5 swollen lymph nodes

Hello  

Welcome to Macmillan, but sorry that you are worried enough to have found us.

Can I suggest you stop Googling? ;) and only use trusted websites - the NHS for example.  I read this page and I personally would find it reassuring in your position.  Your doctor has done blood tests and says a 'slight infection'.  Trust your doctor as he has trained for many years to understand those blood results.  

By the mere fact that you have posted on the Macmillan website, you are obviously very concerned that you have lymphoma.  Is there a reason that you fear having cancer as your first worry?  I ask this because it was the last thing I suspected I had when I was diagnosed.  

The link to the NHS lymphoma symptoms suggests to me that you'd be experiencing some other side effects, it appears from what you say that the fear of everything is giving you side effects rather than having them in the first place?

Perhaps I would suggest a trip back to the doctors and explain just how much you are worried that you have lymphoma and your doctor will, I am sure be able to put your mind at rest. 

Best wishes,

Evening, I understand 100%, i also have swollen lymph nodes, no infections anywhere. In fact, I didn't know until i had an exam by the practice nurse,I went to the surgery as i thought the swellings in my groin were fatty lumps. So when she said it was actually swollen lymph nodes i asked what this could be caused by, she told me well nothing .. it's eaten away at me as she also found them in my neck. Today i finally got an appointment to see my GP, who obviously didn't want to listen to me,, they never do. i generally hear well the meds you take can do this, she examed my groin and hurt me she was pressing so hard then had the nerve to tell me yes they are swollen but  there's not 1 node which stands out particularly & if there was a problem they would not hurt, never looked at my neck but after telling her i also believed they were swollen by my side of my underarm area said .. well you have lumpy breasts anyway.. when i challenged her she got very anti, demanding to know what exactly i was concerned about.. GP's miss things especially when they have an opinion already decided. I did eventually manage to get her to send me for blood tests. apparently, my sugars weren't right last time i had blood workso that's being redone but also doing a check on whether an indicator for ovarian cancer is raised. I WISH I WAS WEALTHY AND COULD SEE A SPECIALIST OF MY OWN ACCORD. ive lost too much family to cancer's my children lost there dad a few yrs back , it destroyed them i cannot imagine what it would do if i too had a terminal illness. 

You need to preserve to get some blood work done. If possible try another GP in the practice, an option i do not have. but go with how you feel, these gp's are overworked but they also find it too easy to dismiss you and how you feel. gone are the times when gp's listened and were able to put a picture together of symptoms .. it seems to me it has to be glaringly obvious to get listened too .they do not want to pay for testing 

take care 

Hi and a second welcome to the Online Community. I am Mike Thehighlander and I help out in our Lymphoma Forums and have lived and been treated for my rare type of Lymphoma for 20 years so I do 'get' where you are coming from.

Lymphoma can indeed be very hard to diagnose and yes, some types of Lymphoma will never show up in a blood tests, sound crazy that it does not but its just how it works.

I had an amazing GP (now retired) who it trusted 100% and when I went to him in 1999 with a small skin rash we tried every treatment available to him to treat this. After 9 months we were not getting an answer so I was referred to Dermatology. My very well respected Dermatologist had a hunch what the problem was but it took a further 12 months with lots of blood tests, 6 biopsies and a few CT Scans to eventually be diagnosed with a rare Cutaneous T Cell Lymphoma (Skin Lymphoma). Apart from the skin issues I had no other symptoms. So even the Specialists can have a hard time getting the answers. The rest is history and you can find it in my profile.

Why did I tell you all this?

Over the years helping on the Online Community I have talked with a lot of folks just like yourself who are struggling to get answers. I am pleased to say that a VERY high percentage of the folk did eventually find out what was wrong and sometime back to say its not Lymphoma, but a small number did get diagnosed with Lymphoma......... and have been treated and are doing well.

You need to continue to work with your GP as they have a recognised set of investigations that need to be done before they can refer you on. They can't take a shot in the dark, so unless someone presents with clear symptoms like the ones that were on the link that my friend Lesley has given you they need to keep pulling the threads together.

The one thing I can say is stress and anxiety will make your Lymph-nodes react. The Lymphatic System is the bodies safety valve and reacts in so many ways both with illness and yes stress and worry. This does not answer what is going on but it needs to be taken into the big picture.

Keep pushing the doors, keep a diary of your thoughts and symptoms and keep working with your GP.

One final thing - if you look at my profile you will see a very challenging cancer journey but at the moment I am cancer free. But after all my treatments I developed a few new small lumps and one is on my neck on the other side from where my main growth was. Its been checked during my regular post treatment clinics and it is nothing to worry about........but I do touch it all the time..... the more I touch it the more is swells........ getting sore the more I touch it...... and all I hear from the other side of the room is my wife shouting " don't touch the lumps!!!!!"

You may just want to rtlk with someone, so check out our various Macmillan Support Line Services to be helpful - call them on 0808 808 00 00 This free service covers Emotional Support, Practical Information and Clinical Information mostly open 8.00 to 8.00 but check the link.

I wish you well in your search for answers.