DS got really large swollen gland in his neck.....

[wangle99]

Am really worried, DS has majorly swollen gland on one side of his neck. He has had a cough and cold but when I took him to our GP she said she couldn't find anything to cause swelling (ie nothing wrong with throat, teeth, ears etc).

She said if it doesn't go down in a couple of weeks we have to test him for leukemia and other things. I have worked myself into a right state, am so worried for him.

DS is 4.5.

How big is it?

i have had one in my neck since i was 15!!!

You can see his neck is swollen and i could do up his shirt collar for school. When i touch it he says it hurts (but who knows, he's a bit of a wimp lol).

GP said 'ooo it is large isn't it'

I'm pretty sure that any lump associated with cancer is NOT painful !!!

My DS always seems to have swollen lymph glands in his neck, real small, not even the size of a pea. When he was a baby i was told not to worry. I always think now well after this length of time if it was anything to worry about he'd be ill. As he seems perfectly healthy i try not to worry

Hi, hope I can reassure you - ds1 (16) had swollen gland in neck the size of half a rugby ball (seriously) for 4 weeks over Christmas ( another thread somewhere on it). He was on IV antibiotics and tested for lymphoma, leukaemia etc, but in the end it was just a vicious infection that attached the gland itself. As it hurts, and he has had a viral infection (cold etc) I am sure that this is a reaction to the initial infection as severe as my son's was, and therefore nothing more serious iyswim . Do ask if you want more details, and please don't worry, I am sure you don't need to. In fact the cancer specialist who treated our ds said that generally if it is serious (ie cancer) the child becomes visibly unwell very very quickly so I am sure you would notice.

Thank you paddyclamp and SalVolatile

He is fine in himself and eating very well not visibly losing weight or anything you would suspect. You know what it is like though VERY worrying. Its still huge today - I live in hope every morning it will be smaller lol