Hello Betsy, 

Welcome to our forum! There is information on our website on Hodgkin's Lymphoma and on Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma which will tell you more about the usual symptoms for HL and NHL. It's reassuring that you have been told that you have nothing to worry about and there are no red flag symptoms.

I can imagine it must be a very stressful time for you while waiting for this ultrasound and biopsy next week. I know it is really hard but try not to worry too much or anticipate what it might be. The best thing to do to avoid thinking too much about this is to keep busy and distracted if you can and avoid looking things up online. I can imagine it is hard for you to do this at the moment but it will help you feel a little less anxious. 

I hope you will also hear from others here who have been through all this before and that they will be along soon to share their story with you. 

Keeping everything crossed for you that everything turns out fine. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Thanks for the reply Lucie, I really appreciate it! The thing is, a growing lump in the neck and night sweats I thought were red flag symptoms! That's what's confused me a little! I'm quite a matter of fact person, and hate the thought of being brushed off just to alleviate possible worry, when I'd rather just know the facts! Hopefully I'll know more once the biopsy is done and results are in

Betsy x

Hi! 
 

Sorry it's early in the AM, I'm a severe night owl haha. 

Little back story I was diagnosed with HL back in July last year, with the only symptom being weight loss and night sweats every single night (although they weren't drenching, just got very very hot) and severe itching where my first lump was, it grew a little too much I wont go in to details it's gross haha 

I know that feeling with the camera up and down your nose all too well, it was the worst feeling ever I still cringe at the thought of it! the relief of getting that out was something magical I'll admit. 

When it comes to advice for the ultrasound and biopsy/biopsies (if they choose to do more than one like in my experience), i'd say always ask questions !! I didn't ask alot while they were running the ultrasound scanner over my neck and i really wish i did. They told me after looking at it that it was 100% NOT cancerous, since I was so young, healthy and active, and that it was just a really badly infected lymph node that isnt taking to the antibiotics, the reason why they could not figure out. After the first scan they just sent me home with a box of strong antibiotics, then I had a phone call saying it looked to be and sound like from my symptoms TB (??) so they later then booked me in to have a biopsy done (the scan and biopsy were all in march/april, prime time for Covid lock down so I had to wait a month for my first biopsy). 

All i'm going to say, is that the hospital i first got sent to was not the best, but they tried. The first biopsy was a total fail, whatever was in my neck they couldn't get it out with a syringe as it wasn't as liqudy as they'd thought, surprisingly. So I had to wait for another three months before I had my final ultrasound and biopsy, this time they were ready to find out what's going on. My symptoms increased (my body mass was falling haha) so they had to do it soon. Because of the mess of my lump which was literally an open wound at this point, i was ready to pass out under the ultrasound scanner from the pain, it was horrendous, and again they said it was more like an infection. The next day my biopsy took place with a puncturing thing that kind of sounded like an ear piercing gun (and i was enjoying the morphine a little too much that day) and it was as over as that !! 

The results did take some time to come back to me, I was working at a pub while waiting for my results, which just goes to show that you really can be seemingly healthy enough to work while your body is doing its own horrible thing haha(and during COVID TOO !!), and come three weeks later was my results and I got diagnosed with HL. 

This was all my personal experience, I just hope you are in much better hands than I was at the beginning, the biopsy was as easy as pie when done correctly, and will surely tell you whether or not your lymph nodes are just going crazy or something is up.

I wish you all the best of luck, sorry for the rambling, I find talking about my own experiences with this offers people who are going through the same thing as I did an easier way to think. 

Let us know what the results are when they come back, if it's all fine, then it's just life as usual, but if they come back with the thing you're worried about, life will carry on around you with you !! this forum is an amazing place to just empty your feelings/thoughts/worries out on to, even if nobody replies it's good to get it all out. 

C x

edit: STAY OFF GOOGLE !! google is not your best friend when it comes to things like this, i've had to train myself to stop searching specific things and can cause so much more anxiety in the long run once it becomes a habit :)) 

Hey! Thank you for taking the time to reply to me! Jeez, sounds like you've been through the mill and back! It must've been so frustrating when you weren't being dealt with as you should've been. How are you now? How was your treatment? I can only guess that going through that during the lockdowns etc must've been so tough :(

im honestly not usually an anxious person, especially health anxiety, but I just know something is going on in my body, I've felt pretty rotten lately, like I'm always coming down with something! I'm either complaining I'm too cold and shivery or sweating like a maniac! I'm 39 and had the hormone tests but they all came back normal.. was just the anaemia that was flagged. 
I will be sure to not be shy in asking questions on Wednesday.. not going to lie, not looking forward to it but I'm just so glad that something is being done to find out why I'm feeling the way I do and why this lump Is growing!

Hope you're keeping well :) 

Betsy x

Hi !!

It was definitely not fun and easy getting towards the point where I needed to be, but we got there eventually I guess haha ! I'm doing good, it's been 6 months since my last session so hopefully it'll stay that way :laugh: The treatment was hard, but i got through it, it was ABVD, one of the most common treatments for HL, some good days some bad days, which were expected but got through it in the end :)) 

That was the exact same for me !! I'd be super cold and having to layer up just to stay decently warm, then the next minute i'd be sweating and have to take all my layers off again. How are the iron supplements going for you? are they helping much or is it just the same as before? 

I'd make a little list of questions in your notes just to keep them in mind, you can always ask them before or even after the scan/biopsy, they'll be more than happy to answer to the best that they can with the information they have, lets just hope they're as positive as they can be !! 

I am well thank you, I hope you all the best throughout this, good luck ! :)) 

C x

It's strange because I was on the phone to my gp saying how awful I felt, that I would be out of breath carrying the baby up the stairs (he's 17 months old) and that I have absolutely no get up and go, and the itching... omg the itching!!! And I feel that a lot of that was put down to the anaemia, which I've never had before! The tablets make my already constipated (sorry tmi!) self worse but I'll be honest that I don't think they are doing that much good! The lump is definitely strange tho.. it's where your pulse is felt and I can sometimes visibly see my pulse as the lump pushes it towards my skin. Do they tell you much of what they can see at the scan and biopsy? I've been given a "results" appointment for the 23rd but if there was something suspish, I'd definitely rather know sooner than later!

p.s love your name btw! Giving me love island vibes!!!

Betsy x

Also.. well done on your treatment :)

Hey Betsy, 

Did you ever get a result? Our stories are identical, even the place of the lump. I'm 27, pregnant (31 weeks) with a 4 year old, and I'm petrified. Have a scan and biopsy Friday, found the lump about a month ago, lost weight at the start of the year and throughout pregnancy, breathless, itching, now the dreaded night sweats which was the only symptom I didn't have until this weekend :( I went to the GP with breathlessness and weight loss 9 months ago and I'm just praying that wasn't significant to what's happening now as I fear it'll be too late if it is. 
i hope all is ok with you xx