I'm a 38 yr old male. About 4 months ago, while shaving, I noticed a lump on the right side of my neck, behind the hinge of the jaw under the ear. Not painful, no other symptoms. After 2 weeks I talked with a friend who is an MD, he said to watch it for another couple months. A week after that I had a cold for 2-3 days, which developed into a slightly productive cough which lingered for 3 weeks, then went away. The lump would fluctuate during the day, more noticeable in AM, much less so in PM. Now, if I run my finger down my neck, I don't notice anything, but if I press into the muscle at the spot where the swelling was, I can feel a little rubbery/gristley bump, about the size of a small, or maybe even half a small out-of-the-shell sunflower seed. Still slightly more noticeable in the morning than in the evening. Still no other symptoms, weight is steady between 160-165 (I'm 5'10"), energy is fine, appetite good. No history of cancer in the family, HIV risk factors practically non-existent (the only unprotected sex in the last 11 yrs was in two long-term monogomous relationships). At what point, if it were something serious like Lymphoma, would other symptoms start to appear, and would it be bigger than it is? I'm currently uninsured, and am terrified of getting it checked out and discovering it's something that will destroy my insurability for the rest of my life. I don't want to be the boy who cried wolf, but it's been weighing on my mind constantly. Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks.