The questions are fine. I did have an episode of leg weakness a couple of weeks ago but that was caused by my sodium levels dropping critically low after I became dehydrated during a recent heatwave. Your health anxiety is understandable given your current family circumstances. Last year I had a colorectal cancer scare following a positive result on one of those faecal blood detection kits which are sent out to those over 50. Confirmation bias kicked in immediately despite the chances of me having CRC being extremely low and it being an extremely treatable form of cancer when detected early. During that time I discovered a cancer messageboard which had a "worried" section. I was astonished by the sheer number of people who have been convinced by Google that there is no other possible explanation than cancer for the symptoms which are concerning them. There are many different types of lymphoma, but it can be broadly grouped into indolent (slow growing) and aggressive. Slow growing lymphoma is very often just monitored and no treatment offered unless something changes dramatically. Aggressive lymphomas like mine tend to make themselves known quickly and dramatically. No-one can tell you that you don't have lymphoma apart from a pathologist who has examined a biopsy. Nothing you've posted suggests that you do, though. For your own peace of mind, be honest with your doctor about your health anxiety. It will almost certainly escalate if you don't get on top of it quickly. ... View more

I didn't have the classic B symptoms of lymphoma. I woke up one morning with really sore, swollen lymph glands on the left side of my neck. I went to see my GP a couple of days later and he prescribed a course of antibiotics. Over the next week my left tonsil became hugely swollen, although it wasn't painful. I went back to my GP and he prescribed different antibiotics. Another week on my upper right jaw had become swollen and tender, as had my right maxillary sinus. Given the locations of the pain and swelling, both my GP and myself thought that existing dental issues may be the cause of the problem so he prescribed antibiotic coverage and the plan was to seek an emergency dental care early the following week (this was a Saturday). During that day the glands on the left side of my neck swelled dramatically and the right hand side of my face went numb so I called the home doctor service. The home doctor sent me to the ED to rule out the possibility of a stroke. The ED doctor didn't think the problem was dental but when I asked him whether there was a possibility a malignancy was causing the issue he said it wasn't how malignancy usually presents. He gave me imaging requests for a CT scan and an ultrasound. I didn't have the imaging done until the Thursday as that was the first day there were back to back appointments available for both types of imaging. I picked up the images on the Friday morning and read the report straight away. It showed masses on my left tonsil and in my right maxillary sinus. I went straight to my GP, who organised for me to have a biopsy done on the following Wednesday followed by a consultation with a MDT on the Friday. Lymphoma wasn't even the most likely possibility. It was more likely that I had a squamous cell carcinoma which had originated in the sinus and spread or that I had two independent masses. Because they had only biopsied the lymph glands in my neck, even when the result on that came back as lymphoma during my appointment with the MDT, they still didn't know the nature of the sinus mass, so they took a biopsy of that and made a follow up appointment for 10 January. I had a strange episode on 4 January and ended up in hospital for a couple of days. That's when I found out that both masses were definitely lymphoma and when a very intense pre-chemo workup was started - something which would not have been completed yet had I not become ill. ... View more

Goodness me you have a lot on your plate. I have lymphoma and the only way it can conclusively ruled in or out as the cause of your symptoms is with a biopsy, although imaging can certainly suggest that there's a serious problem which needs to be further investigated. Unfortunately, poking at your lymph glands is likely to further inflame them. Until you can have your symptoms medically evaluated, try to leave them alone so you don't muddy the picture. ... View more

Take as much time and space has you need, Traci. We will be still be here when you return. I wish you love, strength, and peace of mind. ... View more

Did the hospital get back to you today? The answers to your questions will depend on further information, which might not be available until after surgery or which could be gathered concurrently with your surgery. From the information you do have, it is likely that a team would be involved in planning and implementing your care. Be careful of making assumptions based on imaging reports. My own initial imaging reports painted a very bleak picture when the reality is very different. ... View more

I'm so sorry.  I will keep you both in my thoughts. ... View more

Keeping you and your husband in my thoughts. ... View more

Just letting you know that I'm thinking of you and wondering how you're doing now, Lisa. ... View more

Hope you're doing OK Jubbly. ... View more

I'm glad you're feeling a little more hopeful about the future, Picara. A couple of us have started our chemo now and while it all feels like a surreal blur in some ways, I'm astonished at how quickly I've adapted to a new normal. Just having a path and starting on it has helped my peace of mind enormously. Ironically, I wouldn't have started treatment yet had I not become seriously ill and been hospitalised two weeks ago. ... View more