lump on your lymph node? updated: it's cancer.

CHANGEinWAVES
CHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
edited April 2010 in All Encompassing Trip
**updates with-in**

My Dad just came from the Dr. and he needs a cat scan for a lump/mass on his lymph node. The Dr. mentioned lymphoma... but didn't elaborate yet.

I don't wanna look up all the options of what it could be as to not get scared right away. So I decided to ask here for some (less medical and scary) opinions.

UPDATE:
This is what they told me the Dr. told them (remember this is from my parents so take nothing as 100% :? )

He has a cancerous tumor on his lymph node that is solid. They are going to take more biopsies from inside his mouth of his tongue, larynx, and lymph node (a few other things too)... and see if it has spread from the tumor also to see where it's come from. The Dr. told him that this is mostly seen in smokers though my dad quit right before I was born, 28 yrs ago. After that he will get a PET scan... from there they will determine if he needs radiation and so forth. Tomorrow they are setting up an appointment with an Oncologist.

When talking to my parents they seemed positive, though I could see it in their eyes that it was all a show. My Mom obviously was crying and my Dad was unable to focus and was cracking jokes (he said that my mom's driving gave him cancer). I can see they are scared, which scares me more. I'm used to seeing my Dad as untouchable... and this has and will be scary. They played it down and kept saying things will be ok, I am thinking positive that they are... but if the Dr. referred them to an Oncologist already I think it's more serious then they let on.

I drove home tonight after seeing them (I live an hour away).... I started to cry thinking of losing him, and what it'll be like for my mom.... and I zoned out..... numbed, I don't know how I got home. It scares me to think that this got to me so much already, how am I going to be able to be there for them when I can't hold it together right now.


*****************Monday, Febuary 22nd my Dad starts chemo and radiation.... FINALLY HE AGREED TO IT!!*****************
"I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
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Comments

  • dcfaithful
    dcfaithful Posts: 13,076
    I always thought your lymph nodes got swollen when you were ill...but I'm no doctor...
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  • Cinnamon Girl
    Cinnamon Girl Posts: 1,854
    Where on his body?
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  • CHANGEinWAVES
    CHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    Cinnamon Girl wrote:
    Where on his body?
    His neck.
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • Lizard
    Lizard So Cal Posts: 12,091
    I had a lump on a lymph node in my groin area and had surgery thinking I had lymphoma and I had a cyst on a hernia!! Also had lumps on thyroid and had that thing removed.

    Could be a # of things that are NOT bad...
    So I'll just lie down and wait for the dream
    Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
  • Cinnamon Girl
    Cinnamon Girl Posts: 1,854
    CHANGEinWAVES wrote:
    Cinnamon Girl wrote:
    Where on his body?
    His neck.

    Did he notice it or did his doctor?

    I think it could be so many things that you really shouldn't look at all the possibilities. It will just make you stress.

    Just assume it's only and infection...which it probably is.
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  • CHANGEinWAVES
    CHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    Cinnamon Girl wrote:
    CHANGEinWAVES wrote:
    Cinnamon Girl wrote:
    Where on his body?
    His neck.

    Did he notice it or did his doctor?

    I think it could be so many things that you really shouldn't look at all the possibilities. It will just make you stress.

    Just assume it's only and infection...which it probably is.
    He noticed it, it's also swollen around the lump. For my dad to go to the Dr. It has to be worrying him!

    Yeah I don't wanna get into the medical sites... I'll have him terminal if I read too much!
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • Cinnamon Girl
    Cinnamon Girl Posts: 1,854
    CHANGEinWAVES wrote:
    He noticed it, it's also swollen around the lump. For my dad to go to the Dr. It has to be worrying him!

    Yeah I don't wanna get into the medical sites... I'll have him terminal if I read too much!

    He's in my thoughts. Keep me updated,okay?
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  • CHANGEinWAVES
    CHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    Cinnamon Girl wrote:
    CHANGEinWAVES wrote:
    He noticed it, it's also swollen around the lump. For my dad to go to the Dr. It has to be worrying him!

    Yeah I don't wanna get into the medical sites... I'll have him terminal if I read too much!

    He's in my thoughts. Keep me updated,okay?
    Thank you :)
    His scan is Monday so there won't be any news until after that.
    My Dad is the one person in this world who understands me 100%, it would kill me if this is anything bad. Positive thoughts!
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • libragirl
    libragirl Posts: 4,632
    Positive vibes for you and your dad CIW
    These cuts are leaving creases. Trace the scars to fit the pieces, to tell the story, you don't need to say a word.
  • Arcticangel
    Arcticangel Posts: 1,443
    dcfaithful wrote:
    I always thought your lymph nodes got swollen when you were ill...but I'm no doctor...


