Lymphoma fear. Please help.

[fumblinggreengentleness]

I can't stop worrying about this and don't think I will until I can go to the doctor. I really want to be okay but I'm afraid of a lot right now. I've been having this particular problem for about 2 months now, maybe a little more. I have tightness and some pain going from the right side of my jaw, down my neck, and I sometimes feel a lot of pain in my collarbone on that side. I don't normally try to feel for my glands/lymph nodes so I can't say for sure if they have always felt like this, but the glands right under my jaw feel swollen and hard to me, a little more on the right than the left....and that really worries me. I am not sick, no sore throat or any infection that I know of. I've also been itching for about 3 weeks straight. I'm extremely worried about lymphoma. Does anyone have any advice or insight? I don't want this on my mind every single day. Thank you!

[fumblinggreengentleness]

Anyone..?

[sassparella]

From what I know about lymphoma the nodes are painless so if you're experiencing pain where your swollen nodes are it's unlikely to be lymphoma.

[mollyfin]

Swollen painful nodes = infection.  My mom gets a chronic infection in one of the nodes in her neck and it's very painful. 

[atleswoolf]

As for the neck and jaw pain, have you considered that it might just be TMJ?  You could be clenching your jaw throughout the day or even in your sleep and not know it -- that can cause all sorts of pain in the neck and shoulder and head.  Lymphoma typically doesn't cause any pain at all in that area, since the lymphatic swelling is painless.  But go to the doctor and get your nodes checks.  Any decent doctor can feel your nodes and tell you if they feel suspicious or not.  I suspect, however, that your problem is not remotely lymphoma.

[Hohum]

Hi there,

I have suffered from Lymphoma-HA for many years, so I appreciate what you're feeling right now.

Tightness and pain in the jaw, radiating down the neck is very likely muscular in nature. There are several very common causes for this; sitting in front of a computer or at a desk for long periods of time, neck strain from sleeping, poor posture, neck strain from exercise (eg: sit ups), stress and anxiety, etc. The discomfort can really go on indefinitely until the underlying cause has been dealt with.

The glands located under the jawline and just under the ear can be felt in many people. I've always been able to feel mine, also more prominently on the right side.

Finally the itching you describe could really be anything from allergies to....zebras (I couldn't think of a condition starting with Z!) Health Anxiety can make you very hyper-aware of everything going on with your body, so perhaps you always have the odd itch but subconsciously block it out!

You don't mention your age, but Lymphoma is a very rare disease, especially so in those under 50. I went to my old Doctor with my very first bout of Lymphoma HA, terrified because (of course) I "knew" I had it. I mean, I was completely convinced and had already mentally accepted the diagnosis before I'd even seen a Doctor. He was 79 years old at the time (!) and told me that in over 50 years of family practice he had NEVER seen a case of Lymphoma. That was a bit of a wake-up call for me and my HA, for sure. And of course after testing, all of my so-called "symptoms" turned out to be nothing.

It sounds like you do plan to visit a Doctor which is a good idea, but try not to worry in the mean time. I really think that you're fine, and have no cause for concern - certainly not about Lymphoma!

Good luck!