Hey, this is my first post on here but I've read every single story that might be similar to mine and felt like I should just post my own to get direct advice from the people on here who seem so reassuring and lovely.
So around 3 months ago in March I was on placement in a primary school and during a lesson I felt my neck and found a random lump on the left side of my neck close to my collarbone. At first I felt like it would be nothing and there would be no need to overreact but thought it was a little weird so told my boyfriend who encouraged me to have it looked at at my local GP. I am 20 years old and going to the GP is something I hardly do, I just wait for my illnesses to pass or try to ignore it instead. I ended up booking an emergency appointment the following day and when I went in I was in and out of the appointment within 5 minutes as my doctor felt the lump and told me he wasn't worried and it would be a gland that went in a few weeks time. His reaction being so calming made me feel calm about the lump and I completely forgot about it.
Fast forward a month and a half to the end of April and I move back to university where I live in student accommodation. I was chatting with my housemate and mentioned the random lump and he suggested I go back to the doctors where my university is and have it relooked at as it is weird for the lump to stay for so long. So I did, and the doctor there said it looked unusual and referred me to the 'suspect cancer clinic' where biopsies are carried out. She also urged me to have my bloods taken the following day which I did, and they came back fine except they showed inflammation in the body (the lump). So I went to the cancer clinic and had a camera down my nose and a biopsy done (5 needles in my neck to take samples of the tissue) and was told to return in two weeks for the results. The two weeks went really well, I forgot about the lump and focused on finishing up university and it went by really quickly, I was okay because I knew I'd find out on the day I went back so I wasn't fussed.
So I go back to the hospital after two weeks expecting to be told there and then what the results were - but I wasn't. My doctor explained that they were still waiting for the results but told me they were having them looked at by lymphoma specialists. He said that is what they are testing for but that doesn't mean it is definitely lymphoma, it could be an infection or anything else. This is when I began to feel a bit stressed and worried because I expected to be told and for everything to be over with by then. I was told to get more blood tests done on that day as the previous ones had shown inflammation and was also told that my doctor wanted me to have a CT scan done just incase the outcome was the worst case scenario then the scan would already have been done.
So I had the scan done in the following through days and shortly after my doctors associate nurse rang me to ask how I was. She is very friendly and explained to me that the reason the biopsy is taking so long is because the results did actually come back and they showed abnormal/suspicious cells in my neck but that these can be caused by anything from lymphnodes swelling due to illness all the way to disorders such as lymphoma. Since then I have rang up to see if my results are in to which I've been told they're not, and my next appointment is Monday where the nurse said I will definitely get my results.
It is just a strange situation now as I've almost been waiting a month and am not sure what the outcome would be, I think the waiting is the worst part and just want to know what is going on.
Has anyone had a similar experience or could anyone offer any guidance? Swollen lymphnodes from illness could be possible as I was ill January time until around Feb but I just want to know now so I can deal with whatever is going on.
Hope to hear from someone soon x :) ... sorry for the essay!
PS. Please reply if you've ever had suspicious cells show in a biopsy before...would be nice to chat
