At this point I'm starting to feel like a hypochondriac so I'm asking for opinions here before I speak to my GP... again. (long story, bear with)
Around this time last year I randomly noticed that one of my supraclavicular (just above collar bone) lymph nodes on my left side was swollen. I didn't know what it was so I did what most people do and went searching on google to figure out what it could be. I realised then it was a lymph node, but everywhere I looked mentioned something about those particular lymph nodes being swollen could be indicative of something "worrysome" if there are no obvious signs of illness so I contacted my GP to put my mind at ease. They saw me later that day and requested blood tests, which came back the next day all fine apart from my folate levels being low, so I felt reassured.
A few days later, I was singing away in my car during a long drive and noticed my throat started to feel like there was something in it and it was a bit painful to swallow. I felt all around my neck and found a lump in the lower front, left side of my my throat. There's a history of thyroid issues in my family so I didn't worry at first, but when I spoke to the doctor over the phone a few days later, she said that where i described didn't sound like the location of my thyroid so she referred me to the hematologist without even seeing me. Of course I panicked at this stage thinking there was something seriously wrong.
I saw the hematologist a week later and he told me that the lump was on my thyroid and sent me off for a scan and further blood tests. Everything came back fine and I was told the lump was just a thyroid nodule, but that my GP should monitor me and refer me for a follow up with ENT 6 months later to check up on it. About 4 months later, I kept getting the feeling of a lump in my throat now and then, so I was referred to ENT for a scan, but that never happened because the initial consultation was over the phone and the specialist told me that because it's not causing any major problems for me, a scan was pointless.
Fast forward to now, I have been having loads of relatively minor symptoms such as: constant fatigue, pins and needles in my hands and feet which can last a long time, episodes of palpitations, frequent infections such as thrush and cuts getting infected/taking a while to heal, headaches, increased thirst and more frequent urination, higher than normal blood pressure and pulse, sensitivity to temperatures changes, sleep issues due to either waking up sweating or needing to pee, and increased sweating over all to the point where my armpits and feet are starting to smell (which I've never has issues with before) and I'm getting bumps in my armpits, which i assume is due to the increased sweat/clogged ducts or something. All of these issues to me seems very minor when looked at individually and not a cause for concern, but because the list keeps getting longer and some of these are becoming more regular occurrences, A lot of these symptoms are common with thyroid issues, and also other things like diabetes, which also runs in my family, so I went back to my GP to request more blood tests to check for what could be the cause.
Most of my blood tests have come back fine apart from a few vitamin deficiencies, such as folate and I'm borderline with Vit D and calcium (not sure why my calcium is so low because I consume a lot of dairy each day and my vitamin D isn't low enough to contribute to a lack of absorption). Low folate can cause quite a few of the issues I've been having so that's fine, I've been prescribed tablets, and I think the only test still waiting to come back is the diabetes test.
Anyway, getting to the point of this post... I noticed the other day when feeling my lymph nodes, which I do quite regularly now, I noticed that the same one that brought my attention to all of this in the first place, now feels like it's an odd shape. According to everything I know they should be a small round shape, like a pea, and they move when you touch them. This one feels like it's an irregular shape. I can feel the outline of the pea shape on one side, but it feels like something is attached to it that isn't as rounded. It definitely feels different to the one on the right side but it still moves around. I think it feels slightly bigger and I guess a bit firmer than the one on the right too, but only very slightly. It's more the irregular shape that's worrying me a little. BUT.. I feel a little anxious about calling my doctor again because I've contacted them so much recently. I feel like I could be gaslighting myself into thinking there's something different but it's probably not. I don't want them to think I'm just looking for problems now but I do feel like I'm very aware of any subtle change in my body now so I probably notice things that many others wouldn't.
Some of my symptoms are common with lymphoma but based on what I've read, mine aren't as extreme as they are described. Like my night sweats aren't "drenching" and I'm not losing any weight. I've actually gained weight because my appetite has increased but I could put that down to other things, but then I think to myself that my other symptoms could just be a coincidence and a result of other things BUT me being so aware of my body, I could have spotted an issue really early before I start to get any symptoms directly from it.
I don't really know what I'm looking for as a response to this but I guess if anyone has experienced similar (regardless of the outcome), or can reassure me that contacting my GP again is fine, then that would give me a nudge to make the call.
If you've made it to the end, thanks for reading!
