Hi all,
I'm 22 and currently a student. I have a lump in the side if my neck that has been identified as a swollen lymph node. I've had it for months and have had no infection(s) that would have caused it. Due to covid amd my having previously lived in a student household with someone who had to shield, I can't even remember the last time I had so much as a cold, which is a silver lining, I suppose.
My mom noticed the lump some time ago whilst sat next to me (I had my hair up) and told me to get it checked and foolishly, thinking I knew best - I ignored it. However, around December it felt a bit bigger and harder so I phoned my doctors (it's a bit different here as we have a student doctors surgery on campus) and they asked for photos which I sent and they wanted me in the same day.
they asked me if I had had any other symptoms which at the time I had only fatigue, which I had chalked up to my depression as well as weight loss which I had initially welcomed since I had gained some weight over the summer. The lady who I saw was the only person to date who actually felt my neck properly, although reassured me that the lump was 'tiny' which was a relief but, it is big enough to be visible from head on although it is in an awkward spot behind my ear.
I had bloods and was told they came back fine, but felt another lump which appeared and disappeared rather strangely and was sent on a 2 week referral to an ENT.
I hate to speak ill of hard working NHS staff, but the surgeon who saw me was incredibly rude and misrepresented what I had said in his letter back to my doctor. I didn't even have time to take my coat off for him to feel my neck and shoulders, collarbones before he did so. He laughed at the size of the lump (it had shrunk at this time, but went through a period if doing so I.e. shrinking and growing, which it has since stopped doing) he said he couldn't biopsy it because it is on the bone amd that it was too small to ultrasound. The whole experience left me very embarrassed.
I went back to the doctors and tried to explain what had happened and that there was incorrect information in the letter sent back to them, but they would not hear it. The ent had remarked that it was likely due to 'dandruff' (I do not have dandruff) that this lump was there.
I had more bloods done and had lost more weight and once again was told that they were fine. There was slight concern however over my CRP which was 7. One doctor was unhappy with this and another said it was fine. I also had high blood viscosity, and had one doctor say it was fine and another express concern. All in all, very inconsistent.
last time I went, I remarked that I had noticed two new lumps - one mirroring the first one, which is still there, visible and hard. Though this new one is not so big and another one in my trapezius muscle (best way I can explain it, sorry!) the doctor said that the one on my trap was likely just neck strain. But it has since gotten bigger and it feels as though there is now one next to it. One of the lumps is hyper mobile and moves really far when I touch it (feels gross). Despite this, I had one last set of bloods and they were the most normal yet, which is a win.
Ive not been back to the doctors since the new lumps on my trap got bigger because I'm worried I will just be dismissed again and it really brings me down. However, I know it's surely not normal that they are there and growing and the fatigue I have been experiencing has gotten much worse.
The weight loss has slowed down and when I mentioned this to the doctor and they weighed me and that I had plateaued, it seemed like they were not concerned at all.
I hope this makes sense? I'm just not sure what to do - I have lumps in my neck and extreme fatigue. Not to be tmi also but I've been having severe bouts of constipation.
I don't know what to do, but I'm so upset that they won't just biopsy me or give me a scan. They make me feel like it's all in my head.
