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Do I have lymphoma?
So I have had this swollen lump on the left side of my neck for 3 months now. It is hard and fixed, and relatively no pain. It is located right under my ear.
I initially went into a walk in clinic. I was tests for mono and strep throat. I came back positive for strep throat. I was treated with antibiotics and a steroid. I had no symptoms of strep throat. The medication did nothing for the swollen mass or lymph node... whatever it is.
A few weeks later I made an appointment with a physician. He sent me to have a blood test, x-ray and CT scan. Then he referred me to see an ENT.
Meanwhile, I have been having bad headaches, earaches and shortness of breath. Lymph node still wasn't causing in pain in that area however I would get a sharp pain in the back of my head.
The blood test came back normal. I read that the X-ray said that my lungs were inflated, but the DR never discussed this with me. I also read that the CT said atrophy of the submadibular gland, but all the DR said was that the CT scan was normal besides the mass. He thinks it is either an infected lymph gland or cysts.
He put me on medication to take for two weeks and said that if it doesn't go down then I will need surgery. It's been a week and a half and it hasn't gone down. I all of the sudden began to have horrible pain where the lymph node is. So I called him and they switched my medication. Now, it is not as sore but it is still the same size.
Not sure if I should be concerned or not. What do you think?
I initially went into a walk in clinic. I was tests for mono and strep throat. I came back positive for strep throat. I was treated with antibiotics and a steroid. I had no symptoms of strep throat. The medication did nothing for the swollen mass or lymph node... whatever it is.
A few weeks later I made an appointment with a physician. He sent me to have a blood test, x-ray and CT scan. Then he referred me to see an ENT.
Meanwhile, I have been having bad headaches, earaches and shortness of breath. Lymph node still wasn't causing in pain in that area however I would get a sharp pain in the back of my head.
The blood test came back normal. I read that the X-ray said that my lungs were inflated, but the DR never discussed this with me. I also read that the CT said atrophy of the submadibular gland, but all the DR said was that the CT scan was normal besides the mass. He thinks it is either an infected lymph gland or cysts.
He put me on medication to take for two weeks and said that if it doesn't go down then I will need surgery. It's been a week and a half and it hasn't gone down. I all of the sudden began to have horrible pain where the lymph node is. So I called him and they switched my medication. Now, it is not as sore but it is still the same size.
Not sure if I should be concerned or not. What do you think?
@Ken
Yes, I did mean hyperinflated.
So the lymph node, in the past year or so would swell and go down which I know is normal. However in the months leading up to December, it was gradually swelling and not going down. I still did not think anything of it because it was still kinda soft but moveable. In January, is when I noticed it was about the size of a golfball, hard and fixed.
Yes, I did mean hyperinflated.
So the lymph node, in the past year or so would swell and go down which I know is normal. However in the months leading up to December, it was gradually swelling and not going down. I still did not think anything of it because it was still kinda soft but moveable. In January, is when I noticed it was about the size of a golfball, hard and fixed.
1 Comments
Wow, that's really big and very unlikely to be a node that would grow so much in one month. Maybe they will just lance it. Maybe it's an infected salivary gland, so that would be related to why the other salivary gland atrophied.
I'd also look into the hyperinflated lungs, in case it's related to COPD. Maybe the doc just didn't notice that in the report.
I'd also look into the hyperinflated lungs, in case it's related to COPD. Maybe the doc just didn't notice that in the report.
@Ken
Yes, I did mean hyperinflated.
So the lymph node, in the past year or so would swell and go down which I know is normal. However in the months leading up to December, it was gradually swelling and not going down. I still did not think anything of it because it was still kinda soft but moveable. In January, is when I noticed it was about the size of a golfball, hard and fixed.
Yes, I did mean hyperinflated.
So the lymph node, in the past year or so would swell and go down which I know is normal. However in the months leading up to December, it was gradually swelling and not going down. I still did not think anything of it because it was still kinda soft but moveable. In January, is when I noticed it was about the size of a golfball, hard and fixed.
I forgot to mention it is 3cm. I also have difficulty concentrating.
1 Comments
Hi, since the bump seemingly grew very quickly (almost overnight?), it's not at all likely to be from lymphoma but is from infection. A node can become scarred internally (fibrosis) and not go down, but you have something active going on, too.
3cm would be a very large size for a node to get to, so that tends to it being something else.
Did you mean hyperinflated lungs?
3cm would be a very large size for a node to get to, so that tends to it being something else.
Did you mean hyperinflated lungs?
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