Lymphoma symptoms advice

Hello,

I am desperately seeking some advice on symptoms and diagnosis of Lymphoma. My struggles started predominantly in sept 2020. I was taken into hospital with severe abdominal pain, diagnosed with a stomach ulcer and H.pylori infection. In the following Feb I had a camera down the throat which confirmed the ulcer had healed but I still H.pylori. I was given more antibiotics. Cut to now, I have been endlessly chasing my doctor for answers to my ongoing symptoms. Mostly my weight loss. I am 6 stone 7 and being 31, fitting into my 12 year old clothes just isn't right. I struggle with appetite and feel bloated. I have several swollen glands in my groin mostly, some in my neck. Severe abdominal pain and dullness, night sweats...most nights. Constant fatigue. I have seen a doctor about my concerns, they checked my swollen glands and explained it could be due to the infection and to go ahead with the scan I had booked for abdominal pain. The scan was the next day, I was in, scanned and consulted within 6 minutes! He said all looked clear but wanted to do an internal, which he couldn't do then due to staff shortage, I'm still waiting for my appointment. My glands are still swollen from that doctors appointment in March. I'm struggling daily and my mental health is starting to take a wellying! I have emailed my doctor to explain my frustrations and remind him of my appointment in March in which nothing has changed. It may of course not be lymphoma, I have come to this conclusion out of my own searching, the link with H.pylori ontop of my ongoing symptoms and a doctor that hasn't been able to rule anything else or help me find alternative answers to why I'm struggling so much. 

If anyone can be of any help I'd be hugely grateful! 

Thankyou, sending strength

  • Update: my Doctor tried to call me about my concerns and asked me to book an appointment to see her. I was unable to book an appointment as the receptionist said she was too busy so sent me to another doctor at another surgery. Fortunately this went in my favour as the new doctor couldn't believe how long I had been suffering with these symptoms and was still chasing answers. She examined my swollen glands in my groin and explained she wanted a biopsy done and full ct scan as well as bloods within 72 hours. I started to feel panicky but reminded myself I'd rather answers than none. She explained to the haematology ward her concerns about cancer but assured me she had to stress that to get me seen quickly but I shouldn't worry at this stage...however that's of course easier said than done. I'm awaiting a call now for scans and biopsy. Bloods have been taken. Really hoping to have answers soon. 

  • Hi LauTB171819 and welcome to the forum.

    I'm really sorry about the symptoms you've been contending with and for how long this has been going on but I'm so glad the new doctor you saw is doing all they can to get you the tests you need to find out the cause.

    Hopefully you'll hear back from some of our members who have been in a similar situation soon but in the meantime, we're thinking of you and will have our fingers crossed for good news.

    Kind regards,

    Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Thankyou Steph. Still awaiting a call for an apt, it's definitely the waiting around that makes things harder but what will be will be. Thankyou for your message

  • *UPDATE* 

    My CT scan is booked for tomorrow, after my first appointment got cancelled on the day due to a staff shortage. Still no biopsy but hoping that follows. In the two weeks I have been waiting since seeing the doctor who was concerned, I have had such negligence from the health care that today I have to email pals and my local MP as well as the director of our health service. Thankfully they are all looking into how I've been treated and I'm praying from here things take a better turn. I have collapsed three times since my apt. The third time my partner called an ambulance as I could no longer tolerate the pain. Having now weighed myself i am 5 stone 8, the collapsing of course could be due to this but the pain i believed needed to be investigated. I was in the ambulance for over 6 hours as our A&E was struggling with seeing people due to an apparent rise of covid cases, funnily enough on the day Boris is calling freedom day!! After my 6 hour wait in an ambulance given morphine and gas and air which neither touched the pain I was put into a conveyer belt system of beds to be seen in A&E. To cut a long story short after being in the ambulance from 8.30, still in pain i rated 8 out of 10, unable to eat, hadn't slept a wink they sent me on my way with a box of codeine at 9am. I begged for them not to send me away in pain and they said they had done my bloods which looked fine so there was no reason for me to be there. I explained my ongoing issues and weight loss and was told thats my doctors matter. Absolutely, it is but when hit with intense pain causing me to collapse, that both morphine and gas and air don't touch, was the best action of care to send me away with some codeine? Thankfully I have my CT scan tomorrow and am hoping answers come with but as for the pain it's still present and codeine isn't great to take when unable to eat! I explained to the nurse who discharged me that I felt like jumping off a bridge when I left as I am so so tired of having to advocate for my health and feel so unheard. She told me to be a bit more positive and that was that. She's right, I do need to be more positive and there are people out there that require care more than I do but I've been begging for answers to my symptoms and weight loss for over six months now, endlessly. This on top of the new pain doesn't leave me with many positive feelings, understandablyand when collapsing in the street or down flights of stairs, you can imagine, I'm quite alarmed. My partner drove to A&E to find me slumped on a bench, still in as much pain as I was when I called an ambulance. Did anyone else diagnosed with Lymphoma have abdominal pain? I know I haven't been diagnosed but just wondered if this pain too matched any symptoms. I'm at such a loss as to what can be causing me to feel so unwell and rapidly lose weight! 

    Fingers crossed the CT scan tells more tomorrow!