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Terrified about Lymphoma

paulsturgess
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Hi. 

 

Writing in desperate anguish ahead of CT scan results.

 

My rough timeline is:

 

- Sept 2019 went to doctor complaining of fatigue and weird chest irritations around lower ribs. Doc did some bloods which showed a couple of raised results but not significantly and she wasn't worried. Said to re-test soon.

 

- Nov 2019 - Jan 2020 - retested, bloods came back fine. Still fatigued, struggling with sore throat, bad taste in mouth, and lower rib pain. Ended up having an endoscopy which showed upper GI all fine. Suggested upper gastro IBS.

 

- June 2020 - Now - Asked for further bloods to check again, also showed all normal. Still struggling with fatigue, chronic rib cage pain. Went to docs separately in late July about a groin muscular pain. Identified a small lymph node there and also in neck. These were ultrasounded and radiographer said not of a size they would normally be alarmed about and they could be raised for any reason, but they haven't dropped. Consultant then suggested abdominal CT which I'm awaiting results of. 

 

I'm convinced I've got Lymphoma... I hadn't really heard of it until the consultant mentioned but now having read about it I'm terrified. This chronic rib cage pain on both sides and fatigue etc have been going on for ages and there is evidently something wrong with me. Combined with the lymph nodes I'm terrified it's an advanced Lymphoma. I'm 34 yo male.

 

  • Offline

    I know exactly how you feel, I am currently waiting for another appointment. I have swollen lymph glands across my abdomen and have had pain from admit, down side and around back for about 8 months. 

     

    I have been to the doctor's several times and each doctor tries to suggest something else they think may be wrong. I have started getting a really heavy chest and can no longer tell if it is my anxiety or my symptoms getting worse. 

     

    I've had bloods come back fine but from months of researching, I know certain lymphomas don't affect bloods. 

     

    I just want to have an answer/ know what I am dealing with. The anxiety is worse than the pain. 

  • Offline in reply to Lagf123

    It's awful isn't it. I feel like my genuine worry about this has only emerged in the last week but I'm now so convinced that I'm dying. I'm thinking about all the things I need to try and organise before I go assuming I get a terminal diagnosis. It seems crazy and I'm praying to god that I've lost my mind with anxiety, but feeling my body and all the painful spots and symptoms I have I just can't imagine that there is any other situation now. It's terrifying and frustrating that it's taken me and/ or doctors this long to properly investigate. 
     

    I hope you are okay and it turns out better

  • Offline in reply to paulsturgess

    I know what you mean, I have three little ones so I have a lot going on in my head and it's constant. 

     

    I am fed up of the Drs atm and them not taking it seriously. Telling me it is probably just ... Does not help. If I could afford to go private I would. 

     

    Hope you get some answers soon.

  • Offline in reply to Lagf123

    Well I had some positive news which you can hopefully take heart from! 
     

    the CT scan showed a few unusual lymph nodes in my abdominal area but only a handful and they were small - the consultant is therefore very reassured there's not something seriously sinister going on. Annoyingly they didn't scan the chest though (poor communication between consultant and radiographer) and he wants me go back for a second scan on that to be sure - so I'm still a bit nervous as the chest area is where all my pain is. However, he seemed less concerned about that and thinks it's something called costochondritis which is a harmless inflammation of the rib cage but can drag on for months/ even years and be pretty uncomfortable.

     

    he wants me to see ENT about the neck node still and see what their opinion on that is but having seen the abdominal/pelvic scan he's comfortable with the groin one and overall seemed much less concerned than he had before. 
     

    it is refreshing that this guy is so thorough and keen to try and get to the bottom of everything; this is private via my work health insurance though - I'm not sure the NHS would be so robust frustratingly. 

  • Offline in reply to paulsturgess

    That is good news, the idea of prolonged pain is not great but much preferable to what you initially thought. I am hoping there is a non-sinister answer to my pain and swollen lymph nodes in my near future. 

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