Concerned need some advice...

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

Hi everyone,

I have seen a number of doctors who all tell me that "nothing is wrong" and give me the wait and see line..

I am 23, Male, about 20lbs overweight, have had exposure to EBV in the past.

About 3 weeks ago I noticed a tenderness under my left armpit, and then the next night under my right armpit. I went to the doctor and they felt it and said it was probably viral and they could not feel any lumps...but they sent me for a blood test and chest xray on my request. The Chest xray was fine, my ALT was slightly elevated but I put this down to fatty liver which I have had for a while. The doctor also said they looked for certain "proteins" that might indicate lymphoma and they couldn't find anything unusual. Unsure what they were looking for. LDH was normal at 150.

I also found a small lymph node on my neck, which is movable. It is about 1cm. It is only on one side, but this side happens to have alot of acne on it which is a possible cause.

A few days after noticing the armpit tenderness, I started getting night sweats which would come and go, but occasionally would be quiet bad. I have also felt generally unwell, but that comes and goes also..

Doctor sent me for an Ultrasound of neck lymph node & both armpits and the results said "all lymph nodes examined have a normal sonographic appearance"

Something IS wrong, I am having night sweats and feel unwell with no apparent virus. I will say my armpit tenderness is not as pronounced as it was and has gone, I only notice it occasionally - not sure if this is significant or not. The Armpit tenderness started 3 weeks ago at a time of extreme stress and fatigue, night sweats started 1 week later.

Any thoughts would be great.

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

Anyone?

ChemoMan · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: Concerned need some advice...

Hi LukeM69

First try not to panic, most cases of enlarged nodes are caused by infection, Lymphoma is a rarely a cause . From your description of symptoms , you don't even have any enlarged nodes so Lymphoma is even more unlikely. That description of the one in your neck sounds normal.

Normally a doctor would watch and wait to see what happens to the nodes so you need not worry at this stage. For your information nodes enlarged due to Non Hodkins lymphoma do not hurt unless they enlarge very quickly and press against nerves. I had nodes the size of small apples under my arm which caused my arm to swell but they didn't hurt. If you are feeling your nodes alot this will cause pain and could be a reason for your discomfort. Hodkins is a different matter but the descripition you gave doesn't really fit.

I am not a doctor so I can't really say what you have, even if I was I could not do this over the 'net. You have done the right thing in seeing the doctor with your concerns and should be commended by your proactive approach, but you also need to trust the doctor to a certain degree. By all means go back if your symptoms get worse, but if they don't I would relax and not worry about this.

Good luck and I wish you many more trips around the Sun.
_________________
Age 52
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
Remission confirmed 17 June 2009
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620
RULE NUMBER 1.....Don't Panic
RULE NUMBER 2..... Don't forget Rule number 1

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

Hi Chemoman (fello aussie)

Thank you for the reply, I am having another chest xray, blood test and this time ultrasound of my abdomin on Tuesday - and the doctor gave me a referrel to a Hematology which I will be seeing on 1st October so about 1 mth away..

I guess I am having these tests done in preperation of the Oct 1 appointment so I go prepared. Even if I don't have Lymphoma I guess the question is "what is wrong" I cant be feeling like crap and having night sweats for no reason...along with the tender under arms..

Like I mentioned they did a US of my underarms lymph nodes, and the report said they were of normal size & shape. If the pain in the armpits was coming from lymphoma would the nodes have a different appearance?

ChemoMan · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:26 am Post subject: Re: Concerned need some advice...

Hi LukeM69

Ha I missed the fact you are from OZ Very Happy

Good onya

RE the night sweats, they have to be drenching to be of concern, by drenching I mean you wake up with your sheets soaked. As you live in Brissie it could be the warmer weather kicking in perhaps?

I reckon somewhere you might have read that EBV is a risk factor for Lymphoma and this has you worried. I know this is not easy but you do need to relax.

RE the pain I can prove my point. Start feeling for your nodes in the right side in your groin. Do this at least three times and I gaurantee you will be feeling pain there soon after. Be prepared as the pain can keep you awake !

The Doctor is treating this seriously otherwise he would not have made the referral to hematology so you can relax on this front. Stay strong and try to do things that will take your mind off this issue, that should be easy where you live Wink

Good luck with the referral I hope you get some answers soon.
_________________
Age 52
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
Remission confirmed 17 June 2009
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620
RULE NUMBER 1.....Don't Panic
RULE NUMBER 2..... Don't forget Rule number 1

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

Well I sleep in air conditioning so the night sweats are definalty being caused by something internal...

