Hey everyone,
I'm new to the site and have to say I've found it really helpful. I'm 33, female, and not diagnosed with anything but just starting out with some tests to see what's going on. The internet is great for information, but I'm starting to freak myself out more than I already was.
About 3 months ago I noticed a hard lump on my upper-mid thigh (right leg). I noticed it while rubbing lotion on my skin. It is deep down IN my thigh, not up top on the skin's surface and isn't a dome above my skin or anything visible to the naked eye. I have to press down to feel it. It's hard like a marble and doesn't move around when I touch it. I know my body well and this was definitely very new. I decided to wait and see if it would go away, but it didn't. Then, I started having a dull aching pain in that part of my thigh that comes and goes. In the last week it is happening more and now my right knee feels achy too which is odd because I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary. I finally made an appointment with my PCP (who is also an internist) and saw her last Friday. On top of the lump, I have been feeling really off the last 2 weeks as well. She examined me and flat out said she doesn't think it is a lipoma and asked me a lot of questions about the pain that started to occur and whether I thought the lump grew in size. I have tried to keep track of whether it grew, but definitely know it isn't get smaller. It MAY have gotten slightly larger, but not anything astronomical. It's the size of 1 or 2 peas. All one solid mass.
She is having me get an ultrasound (happening this Thursday) and she also did some blood tests. I'm meeting with her next Wednesday to go over the ultrasound and stuff since she will have the report them. She said the ultrasound will let us know if its a cyst or hard mass, and then we will go from there. She said it is "probably nothing" but needs to take a better look.
My father died of colon cancer a few years ago and my mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer just this last Christmas. Naturally, I am worried about this being cancerous. I am getting married in 3 months and it is all a little nerve-racking. I know there are lots of benign tumors and cysts out there, but I can't help but be really anxious.
Should I be worried? Or am I getting anxious for no reason?
Hi and welcome to the community, I understand your worries especially having had cancer visit your family twice. As you have said lumps bumps cysts and the like are really common, sarcomas meanwhile are really rare. Sounds like you doctor is taking this seriously and hopefully will soon get to a diagnosis and will help put your mind at ease.
<<hugs>>
Steve
HI welcome to the community, just picked your message up as I sometimes live in this group though my wife's sarcoma is quite different. Just about everyone anywhere here in all the groups will recognize the issues with waiting for scans, waiting for results and if it is cancer deciding if to have any treatments, waiting for treatments, waiting to see if the treatment is working (you might notice waiting here is rather common :-( ).
Are you in the UK? If it does turn out to be sarcoma there are a few specialist centres, thankfully we live really close to Oxford and my wife's consultant just happens to be one of the countries leading researchers - just luck I guess.
Lumps are very common, I have a good collection and sarcomas are really quite rare so fingers crossed for you.
<<hugs>>
Steve
Hi welcome to the club nobody wants to join. Lumps are really very common can be all sorts of things and if they press on a nerve can cause all sort of issues. Glad your GP took it seriously enough to get it checked out and you are on the right road, probably if will be something of a false alarm but whatever let us know and we can provide some support. I know it is probably not totally helpful but try to distract yourself with something else as whatever it is worry only makes it harder.
<<hugs>>
Steve
