what are the chances...?

starryeyed17 · New User Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 3 Location: california

hello everyone - i have a few questions, but they all pretty much lead to one final question, which will be, what are the chances of something else?

ive had swollen lymph nodes in my neck for almost a year now - no pain and no infection - i know i should have gone in, but i was going through an extremely difficult time and i didnt want to get better. now, however, i am much better emotionally and a new person all around - so i decided to get a diagnosis. over the past year though other symptoms have come about including:
numerous swollen lymph nodes (large, painless)
itching skin (comes and goes)
hair loss
sudden unexplained fever (comes and goes)
dizzyness
dry cough (persistent - but sometimes worse/sometimes better)
short of breath
severe headaches
thats all i can think of right now. my lymph nodes are ridiculous. they are larger than a 1/2 - 2/3 of an inch - the swollen ones that i know of and that my doctor could feel or see with her naked eye are in my neck - both sides and back of neck by spine, under my chin, behind my ears, under my armpits, and she thinks the shortness of breath may be caused by swollen lymph nodes in my chest. ok so first off i had a full run of tests/blood word testing for everything that can be tested by blood (hiv, lupus, arthritis, mono, thyroid., etc) everything came out negative. on tuesday i am going in to get xrays on my chest, an ultra sound on my neck and a biopsy done on the lymph nodes. my question, or one of them is which biopsy is the best to have done? my doctor is sending me to an ear, nose and throat doctor to have the biopsy done and he wants to know which one...fine needle, hollow needle or the surgery? if anyone can give me their opinion or advice on that i would really appreciate it. next question - my doctor said to pray and hope for the best but to be expecting the worst because of all my symptoms and because all my other tests for infections/diseases are negative...so does anyone have any idea of anything else it could possible be? just throught id throw it out there... Smile

and finally...i promise im almost done...with all these symptoms - if i do have cancer (assuming lymphoma) how far or advanced does mine sound?

thank you all so much for reading or replying. my family is in another state and im kinda alone and very scared - so any information i can get is better than where my imagination is going right now. Smile

thank you all again and have a great weekend! Smile

alihamilton · Regular Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 21

Firstly, I am sorry you are going through this anxiety. The only way to really find out what is going on is to do the scans and biopsy. Fine needle biopsy tend to be very unreliable so it is better to go for an excisional biopsy so they have enough tissue to test.

I know it is awful having to wait for tests and results of those tests, but at least you will know what is happening and knowledge is empowering. If it is lymphoma, it is treatable.

Do let us know how the tests go.
_________________
Alison

JCheney · New User Joined: 16 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

My symptoms for Lymphnode cancer were mostly two lymph nodes in my upper leg near the groin hutring to where I couldn't walk very far (I was in Las Vegas at the time). I went home the next day to Texas where my doctor put me in the hospital and they biopsied the same day. Two days later they said I had Stage 3, Large cell Lymph node cancer. Treatment began immediately with Chemo (no fun) and shots in between. This was in 2000. I have been cancer free since.
Get the biobsy done immediately!! Get treatment started. The sooner the better! You can recover! Smile

starryeyed17 · New User Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 3 Location: california

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Hey - thank you both so much for taking the time to read my post and reply as well. Tomorrow (12:30 am...guess it's today) Smile

I am going in for chest xrays,
an ultra sound of the tissue in my neck and then after that I head over to get the biopsy. Do you guys know how long it takes to get the results back? I am going out of my mind with anxiety - if it is cancer, I'm ok with that, I just want to know! lol I feel as though the pain is getting worse - within the last few days. I have so much pain in my bones. It's just a constant ache and it's really affecting me as a person and my attitude. Sad

For so long my family thought I was over-dramatizing and that I was being a hypochondriac - and after about 6 months of the rolling their eyes and brushing me off, I started to believe it was all in my head and that I was a hypochondriac. So now that I've had all kinds of urine and blood tests and everything is negative and my doc immediately ordered the biopsy/xray/ultrasound...I kinda feel like it's ok to be sick now. Does that make any sense?
Ok sorry to ramble on so long...just two more quick questions! Smile

I'm scheduled to get a needle biopsy - the receptionist could not confirm whether it would be the fine or core needle - or if I would just be scheduled to do the surgical biopsy. See, I went to my general physician, and she referred me to an ear nose and throat specialist to do the biopsy. Tomorrow I go in for it, but I've never met him and he's never looked at my lymph nodes, but my doc called and said I had to get in asap. So any suggestions? I don't want to do the fine needle just to have to go back again and do the surgical...and have to wait longer!! I'll go out of my mind! hehe maybe not...but I just want some answers. Ok and final question I promise! Does this sound like lymphoma? my family was expressing their concern for adult leukemia...do you guys know anything about that?

Ok well thank you again for responding to my original post - it's so great to feel support. Truly grateful. Hope you had a great weekend and have a great week ahead!

Thank you again!!

JCheney · New User Joined: 16 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

Have then do the surgical biopsy as it is definitive. I suggest they remove the whole lymph gland, as was done with two of mine. The needle is less reliable. Your symptoms could be any number of things, lymphnode cancer just one of the many. Remember that there are many (over 20 major kinds and other minor kinds) types of lymphnode cancer. Sometimes there are two types of cancer and in different places.

Have you researched your enviorment at work, home and church? You have so many symptoms that the dr. will have a tough time finding what is wrong with you. Your problem may be enviornmental. Mold in a location would produce that many symptoms as would asbestos and other causes, (near big power lines).

Treatment is much better today than a few years ago! Each type of cancer may require a different treatment using different drugs. Your onocoligist will be the one to lean on if you have cancer. The treatments affect different poeple in different ways. Some tolerate them well, others, like me, are greatly impacted.

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