Hi, thank you for your reply.

How worrying for you that it's come back but you sound a very strong positive person. 

Fingers crossed for you too. Take care x

Hey everyone, newbie to this thread.

I've got an ultra sound +/- biopsy this Friday and I'm feeling nervous again. I say again because when I first noticed my lumps and googled about lumps and itching it immediately went to hodgkin's lymphoma. Since then I managed to de-stress but now my appointment is 3 days away I'm worried again. 

I have had two lumps on my neck for the past 2 months, and really unbearable itching for the same amount of time. Though the itching started about 6 months ago, but I just thought it was because of the small bit of eczema I have. But then the eczema went and the itching stayed, literally all over my body, even in places that I didn't have any eczema. It gets way worse at night, my partner is constantly waking me up telling me to stop itching in my sleep. 

I went to my GP two weeks after I noticed the lumps and when they weren't gone 2 weeks later he sent for some bloods which came back indicating that I'd had glandular fever (mono) but I hadn't felt like I had at all. I always had known people with GF to feel really unwell and run down and I hadn't really felt that way. The lumps were still here a further 3 weeks later so I went back and they referred me to ENT for the ultra sound +/- Biopsy (I guess that means if they're concerned from the scan they do a biopsy but if the lumps aren't concerning they don't? Any clarity around this would be fab if anyone knows!)

Also I was wondering what to expect from the ultrasound and biopsy appointment? How much will they tell me? Will they only know, and only be able to say anything, if its definitely not cancerous?

Hope everyone is doing okay. 

Hi, when I had my biopsy, the only thing they told me was not to worry, it was probable glandular. They took three biopsies, I watched them do it as the screen was facing me. They can't tell you if it's cancer, it takes a while for the tests to be done. Mine took three weeks before I found out it was lymphoma. At least you are one stage further actually getting the biopsy, it's a worrying time and there's no point in saying don't worry because it's all you will think about. The results may be sooner, but also they can tell if it's just a reactive node and they may not do it. Will keep my fingers crossed for you. The biopsy shows them what type of lymphoma it is as there are many kinds, if it is positive, you will get a ct scan next, this tells them what stage you have. 

Hi [@scones]‍

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully they are just reactive nodes or something else non concerning and they won't need to take a biopsy. And if they do have to take a biopsy I hope the results don't take 3 weeks! That must have been horrible for you to wait so long.

Thanks for all the info, really useful. 

Hi ejjo, 

When I had my ultrasound appointment I was told nothing to worry about, just my thyroid swollen on one side so no biopsy was done. The following day I went back to my GP and she wasn't convinced as she had done blood tests for thyroid two weeks earlier which were all clear. She repeated them and yet again all clear and I now have a second lump!!

My GP then referred me to the Haemotologist, who I saw on Monday and she was BRILLIANT. She also said the lumps are nothing to do with my thyroid.

My kidney function has deteriorated in the past 2 mths, now showing I have stage 3 Kidney Disease & my white blood cell count is low. The Haemotologist said both of those along with my other symptoms are pointing to Multiple Myeloma which I had not heard of until Monday. I had a whole raft of blood tests on Tuesday & she said depending on those results the next step is likely to be a ct scan and bone marrow biopsy. At this stage it is not confirmed, she said she is hoping to rule it out. So fingers crossed.

My symptoms have worsened, the itching & fatigue is persistent and the pain in my shoulders & back has become excruciating. The last two nights I have had about 2 hrs sleep. 

All the info I'm reading tells me you only get these symptoms & kidney damage in the later stages so that's not filling me with much confidence.

I can't focus on anything else & genuinely feel like no one else gets how I'm feeling. Everyone's thought process seems to be if we don't talk about it, it's not happening.

Has anybody else been through this with Myeloma, I forgot to ask how long the blood test results would take & how I would get them and who I should contact in the meantime if my symptoms worsen?

Any help / advice / kind words would be very much appreciated xx

I'm in a very similar situation. First noticed a lump on my neck 3 1/2 months ago now. Was told to watch and wait to see if it went down, it didn't. So then had bloodtests which all came back clear. Have since had other glands come up on the same side, along with being extremely run down, no appetite and night sweats, so was referred for urgent ultrasound 8 weeks ago and I finally have an appointment on Sunday. 

I did exactly the same as you, went down the rabbit hole online, worked myself up, I have anxiety anyway, so my mind immediately went to worst case scenario. I've been doing much better mentally the last couple of weeks, and now having the appointment I am freaking out again, especially as I have to go alone. But I need to know one way or the other.

I hope your appointment goes well, please update us when you've been. 

Hey there,

So sorry you're going through the same stress, it's really a weird time and no one really gets it. What made it worse for me is my Mum has been making such a fuss about it all, which is lovely and kind and amazing but it makes it seem way scarier that she's worrying. I just want to try not to worry til I get my results. 

I had the appointment yesterday and the whole process was really smooth, such lovely doctors and nurses which was great. The doctor did the ultrasound and confirmed it looked like just 2 lumps but said they looked abnormal so went ahead with the biopsy. He said the doctor who referred me would probably want me to come back for a CT scan just to check there are not lumps anywhere else in my upper body. And said actually we might be able to squeeze you in today instead of me having to come back another day. Which was super nice of him but also worries me a little that maybe he's quite concerned and wanted to rush a CT scan because it's something bad :/ I don't know, trying not to overthink it.

He said the results would go to the doctor that referred me within 7-10 days and she'd contact me either by phone or letter to book an appointment most likely. But he wasn't overly confident about how that part of the process would work (I guess it's different for different doctors?)

I hope you're able to feel less worried about everything. I've really been trying to stay positive and just not build myself when it could not be cancer. But then part of me is like maybe it's best to prepare for the worst scenario? I don't know, it's a confusing time.

I hope your appointment goes well, check in and update me when you've been. 

Hey, 

I'm sorry to hear that your results came up as abnormal, but so glad that you had amazing doctors and nurses getting your tests through quickly. I went for my appointment yesterday and honestly came out more confused then when I went in. They found several enlarged lymph nodes which they said were not reactive, but he also said that they don't look abnormal. Now in hindsight I should have asked what that meant, because as far as I was aware a node is either reactive or abnormal, but at the time I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. But they didn't do a biopsy or anything, which I think is a good thing? 

So I'm just waiting for the GP to get my results through to them and then I'm going to give them a call again to see if I can get clearer on what's going on.

But I totally get what you mean, it's such a weird limbo time, I keep telling myself not to get worked up, and then I think maybe it is best to prepare for the worst, just in case. 

Hey,

Glad it seemed to go well for you, though yeah annoyingly a bit confusing and not clear! It's all such a whirlwind when you're in there it's so easy to forget to ask questions and get clarity. Keep us updated but sounds like fingers crossed you might be all clear of the big C word (hoping so at least).

The more I stew the more I really think I've got hodgkin's, I know its so bad to worry and to think that before the result but I just have this terrible feeling. Like I feel that the doctor who did my ultrasound must have known from looking at it that it looked like cancer and I think that's why he rushed the CT scan in, because if I do have it, that would be the next test, to see/check that it hasn't spread anywhere.

Uhh I hate it though because I can't say this to my family because I don't want to worry them and also they'll just say don't stress til you know, which is true, I shouldn't, it's just hard not to.