Almost two weeks now with lump.....

Princepia · New User Joined: 21 Feb 2009 Posts: 7

I'm glad! Calm down! Another thing is..I was ALSO proved wrong, I was SURE some of my lumps were HARD and IMMOBILE..like..positive. And my oncologist felt them and said they were not hard and were very mobile..-_- Go figure..we are not doctors at all here, and I try to keep telling myself that.

Not to rag on awareness and everything, but I feel that the amount of health information and warnings pumped out through television and other communication mediums IS helpful, but is also causing alot of paranoia in todays society, symptoms of cancers, and symptoms of benign conditions in alot of cases are EXACTLY THE SAME(to the untrained eye, that is) I see commercials for things sometimes, and I can still convince myself I have random diseases..but I'm working on it, and telling myself to relax, because worry is going to kill me before anything.

If your doctor tells you you're ok, trust him, who else can you trust? You need to trust someone. And if 2 months down the road, or 3 months, something changes, or worsens THEN go be vigilant about your diagnoses, in most cases, for an aggressive form of cancer you'd know and your doctor would know, and if it's slow growing, 2 or 3 months, isn't going to make a difference in your prognosis. So smile! Be happy! Live each day to the fullest, and get your mind off this nagging nothingness! Smile

<3

gogetter · Regular Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Posts: 20

Thanks for the well wishes Princepia... I had the CT scan and additional blood tests today, unfortunately its now the weekend (in terms of getting results anyway!). So I won't hear about anything till Monday now. To say I'm still anxious would be right.

To be honest, I feel fantastic, better than I've felt in months. But thats probably due to quitting smoking, cutting down on drinking almost to extinction, and eating much better and cutting down on soda. All this since I've felt these lumps, lol. So I guess some good may have come from it.

One thing I'm a bit freaked over is that its my birthday tomorrow, and my consultant's secretary said she would call me about my CT and blood results before the end of today... and today's working hours are over now. So maybe they're keeping any bad news from me until the new week begins...aaahhhh! This is really frustrating/nerve-wracking.

4hope · New User Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Location: California

Hi all ! I just registered since I am desperately trying to find as much info about Lymphoma as I can. My husband had preliminary diagnoses done by needle aspiration : ( and is waiting for the biopsy results : (( .

To make the story short - sometimes lymph nodes do not have to be big and hard or painful or itchy or anything : ((( to be indication of this condition. I do not want to scare anybody - but I can not keep quiet either after what happened to us Crying or Very sad

!!! He had only 3 small nodes in his neck - soft, movable and not painful. The "biggest" was about 1.5 cm in diameter. He had no other symptoms either - was (is) in perfect shape, no night sweats etc. , etc. !!!! It was me that was worried about those lumps and made him go see GP. GP said it was ABSOLUTELY nothing Evil or Very Mad

Than I made him go to a friend doctor to check the nodes - she said - NOTHING to be concerned about. After 5 months of them being there I made my husband go and see ENT and she examined him and told us that she is 100% sure it is NOTHING ! Than she did a needle aspiration to "give us a peace of mind" and lo and behold the results came back positive Crying or Very sad

...

So , nobody should dismiss any unusual symptoms - it is better to listen to one's intuition sometimes ! I wish I was wrong, oh how much I wish I was wrong : (((((...

May you all heal soon and forever

bally101 · Regular Joined: 03 Jun 2009 Posts: 10 Location: UK

Hi4Hope,

Sorry to hear about the positive result.

4.5 years ago I had a lump on my neck developing and I was advised it was a Cyst and to take some anti-biotics for 10 days and it should go down.

After 3 days the lump was still growing so I went back to my GP who in fairness sent me straight to the hospital for urgent analysis. Within 3 days I had a needle sample taken, a tonsil taken out and was tested positive for Burkitts Lymphoma. Nearly as soon I was in the ward and starting treatment which was great, because I know from what I have seen the earlier you catch it the better the chances.

That said I have seen people with Stage III and Stage IV who have been extremely poorly, make it through treatment so that is the good news.

I can't emphasise how important being persistent is, and if your not getting the answer you think you deserve get a second opinion.

My treatment was not nice, 4 months in hosital following by 20 sessions of radiotherapy, but I am well and sorted now and enjoying my life the full. In fact I can't even remember really being poorly now, it seems a blip.

I hope everything works out, please keep us posted and if I can help share my experiences I would be delighted to do so.

You can also keep tracks of me and see my story on my blog.

www.alex-beatingcancer.blogspot.com

Take care.

Alex

ChemoMan

Hi 4hope

Sorry to hear about your hubby. Don't panic as this can be treated with great success, your husbands chances are very very good. the treatment is quite mild compared to the old days and apart from hairloss and a sore mouth its fairly free of nasty side effects. If you feel up to it get back here with the type of lymphoma and the stage as well as the type of chemo and we should be able to help you . Chin up, its always darkest before the dawn.

