to the size of the 2 nodules biopsied, I will now be monitored over an 18 months period and will be scanned every 6 months and if no growth etc then I will be discharged. However, if growth then another biopsy and/or possible removal of my left lobe.

I am so thankful that my results were clear but pretty unsure why the continual monitoring as didn’t have time to ask this, although they assured me everything was okay. One thing I think I will feedback is the consultant said ‘no cancer yet’ and I felt that wording was poor but maybe not!

How are you getting on @ForestFlowerFairy ?

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis @kayakhala sending you the best of luck and @mumof2bambinos wishing you all the best.

Thank you so much @ForestFlowerFairy

Went today for my appointment. I was told that my lymph nodes are reactive and although I can only feel the ones on my right, the left were also swollen. No concerns re this.

Thankfully my biopsy results were benign but due to the size of the 2 nodules biopsied, I will now be monitored over an 18 months period and will be scanned every 6 months and if no growth etc then I will be discharged. However, if growth then another biopsy and/or possible removal of my left lobe.

I am so thankful that my results were clear but pretty unsure why the continual monitoring as didn’t have time to ask this, although they assured me everything was okay. One thing I think I will feedback is the consultant said ‘no cancer yet’ and I felt that wording was poor but maybe not!

How are you getting on @ForestFlowerFairy ?

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis @kayakhala sending you the best of luck and @mumof2bambinos wishing you all the best.

Thank you so much @ForestFlowerFairy

Went today for my appointment. I was told that my lymph nodes are reactive and although I can only feel the ones on my right, the left were also swollen. No concerns re this.

Thankfully my biopsy results were benign but due to the size of the 2 nodules biopsied, I will now be monitored over an 18 months period and will be scanned every 6 months and if no growth etc then I will be discharged. However, if growth then another biopsy and/or possible removal of my left lobe.

I am so thankful that my results were clear but pretty unsure why the continual monitoring as didn’t have time to ask this, although they assured me everything was okay. One thing I think I will feedback is the consultant said ‘no cancer yet’ and I felt that wording was poor but maybe not!

How are you getting on @ForestFlowerFairy ?

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis @kayakhala sending you the best of luck and @mumof2bambinos wishing you all the best.

Thank you so much @ForestFlowerFairy

Went today for my appointment. I was told that my lymph nodes are reactive and although I can only feel the ones on my right, the left were also swollen. No concerns re this.

Thankfully my biopsy results were benign but due to the size of the 2 nodules biopsied, I will now be monitored over an 18 months period and will be scanned every 6 months and if no growth etc then I will be discharged. However, if growth then another biopsy and/or possible removal of my left lobe.

I am so thankful that my results were clear but pretty unsure why the continual monitoring as didn’t have time to ask this, although they assured me everything was okay. One thing I think I will feedback is the consultant said ‘no cancer yet’ and I felt that wording was poor but maybe not!

How are you getting on @ForestFlowerFairy ?

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis @kayakhala sending you the best of luck and @mumof2bambinos wishing you all the best.

Thank you so much @ForestFlowerFairy

Went today for my appointment. I was told that my lymph nodes are reactive and although I can only feel the ones on my right, the left were also swollen. No concerns re this.

Thankfully my biopsy results were benign but due to the size of the 2 nodules biopsied, I will now be monitored over an 18 months period and will be scanned every 6 months and if no growth etc then I will be discharged. However, if growth then another biopsy and/or possible removal of my left lobe.

I am so thankful that my results were clear but pretty unsure why the continual monitoring as didn’t have time to ask this, although they assured me everything was okay. One thing I think I will feedback is the consultant said ‘no cancer yet’ and I felt that wording was poor but maybe not!

How are you getting on @ForestFlowerFairy ?

I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis @kayakhala sending you the best of luck and @mumof2bambinos wishing you all the best.

@twoboymum1985 hey so glad to hear you had good news! The waiting is awful. I know you mentioned your lymph nodes were enlarged. Did they mention they looked abnormal at all on the ultrasound.

Thank you, I'm taking it one day at a time.
Yeah, they found more nodes on the right side and the middle of my neck. All of them showed abnormal features (no fatty hilum and irregular shape), but they said this is not always a sign of malignancy, as it could be reactive or benign. Only a biopsy can tell for sure if it's cancer or not. As soon as I had the scan, they referred me for Pet CT scan and biopsy.

I'm relieved that it turned out to be a reactive node. The waiting part is the worst. I pray for the same result for @mumof2bambinos.

@mumof2bambinos the waiting is horrendous. Especially so, after I got a call from the hospital asking me to come in. Naively I thought, like when a blood test is normal they just don’t contact you. So when I got the phone call requesting an appointment I panicked. And I suppose, although it was nothing sinister, I do need to be monitored for the nodules now. It’s crazy these were picked up incidentally. I would have never known so am thankful. Re the lymph nodes I suppose there was nothing abnormal about them because over 2 visits they’ve said nothing. Even today when I asked re them, the consultant shrugged it and only wanted to speak about the nodules on my thyroid. Although yours have been flagged as abnormal, I really hope it’s nothing sinister. I will be keeping you in my thoughts.

@kayakhala sending you well wishes.

What fantastic news
I appreciate the monitoring may seem scary but I'd view it more as reassurance.

I'm doing ok thanks for asking, return to work has been pretty exhausting but I'm going to carry on with the half days for another month. Hopefully my energy returns soon!

@kayakhala, I stumbled across this thread and wanted to wish you well on your journey.
I was diagnosed with Hodgkins over 40 years ago. I had 8 cycles of chemo, and whilst I found it knocked me out for a day or two each month, I could continue working. I'm sure the treatments have improved since I had them! Hopefully the fact I'm still around will give you a degree of comfort that a positive end is in sight.

Thank you so much for your message. I was having a bad day today and your story gave me hope and made me feel much better. I really appreciate it.

@carelessdad i have just been diagnoses with hodgkins. Its all overwhelming and scary. Can i ask what stage you had as i feel mines just getting worse and treatment hasnt started yet

@kayakhala hey how is treatment going? I have just been diagnosed with hodgkins.

I'm so sorry that you have been diagnosed with it. Last Tuesday, I had my first infusion of ABVD. I'm stage 2A as I have no symptoms other than the enlarged node and itchiness. The infusion wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. The first week was a bit hard; then this second week, I'm back to feeling myself again.

@kayakhala thank you for replying i am still waiting for my petscan tomorrow to hopefully know which stage i am at. I feel my neck lymph nodes have gotten bigger on both sides of my neck and startng to feel sweaty on a night. Did they insert a picc line? Glad to hear the chemos started. I have been told that abvd is an aggressive chemo but successful in curing it fingers crossed. Also have you had any hair loss from the chemo yet xx