Thanks.
I did lose some weight at the start of 2012 which was totally planned and it was only after that when I noticed the node on my neck, it may well have been there for years and it has not changed at all in the last 12-14 months since I noticed it. It could be a throwback to glandular fever I had in my teens or pneumonia (mild) that I had in December 2011. Whilst it has not changed I think that the fact that it never went down and that I could not feel anything on the other side kept it at the back of mind.
Hopefully the recent flair ups are unconnected and just me worrying un-necessarily, the one under my chin is hopefully explained by the cold sore and the one under my arm by another infection, it looks like both have shrunk back down pretty quickly. Because the original one was never 100% given a clean bill of health I guess the subject has always been on my mind to a degree.
Fingers crossed and at least I am on the case with my GP. Having said that if the one under my arm goes down completely and my blood work comes back normal again he will be probably do nothing further, that is good news of course but does mean I still won't be 100% sure.
Thanks again
Hi Neil,
Thanks for posting an update on how you are doing. It sounds like you've been through a lot over the last year. Kudos to you for being so vigilant about your health.
Yes, some nodes may never go completely away as they can sometimes form scar tissue. I can't remember, but did you ever have night sweats, fevers or weight loss? These lymphoma/leukemia like symptoms are known as "B" symptoms and will often accompany swollen lymph nodes. If you don't have any of the "B" symptoms, it's more difficult to convince a doctor to biopsy the lymph node. I'm also assuming your LDH levels are okay? This is also something doctors look at when diagnosing Lymphoma or Leukemia.
Lymph nodes are found all throughout the body, but with Lymphoma and Leukemia it is more often seen in the lymph nodes found in the neck, collar bone, armpits, and groin areas...usually. My lymphoma was found in my breast, which is quite unusual.
Blood tests and scans are helpful when trying to diagnose blood diseases, but they are only a small piece of the puzzle. Biopsy is the only way to truly diagnose, so you might suggest it to your doctor if these nodes don't start behaving themselves soon. Good luck and take care.