    Swollen lymph nodes can happen for a million reasons - the lymphatic pathway is like the body's filter mechanism and all sorts of "crud" can get lodged in there along with the antibodies against it. A lymph node is an accumulation of immune cells so it's not unnatural for something to get "stuck" in there as the immune system is trying to eliminate it. If it's swollen - then there are an excess number of lymphocytes accumulating to fight a pathogen. What exactly they are fighting I couldn't tell you but it could be as insignificant as the common cold. The docs will be able to figure the specifics out.

    Good vibes. :)
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  • Tuolumne Mama
    Tuolumne Mama Posts: 1,210
    ChangeinWaves, my best wishes that everything turns out fine.  I'm not an MD, but my son had a similar problem so we saw his pediatrician who sent us to a surgeon immediately and he ran a complete workup including catscan. He said it was nothing to worry about but just to watch it for any changes or for any occurrences in other nodes.  He's healthy except it still swells from time to time. Before we saw the surgeon I was frantic so I did a bunch of research on the internet and talked to medical folks at the university where I work. It seems this is a pretty common problem and is treatable in about 99% of the cases.  Hope you all get good news very soon and eases your mind a bit. Please be sure to let us know.  Feel free to PM me about my son's case if you think it may help you. Good luck.
    ======================================================================
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  • mca47
    mca47 Posts: 13,337
    Fear not, I work in cancer research and I can say that more often than not LN lumps are only temporary and get people worked up more than they should.
  • Thorns2010
    Thorns2010 Posts: 2,201
    I've had swollen lymph nodes before on my chest, like right by my nipples.

    I figured it was nothing, but I told my mom about it, and her being a nurse freaked out, and made the regular physician we see refer me to radiology and have a scan.

    By the time of the appointment the swelling had gone down, and sure enough it was nothing.

    The worst part about the whole ordeal was that I had to drink some barium before the scan so my insides would show up. It was banana flavored, bleh!! Oh, and the fact that I went out drinking the night before didn't help the matter! :lol:
  • CHANGEinWAVES
    CHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    thanks everyone... it's calming my nerves a little. I wanna be able to do the same for my Dad and Mom... they are a bundle of nerves.
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • Heatherj43
    Heatherj43 Posts: 1,254
    When my son was a baby he had a large lymph node on the back of his neck, kinda the side and back, anyway, after it being there for 6 months, they did a biopsy. All was well. Theye were checking for leukemia at that time. Most of the time they get big because of infection somewhere in the body.
    Save room for dessert!
  • Flagg
    Flagg Posts: 5,856
    Heatherj43 wrote:
    When my son was a baby he had a large lymph node on the back of his neck, kinda the side and back, anyway, after it being there for 6 months, they did a biopsy. All was well. Theye were checking for leukemia at that time. Most of the time they get big because of infection somewhere in the body.

    My daughter had the exact same thing when whe was 5. Doctors suspected leukemia. They biopsied the node and it was negative. Turned out it was swollen because of scar tissue from some serious strep throat.

    It was scary at the time though.
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  • WildChildRose
    WildChildRose Posts: 568
    Yes, don't worry too much. It could be anything. I had a swollen lymph node in my armpit for more than a year. I had the dr's look at it and almost had a biopsy when it just suddenly disappeared! I never found out what it was from but all the Drs just said it was nothing. Usually its from an infection. I hope your dad is okay!
    "I'll ride the wave where it takes me.."
  • CHANGEinWAVES
    CHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    Thanks everyone, you have made me feel better :) and worry less... Which is a huge thing for me since I am a constant worrier!

    He gets the scan tonight, and goes to the ear, nose, throat Dr. Monday. I saw him last night and I have to say it's friggin huge!! He said that the Dr. even said that it was large.

    Thanks again.
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • faceintheclouds
    faceintheclouds Posts: 1,739
    i had swollen lymph nodes, and thought i had cancer. it turned out to be sarcoidosis. which is not that bad unless your a black man. bernie mack died from complications from it. my dr says its usually only fatal in black men.
    Just, not enough.
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  • CHANGEinWAVES
    CHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    He gets the results from the cat scan today... I'm more than a bit nervous.
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"

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