For about a year I’ve had on and off swollen lymph nodes. One in the neck and in both armpits. They come and go about once to twice a month and are usually painful. I recently went to the doctor cause I experienced a new wave of symptoms that had me alarmed the past two weeks. Dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, extreme weight loss, difficult breathing, pain around my body, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, etc. I also had already been “diagnosed” with an enlarged liver and spleen. And during the physical exam my doctor mentioned how he could feel how distended my liver was. His first assumption is glandular fever and took some blood and told me to get an abdominal x ray which I will be doing tomorrow. I’m worried even tho I feel like I’ll show up to the next apportionment and he will tell me it’s nothing. I do think if he doesn’t have any conclusive Answers for me that I will push for further tests and a possible lymph node biopsy but I don’t want to seem like the patient who is convinced I have cancer. But I’m sure something is wrong.. I’m sick and my body is telling me that. What should I do.

5 Comments
Budgie
Super Contributor

Hi @Viktoriaenvy ,

You are already doing the right thing by having it looked at, and as you said, if your GP says it's nothing, definitely push for a more thorough exam or see a different GP.    I'm glad you're listening to your body because you are sick.  Keep in mind though, that it may not be cancer.  It could be hepatitis, heart failure, fatty liver or glycogen storage disease.  I don't want to scare you, but you are definitely doing the right thing.  The sooner you find out what's going on, the earlier you can start treatment for whatever it is.

I wish you all the best & please let us know what the findings are.  Take care

 

Budgie

sch
Super Contributor

Hi Viktoriaenvy,

Someone at work a little while ago pulled me aside to ask my advise on some health issues they were having. They had some unexplained pains in their body. They'd been to the doctor and had a scan and the scan had returned all clear.

They weren't too sure what to do next. Should they accept the results or should they go back to the doctor?

My advise on it was that they should go back to his doctor and discuss the results and if he wasn't satisfied and if he and/his doctor felt that there was still something that needed investigating, that he should push for this.

We are all responsible for our own bodies and we only have one.  Make sure that you understand the results and ask further questions if you're not satisfied.

 

When you go to talk to GP's and doctor, it also might be a good idea to record (ask first) the conversation so that you can go back and refer to it. It's definately a bit overwhelming.

https://onlinecommunity.cancercouncil.com.au/t5/Diagnosis-and-Treatment/Talking-to-your-doctor/ta-p/...

 

 

Best of luck!

-s

 

0 Kudos
OzStu
Contributor

There is obviously something wrong, but I don't think it's cancer and the reason I say that is because you mention your enlarged lymph nodes come and go.   That doesn't sound like cancer.  When cancer invades the lymph nodes and you have tumours in there that are big enough to see or feel, they don't come and go.  Cancer tissue can't just appear and vanish then reappear like that.   That sounds like swelling.  That can come and go.   Spleen and liver,  yes,  whatever is causing the swelling could affect any part of the body.   It could be bacterial, viral,  or even an auto immune thing causing it.  I think all three of those things are fare more likely then cancer.  Push for tests until you either find out whats wrong, or the symptoms go away on there own.

Kay53
New Contributor

Definitely push for more investigation. My liver ct showed a small lesion which was deemed nothing to worry about. I trusted my GP, even though I was still getting severe pain. Then I went to a different GP some 8 months later and my small harmless lesion was now a 79mm secondry cancer that had spread to other parts of my body. Had my GP ordered a liver biopsy when it was first detected it would have been easily removed and I would have been cured. Now I am incurable and the only hope is managing the cancer so I can possibly live a bit longer. So my advice is always have your GP follow up on anything.

0 Kudos
Laura0melanoma
Occasional Visitor

Please get biopsy, pls pls. I was told sometimes they just swell and wasn’t convinced demanded a biopsy and it turns out to be cancer, lymph nodes are a big indicator of anything like this.

0 Kudos
Post new blog
Talk to a health professional
Cancer Council support and information 13 11 20Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm
Cancer Information and Support

Online resources and support

Access information about support services, online resources and a range of other materials.

Caring for someone with cancer?

Find out what resources and support services are available to assist you.