Hi all. I'm not sure why I'm posting here, probably just to get this off my chest and hopefully listen to others experiences who have gone through the same.
I'm 35. Modest medical history aside from asthma, migraine and vitiligo.
In May and June I had a real bad bacterial throat infection, worst I've ever had, lasting over a month. It was treated with antibiotics and I recovered well. It's worth noting that I had *no swollen lymph nodes* during this infection. Just the throat symptoms, which completely cleared up with the antibiotics.
Then in July, my lymph nodes in my neck started to swell and were so painful I could barely turn my neck. I had no other symptoms. I went saw the ANP at my GP surgery, who sent me for bloods. Glandular fever test was negative, but ESR, CRP and ALT (liver enzyme) were high.
My lymph nodes were swollen for 2 weeks, then started to go down again - they improved for around a week and a half. Now, they've swollen up yet again. The right side is painful, but I've noticed a hard painless one on the left side as well. Again, no other symptoms of infection.
I went back to the doctors, could only get an appointment with the ANP again, who had referred me to Haematology on an urgent cancer / 2 week wait referral. Currently waiting for my appointment.
Aside from the swollen glands in my neck, I don't have other symptoms... I don't seem to have swollen glands elsewhere that I can palpate. I don't really have night sweats, I'm a little warmer at night but considering how the weather has been recently it's hardly surprising. I am fatigued and stressed, but I put it down to having to work as a nurse, stressful issues at work, looking after my toddler, plus a recent bereavement, and recently getting a new job offer and the prospect of starting that.
I'm really worried. I'm finding this really hard to deal with, especially with my recent bereavement also (the funeral was yesterday! The day after I saw the ANP). As a nurse myself I always tell my patients never to use Dr Google....... Yet here I am, doing it myself. I can't help it. I'm panicking that I may have lymphoma. I know it's unlikely. But there's always a fear that you may just be that small rare statistic.
I feel like a total hypochondriac.
Anyway, any reassurance would be most welcome. Thank you for reading.