The onset of my symptoms coincided with a few weeks of extreme stress and fatigue, I am wondering if the stress triggered some type of auto-immune response or chronic fatigue. My Xray, Blood test & US all having good results is promising..

ChemoMan · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 3:38 am Post subject: Re: Concerned need some advice...

Hi Luke

I posed this question a while ago. I had the worst year of my life prior to diagnosis and I had over 50 trips around the Sun, so it was really bad. Joepet also had a shocker. We concluded however that our sample was way to small and only amounted to anecdotal evidence.
_________________
Age 52
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
Remission confirmed 17 June 2009
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620
RULE NUMBER 1.....Don't Panic
RULE NUMBER 2..... Don't forget Rule number 1

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

I think there defiantly a relation between stress and negativity and the development of chronic disease...

I suppose if I do in fact have lymphoma it is most likely Hodgkins due to my age (23) and symptoms...and I realize Hodgkins is quiet treatable.

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

I guess the main concern about my symptoms is that I don't know of anything else but lymphoma that could be causing them...

ChemoMan · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject: Re: Concerned need some advice...

G'day LukeM46

Yes hodgkins is treatable and has been for a long time, but it is something that you don't really want to happen. I wish I could take away your angst somehow, as this is obviously causing you a lot of stress and consuming your thoughts, which in itself is not a good thing to. Do something to take your mind off your worrying symptoms and stay away from the 'net trying to diagnose what you have, all this is doing is amping you up and causing more angst.

Cheers
_________________
Age 52
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
Remission confirmed 17 June 2009
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620
RULE NUMBER 1.....Don't Panic
RULE NUMBER 2..... Don't forget Rule number 1

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

Well I had another chest XRAY and Ultrasound of Liver, gallbladder & kidneys and they all came back clean..

I am aware of the limited disgnositc value of these tests but I guess it's a step in the right direction. I am having another blood test tomorrow..

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

Well its been 2 mths now and I am still in limbo with this thing.

I have had lots of tests including a full body CT Scan, Bone Marrow Biopsy/Aspirate, Ultrasound of painful underarms, 8 blood tests looking for every bloody thing under the sun...NOTHING HAS SHOWN. My bloods are normal, bone marrow was clean with all the measurements within normal ranges etc. (I have no enlarged lymph nodes anywhere they can biopsy, I just have the painful axilla nodes that are not enlarged but are very painful)

But, I am still having the symptoms. I still get night sweats, my skin is reddended with little pimple things that come and go, my armpits are still painful (but not enlared) and my lower legs itch and burn without a rash.

I fell like Lymphoma is there somewhere, they just can't find it.

ChemoMan · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 2:50 am Post subject: Re: Concerned need some advice...

Hi LukeM69

I recommend you get checked for ross river fever. Your symptoms are NOT those of Lymphoma.

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/factsheets/infectious/rossriver.html

Good luck
_________________
Age 52
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 2a
Finished six cycles of R chop 21 26th May 2008
Officially in remission 9th July 2008
Remission confirmed 1st October 2008
Remission confirmed 17 June 2009
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9620
RULE NUMBER 1.....Don't Panic
RULE NUMBER 2..... Don't forget Rule number 1

joepet · Senior User Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 287 Location: Japan

You know LukeM69, if I didn't know better, I would say that, for some bizarre reason, that you _want_ to have lymphoma.

You are not having _the_ symptoms. You are having _symptoms_ that could be caused by a number of things (such as the Ross River fever mentioned by Chemoman) But to patently deny all of the tests and common sense that say that you do not have lymphoma is about as helpful as rowing a boat using only one oar.

The sooner you get away from this idea that what you have HAS to be lymphoma, the sooner you will finally get to the bottom of your troubling ailments, and be able to actually do something about them.

I wish you luck in finding the cause, and the peace to accept whatever the outcome is found to be.
_________________
Age 37 (36 at diagnosis)
Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma
Stage 1AE (localized in colon)
Began six cycles of R chop 21 3rd Dec 2008
Finished R chop 21 Apr 2009
Complete remission as of May 2009

LukeM69 · Regular Joined: 27 Aug 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Brisbane

I guess my problems lie in not having an explanation for my ailments. The onset of my symtpoms was about 3 mths ago, night sweats have been consistant throughout those 3 mths, with brief breaks inbetween. Why do the lymph nodes under my arms ache? My body must be reacting to something...

I defintly do not want lymphoma, but when unsure I assume the worst. I do not know what else could be causing my legs to burn in the evenings? I have read this can be a symptom of Lymphoma, perhaps I am reading to much into what I read.

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