Hi Dmar, if it helps you to have any hope, mine turned out to be completely fine and its now coming up to 1 year on since I first noticed it... still hasn’t gone away, and is visible to the eye when i look up, but it isnt cancer!! Hooray! We can have enlarged nodes for a long time without it being sinister, as if they have once swollen from viral activity and never recovered - ‘scar tissue’. Hoping for the same outcome for you too. Keep strong x

Hi sunshineEm , That's great to know thank you.I don't think the fact I keep prodding it every hour is helping , I'm making an effort to stop googling and pokeing and stay optimistic .You guys have helped so much thank you x

Hi all,

i have also had my CT results and 8 blood tests results and all came back normal!!! 

Makes me feel better that you’ve had yours for a year now. I’m hoping I’m in that situation. Going to ask the docs to take me through my results as the haematologist couldn’t do it today so I just got told by the receptionist

Woll let you know the update.

DONT GOOGLE I know it’s hard x

I'll just remind everyone that I don't have any medical qualifications.

From the research I've done, it's apparent that lymph nodes do not always return to normal after they've fought off an infection. Some people end up with a permanently swollen node, or tonsil, which they may discover at some future time, or may have concerns about if it doesn't subside after an infection.

If you find a swollen node or tonsil then the statistics are overwhelmingly in favour of this NOT being due to cancer. Of course, if it's swollen for more than four weeks then discuss with your GP, but the message should be not to panic. Just get it checked out and if the GP wants to refer you for more tests, accept that the GP is just being cautious. 

Hi everyone, 

its so so nice to hear that you are all doing well, I bet it is such a relief! So happy for you Sunshineem and & Jasmine27..and I hope you get closure dmar!

i had my ultrasound scan yesterday on my neck, and the lady who did it saying that despite there being some swelling in my lymph node, it isn’t anything to worry about, and said it is normal and that it could stay that size forever. Obviously even though I was happy I still doubted how they could tell the mass wasn’t cancerous just by some shading on a screen and I asked for a biopsy but they said it wasn’t needed. 

The doctors have found some swollen bone cartilage in my chest though - costochondritis! But today but chest has hurt so much, to the point where I literally could not breathe. Laying in bed now still in so much pain - feel like it’s never ending. 

Hopefully everything gets positive from here. We just have to appreciate and enjoy every single day, even the *** ones, I mean come on Christmas is nearly here!! 

Sending my best wishes to you all x

Hi! 

I have just read your conversation and wanted to say I too am having the exact same problems! 

3 months ago I found swollen lymphnodes in my neck (2 of which were big). I then had blood tests done and an ultrasound. I was told that the scan showed they were reactive and was asked to go back 6 weeks later. In that 6 weeks I did nothing but worry and google and convince myself I had cancer. It made me so ill and then I felt like I had a lump in my neck. I was then referred to ENT and they put a camera up my nose (I fainted). He said my throat was normal but some of my throat muscles had tightened which is due to stress. So basically I had been worrying so much about my enlarged lymphnodes that I actually created another problem. 3 months later I feel like they are bigger now and the haematologist doesn’t seem very willing to pursue it further. Is it normal to have swollen nodes for this long ? They’ve been there for ages and it’s drivinf me mad! My bloods are normal but you still hear that blood don’t normally show anything anyway! 

Have you got to bottom of yours yet? Would be really interesting to know as sounds like your further down the timeline that I am! 

Georgina x

Hi Georgina. Welcome to the forum.  I'll remind you that I'm not a doctor.

As I said in my earlier post, reactive nodes don't always return to normal. Sometimes they stay swollen. So yes, it is normal for some nodes to remain swollen. 

What isn't normal is obsessing over something which is a natural part of your body's defenses. You've been checked out and given the all clear. Time to accept that, stop worrying, and get on with enjoying life. 

Hi there! 

I just got through reading your conversation, and I know you've heard this before but this has helped me out a lot! I have had three lymph nodes that have been on my neck for the last two months... It doesn't help that the right upper part of my abdomen has formed this lump on it! I keep freaking out and everyone keeps telling me I am fine even though I always feel weak and tired. I haven't been able to eat full meals in over a month and I keep losing weight. The sucky part is that I am on so many medications, that I cannot tell if it is just multiple side effects. I had a CBC and everything turned out fine, but I hate the fact that I can't even run without feeling light headed and like my heart is about to beat out my chest. It sucks! Google is too evil for me !!!!

Hi all,

im so relieved I found this post! I am another one in the same situation. I recently noticed an enlarged lymph node. On the right side under my jaw which was around 6 weeks ago. I went for my ultrasound and he said he could see some plus one lower down my neck that looked ‘reactive’ but told me not to go away and worry and to follow up in a month with another ultrasound and blood test (already had a normal blood test result). Ive since noticed one come up under my armpit and another couple of more tender nodes enlarged on the opposite side of my neck. I to am freaking out!! Im 27 years old with two little boys (2 years and a 5 month old). Im finding it so difficult to get on with day to day activities at the moment because I’ve convinced myself it must be lymphoma! I have no other symptoms apart from tiredness but I have a 5 month old who gets up 3 times a night so I’m assuming that is more likely to be the cause. Should I take the gps advice and not worry? If it was anything sinister would this likely have looked different to them on the ultrasound? Or does lymphoma just show up as reactive nodes? I’m driving my partner mad as I’ve gone into a state of sadness and especially around Christmas time with my two little ones it’s not great :(. I have honestly just convinced myself there could be no other reason for all these enlarged nodes to be appearing through the period of 6 weeks when I haven’t been sick ! 

Any words of reassurance would be really appreciated ! Am I totally over reacting? 

Katie x

Hi Kac17.

I should start out by saying I'm not a doctor. 

Please don't panic. Reactive nodes are good!  It means a node which has swollen to fight some infection, which is what they're supposed to do. You said yourself you don't have any other symptoms of lymphoma, plus your blood tests were normal. 

Lymphoma at your age is very rare, but infections are common. The overwhelming odds are that you've got a generalised viral infection which your body is fighting, hence the swollen nodes. Your GP is right to tell you not to worry. Enjoy Christmas with your kids and your partner.