I have a lump on my neck...

[curiositykilledthecat]

Hey All,

I'm starting to freak a bit today because I woke up on thursday morning with a marble sized lump in between my neck and shoulder. I guess I figured it would go away in a day or so, but it's been 5 days now and it hasn't shown any signs of going away.

I don't want to tell my husband because this is the kind of thing that will really send him over the edge. And it's hard enough trying to live with my own fears, let alone try to live with his. I can't hold out for long though because it sticks out and you can see it.

I am 37 years old. I have 2 little boys. There is so much going on in my life right now. I just don't have time to have cancer... Sounds stupid, doesn't it? Maybe it's something else. Maybe it's nothing...

[KilLAtomiK]

you might wana have a doctor look at it asap

[cheinara wraithwalker]

The only way to find out if it's nothing is to go to the doctor. I know you don't want to do that, but...unless you have a doctor or nurse friend that knows what they're doing, that's the only thing I can see you doing. Waiting it out might make it worse. I had a swollen limphnode in my right armpit, and that scared the crap out of me, but it was just a swollen limphnode, no cancer. Sure did make me get a few gray hairs though.

[Tequila Zaire]

Gotta get it looked at...could be nothing like a bug bite...or something more. Either way you should get it looked at.

[CarnalxKiss]

Please see a doctor asap... could be nothing more than a calcium build up or a bug bite..but any lump can signal trouble...and if treated swiftly can be the difference between life and death...

[TheDeathKnight]

Exactly. If it is something bad, it may only require a simple inexpensive operation, and you will be as good as new... But if you wait too long, you WILL have things to worry about... Better to get it fixed NOW, rather than to end up dead later...

[karyn]

you might want to take a look at this link to help figure everything out. i hate going to the doctor too but sometimes you have to.

[chloee]

actually it could be a benign cyst.
Nowadays anything encapsulated like that would be fairly easy to remove surgically- and that cures it..
I've had things on my skin removed..
But you simply have to see abt it..sorry..

[Kidthorazine]

yeah or it could be a swollen lymph node i femeber the first time i got one of those and i freaked me out that either happens on the back of one or both sides of the neck (like what you have) or in the arm pits and is usually a sign of infection definately see a doctor

[TheQuietPlace]

cyst.

I was JUST about to say it could be that.

[chaosfeary]

Well, since you're in America you can at least rule out Blowfly larvae.

[curiositykilledthecat]

Thanks for the advice. I made an appointment with the Doc for thursday. I was hoping he could get me in today, but he was already gone for the day. I will let you know what he says. Do me a favor though--I'm a big believer on the power of positive thinking. So let's all just put the thought out there that "it's nothing" and when I see the Doc, it will be nothing. You guys are the best!

[curiositykilledthecat]

I decided not to wait until thursday to see a doctor. I was hoping the doctor would tell me it was just a knot in the muscle or something. The doctor said she didn't know what it was and told me to take some antibiotics and come back in a week... Oh, they did some bloodwork too. So, it could be just a lymph node that got swollen up--possibly from a bug bite or something like that. I'm still going to see my regular Doc on thursday--he works a lot with alternative medicine and cancer patients, hopefully, he'll be able to rule that out.

[curiositykilledthecat]

Saw the Doc today. He says it's a swollen lymph node from a bug bite. All is fine. I'm glad too. My family was getting downright creepy... Like they thought I was about to die.

[SindelChaos]

Does it hurt when you push on it? Does it feel sore when you move certain ways? It could just be a knotted muscle. I get them sometimes underneath my shoulder blades and it makes it almost impossible to sleep. I have to get a massager and massage them out.

Nm, glad you know it's not cancer.

[bre.star]

Saw the Doc today. He says it's a swollen lymph node from a bug bite. All is fine. I'm glad too. My family was getting downright creepy... Like they thought I was about to die.

yayy im glad its not something bad its always good to get those things checked so you know your okay.

[pagan]

I just stumbled upon this thread. At first It kinda worried me. As I read on I was already putting an essay together in my head to try to convince you to get it looked at. I was so happy to get to the end and find out you are ok. Cancer runs strong in my family and my wife has a baby on the way so health is more on my mind now than ever. Congrats, on the good news!

[HellDragon]

I'm glad yer OK too. I was worried that you might have had the misfortune of swallowing a marble. I've been missing a few, you know.

~HellDragon~
"I was driving, and I saw a sign that said, 'CAUTION: SMALL CHILDREN PLAYING,' and I slowed down. Then it occured to me - I'm not afraid of small children."
- Jonathan Katz -

[curiositykilledthecat]

Yes. Marbles are very difficult to keep track of, especially when you start having children! God help me, I sound like my mother!!! Actually, she's not that bad. Thanks for the well wishes. It's always nice to know sobebody cares

[curiositykilledthecat]

~HellDragon~
"I was driving, and I saw a sign that said, 'CAUTION: SMALL CHILDREN PLAYING,' and I slowed down. Then it occured to me - I'm not afraid of small children."
- Jonathan Katz -

I used to think I wasn't afraid of small children, then I had some... Sometimes it can get pretty scary...

[Tequila Zaire]

I used to think I wasn't afraid of small children, then I had some... Sometimes it can get pretty scary...

Seriously. I have numerous cousins and when they where under the age of five I swear they were infused with demonic souls...I would have LOVED to have had to deal with the girl from the Exorcist instead..at least she stayed in bed all day.