Symptoms - Advice Please

Hi BunnyDog456 and a warm welcome to this corner of the Community although I am sorry to see you joining us. I am Mike and I help out around our various Lymphoma groups. 

For some context I was diagnosed way back in 1999 at 43 with a rare (8 in a million) incurable but treatable type of Cutaneous T-Cell NHL (a type of slow growing Low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma) ……. eventually reaching Stage 4a in late 2013 when a second, also rare (4 in a million) type of aggressive Peripheral T-Cell - Not Otherwise Specified NHL (a type of fast growing High-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma) was then presenting so I most definitely appreciate the challenges of this journey rather well.

Sorry to hear about the challenges you are having…. the body can throw up lots of issues that can be hard to pinpoint the exact reason.

What you are describing are indeed seen as possible Symptoms of Lymphoma…. but can also be down to other health issues.

The Diagnosis of Lymphoma can be complicated and over all my 25 years I never had a blood test that indicated Lymphoma….. my Lymph-nodes were reactive but it took 14 years before a Lymph-node just kept growing (eventually the size of a brick)…… back in 1999 all I had a developing rash on my back…… the bottom line is that the main diagnosis tools are scans and a biopsy.

You go back and see your GP and highlight how things have developed and request that more in-depth investigations be done.

Always here to chat ((hugs))

Thank you for your reply Mike. I am very sorry to read your story, what an awful journey you’ve had. 

I got an emergency appt today at my GP practice. I saw a paramedic who confirmed it is an infected lymph node and has prescribed antibiotics. But no answers on what is causing this. She said it can be normal to get an enlarged node for no apparent reason which persists?  I expressed my concerns and she booked me in for a follow up appt with the GP on the 18th November. Feels like a long time to be waiting and worrying!   It’s really quite painful and the redness is spreading. 

I wish you all the very best on your journey and thank you again for replying :) 

Hi again BunnyDog456 although my journey has been long and at times challenging…… I am just over 9 years out from my last treatment, I turn 69 in a few weeks and I am living as good a life as any fit and healthy 69 can be living….. Lymphoma is very treatable.

Good that the Paramedic thinks it’s an infection….. our Lymph-nodes are designed to expand when we have infections…. but it’s also good that you are having a follow up with a GP…..  it needs to be a few weeks as this is the time that antibiotics need to do their job and fir the lymph-nodes to go down.

As for the worry…… the bottom line is that you can throw all the worry in the world at this and the only thing it can do is make you ill and not actually change what may or may it be found….. look for things to distract your mind  ((hugs))

Sorry to hear of this. Our lymph nodes tend to be clustered near the portals of infection. Thus, we see them round sinuses, jaw and neck, groin area etc. One way of thinking about them is like miniature immune system lungs. When infection is detected, they take a deep breath and inflate. This the immune system sending massive numbers of infection-fighting lymphocytes to the area of infection. When the job is done, they generally exhale and return to normal size, - but a few may choose to remain somewhat enlarged - as I suppose the body knows that the infection might relapse. 

Deeper in our body this process is continuous and ongoing, especially around the bowels, yet we never take notice, as it is hidden deep inside. I hope that the proper medication will put you promptly at ease.