On February 1, 2011 after taking my Tues/Thurs Anatomy class where we had just learned about "swollen glands" aka swollen lymph nodes, I was sitting in my next class (Psychology), I happened to move my itchy scarf off of my neck and noticed a large lump above my left collarbone, right away I thought of the worst things possible, and started to secretly panic while sitting there counting down the hour or so of class that was left. I went home panicked and let my mom know, and she of course panicked as well and decided we should go to the E.R. Normally I wouldn't think to go to the E.R. for something like that, but my gut feeling was not good at all. After a chest xray and some bloodwork that both came back fine, the doctor gave me some antibiotics, said it's definitely an enlarged lymph node, and in an unusual area and told me to follow up with my primary md the next week. After finishing the antibiotic, the enlarged lymph node seemed to be about the same size, so I made an appt. with my primary md. He didn't know a lot about the lymph nodes in that location, but basically said they worry about them when they are in the spot that mine was. He ordered more bloodwork (which all came back normal other than my sed rate being 38 when normal is 0-20), and he referred me to a head and neck surgeon, which I wouldn't be able to get an appt to see for another week.
Thankfully, a wonderful Pharmacist who I get to work with once in a while had told me that her husband is a head and neck surgeon and that if I needed any help getting in to see him to let her know. I am so thankful for both her and her husband because his office called me the same day as my appt with my primary md and were able to squeeze me in early the next morning. He looked at the lymph node and said it is about 2 cm. and that he wanted to do a surgical biopsy.
About a week and a half later (February 23, 2011) was my appt for my surgery, and after keeping a close eye on my lymph node, it had seemed smaller to me then when I had first found it sitting in class a few weeks before that. I had even felt embarrassed going forth with surgery because I didn't want the doctor (my Pharmacist friend's husband) to think that I was being overdramatic about a simple swollen lymph node. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Thankfully I went forth with surgery due to my initial gut feeling when I first found that lump on my neck, because after the surgeon put a rush on my biopsy report, I received a call from my surgeon the day after my surgery that the biopsy showed that I have Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I went in for a ct scan that evening to see if there were more enlarged lymph nodes, and I had even more bloodwork (which all came back normal).
So that brings us to now, I have decided to start a blog about what I will be going through to keep my family and friends updated, for anyone else going through the same thing, and because I would have NEVER imagined that I would ever be dealing with something like this, especially so young in life. I am too young and too healthy, how could this happen? If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.
For now, I am just trying to stay positive and will be seeing an Oncologist on Thursday March 3, 2011 for further info about what I will be dealing with and he will be coming up with a treatment plan (chemo, radiation, or both) specifically for me. According to my ct scan, the enlarged nodes are just in my upper chest area, not in my abdomen or pelvis. Although I was hoping that the lymph node removed was the only one, I guess I am fortunate that they have not spread to my lower abdomen/pelvis region. Other than finding that one enlarged lymph node above my collarbone, I had/have not had any other symptoms.