Good luck and we are always here to help.
_________________
Age 53
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..... NEVER GIVE UP
RULE NUMBER 3..... Don't forget the first 2 rules

ChemoMan

Hi bally101

You are awesome Shocked

To kick Burkitts is no mean feat and I am truly in awe of what you have done. Thank you for joining the forum and please stick around if you can as we have no one who has survived Burkitts regularly post here. I think you hit the nail on the head with your comments about catching it early and that shows the importance of advocating strongly for your own health. in your case superman would have been a good user name Very Happy

Cheers
_________________
Age 53
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..... NEVER GIVE UP
RULE NUMBER 3..... Don't forget the first 2 rules

4hope · New User Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Location: California

Hi dear Alex and thank you so much for the encouraging words , I can not even explain how much they mean to me. I am holding on every successful story like a drowning person on a reed : (. I hope I do not sound as a wimp Sad

but if cancer does not make one shudder, I do not know what else could Sad

. I married really young and I spent more years with my husband than without him in this life and he means a world to me - but again, so many have to go through this "trail" - mothers, fathers, sisters...even babies , and who am I to justify my pain as something special ... Crying or Very sad

I hope I do not sound like that , I really do : ((... It is just that it hurts soo, sooo much , I have trouble coping Crying or Very sad

. He is doing great - with great positive attitude and the complete trust in his healing. He is not even reading much about Lymphoma, is working and exercising, playing tennis matches, windsurfing etc. But it is how he deals with stress in general *sigh*. Maybe it is since this is just a last drop in the whole row of unfortunate events that were plaguing us for the past 2 years that as soon as I thought we did hit a rock bottom THIS happened and whole ravine opened in front of us : ((. He lost the job (due to this "wonderful" USA economy), we could not sell the home (due again to USA housing market that is in shambles),I had 2 stupidly painful surgeries, and our health insurance is soon to "expire" and now this Crying or Very sad

I think that nothing going right for such a long period of time made me weary and insecure and with shaken faith and afraid of something terribly going wrong again Crying or Very sad

.

I am sorry for rumbling and ranting here for so long Crying or Very sad

... and thanks again for your reply !!!!

PS: I will definitely visit your blog : )

4hope · New User Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 5 Location: California

Oh Hi Chemo : )) !!!! We were posting at the same time : ) ! Thank YOU also for the encouragement - it really REALLY means a lot to hear stories like yours !!! I just joined and am going through posts as fast as I can ! So much to learn !!! I am trying to take at least this part of burden from his shoulders so he can concentrate on life and I will do all of this part - finding information about different treatments, centers, chemos, radiation, Retuxan etc, etc., and make a list of questions ready for our app. with Oncologist on 20th (sigh...).

Thank you guys - you are the best !!!!

bally101 · Regular Joined: 03 Jun 2009 Posts: 10 Location: UK

Hi,

Glad my words are of comfort and hope they give you something positive to look forward too.

Apparently only 16 cases were seen in the previous year for Burkitts when I was in the hospital I was in, and all 3 of us are doing well. (Me with my neck, the other 2 had it in their stomachs. The ages ranged from me at 32, 38 and 60 years of age !).

Take care, keep positive and good luck.

Alex

joepet · Senior User Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 373 Location: Japan

Hi Alex,

May I ask what happened to the other 13?

And Welcome! Smile

_________________
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

catherineD · New User Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 8 Location: Corona, CA

(Sorry, should have read all the responses before posting!)

You've got a bunch of symptoms. Many doctors are reluctant to order enough tests. It took a jelly bean sized node on my collar bone and 3 doctors to decide to even bother with a chest x-ray, after I had been in and out of the doctor's office for 6 months getting blood work and complaining of many different symptoms, from severe arm pain to abdominal pain, to severe stomach pain and inability to eat or drink very much. You be the proactive one. It may not be cancer, but it could be just as serious to your health. I once took my daughter to the doctor for an earache and she said it hurt behind the ear. They said that meant an ear infection that had spread and that if she didn't respond immediately to a very strong dose of antibiotic, she'd need hospitalization. Something's wrong. Be demanding. Change doctors, insist on specialists, insist on hospitalization --- do what it takes.

Age 49
Stage 4 bulky diffuse large B cell
4 months into remission

gogetter · Regular Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Posts: 20

Well, I've been cleared by my surgeon, he called me this morning and delivered the good news; the lymph node was benign apparently. I've been feeling steadily better over the last two weeks, and I feel better than ever now. I've put on a bit of weight due to kind of shutting myself away and worrying, but I'm going to come out of my shell now and try and forget about this.

Many thanks to all who have expressed their advice and reassurance. I'll come back here often and check in.

joepet · Senior User Joined: 18 Dec 2008 Posts: 373 Location: Japan

Congratulations gogetter!

I'm not the type of guy to say "I told you so!", so would someone else please say it for me? Razz

I hope your symptoms and worry fade away with time. Have a great life!
_________________
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

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