Hi guys :) I just want to start off by saying that I hope everyone is doing well x
almost a month ago now, I found a small bump on the left of my neck, a few inches down from my jaw. I left it a couple weeks before going to GP, as I didn't want to waste their time, but also wanted to give bump some time to go down. It didn't.
I went to the GP and she had a feel, I said I am not getting night sweats, but have noticed I am more tired all the time. My partner has also noticed this. She said she wasn't concerned , and that it could be something to do with a vessel? She did however say, based on my family history of cancer (my mum is currently in remission and I lost my auntie ((my mums sister)) to metastatic lung cancer last week. It had spread to her brain.) that she will send me for an ultrasound but it'll take 5 weeks for the letter to come through. Naturally, we take things like lumps quite seriously in our family, given it's history.
I felt somewhat at ease but also still worried.
Fast forward another 2 weeks, I still do not have the appointment letter for my USS, but I have another hard lump pop up on the same side as the first one, a few inches below my lobe where my jaw meets my neck. It's about pea sized and isn't on the skins surface. It's tender to touch and is hard.
I went back to the GP again. The same Dr examined me again and said it could just be a "spot" (this annoyed me as I know what a spot is, being a girl on contraception and hormonal or whatever, I get them somewhat frequently. This is a lump. ) but anyway, I were told to get the radiographer to scan it when I attend my scan.
I now have pain down just that side of my neck. It's extremely painful when I yawn, if I sneeze and at times swallowing. It isn't like a typical sore throat where you generally feel like you have swallowed razors or that it's swollen as a whole; only my left side where the lumps are.
I went onto a website where you pay for a professional opinion and they asked me to send a pic of the visible lump that has been there for a month. They said based off my age (I'm 27) and the fact the bump is small, they are not concerned.
I feel like I won't be fully satisfied with these answers until I have had an actual examination of some kind.
My mums cancer were misdiagnosed originally and were told by the lead radiologist that everything is "fine" before a trainee actually noticed the malignancy on her lungs, just by looking at the scan she had done that the LR said was "fine". She went from being "fine" to having her lung removed within 2 months. It was a horrendous time and very stressful.
Due to this, my faith in our local HC system isn't the greatest. Paired with losing my Auntie recently, as well as uncles in the past to cancer, I feel like it's inevitable that at some point my generation will start being diagnosed :( The gp seemed somewhat surprised that I haven't yet received my appointment letter, and has suggested I call radiology to see if they have an appointment for me... it irks me that because I am "young", the chances of anything sinister are instantly ruled out. This disease does not discriminate.
any words of reassurance or help would be appreciated- am I being silly? Ty x
:( x