Gland Disorders Forum - Swollen Lymph Glands

brown eyes,
sorry this is so late, but definetly find a dr who will listen to your worries.
get it checked out and dont' just take one doctor's advice. if you have to go to many dr's before you feel comfortable, do so. it's your body and you know it best.
sometimes our gut feelings can be correct.
there are over 30 different sub types of lymphoma's and some of them are hard to diagnose. general practioners are not trained in this area and often miss the possiblity of being a lymphoma.
there are some that grow large on days and then go down. I've read it with my own eyes on a lymphoma forum. drs think that because it goes up and down that it's just a benign condition when in reality it can be a true lymphoma. they call that process, "wax and wane".
some times it takes many months, even years for some people who were mis-diagnosed because their drs didn't thing the patients had a lymphoma. meanwhile they're walking around with this thing thinking everything was ok because they're dr said it was ok and not to worry about it.
only a biopsy of the lymph node can determine whether there's malignant cells in it or not. not just by feeling it and not just by taking a cat scan or MRI'S either.

there are also alot of cases where the lymph nodes can be swollen from a benign condition. there's alot of illnesses that can inflame the glands.
cat scratch fever, ebstein bar virus, a bad tooth, a reaction to allergies, etc.
that's what they would call a reactive node.
I also want to mention to you, which was told to me by a hemotolgist, is that an overly thin persons lymphnodes can be felt easier too.
Mine measured the size of a dime at the time and is now a quarter and it too waxes and wanes. I'm deciding whether to find a dr to have it biopsied once and for all so I know without a doubt that it's not malignant.
otherwise all you'll do is worry worry worry and I'll bet you any money you're always touching it to see if it's still there or to check if it's grown any?

I know I do.
Mine is sitting on the caroitd artery which only a skilled surgeon will even attempt to take it out. most general surgeons won't touch it. that's what one told me. he said he wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. I go to a special breast dr. who happens to be a general surgeon, so when I was there for my yearly exam, I had him take a look at the swollen lymph node and that's when he told me that.
they say if it's there for over a year and hasn't grown any, then there's nothing to worry about. I totally disagree with that statement.
get it checked out.
then you'll know for sure and there won't be any more guessing game which can cause more stress in a persons life.

I hope you're still around to read this reply.
IF you are, please let me know how you made out and if you went for a follow up.

sincerely,
linda