› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Freaked Out, Better Now
- This topic has 24 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 9 months ago by
JerryfromFauq.
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- August 7, 2011 at 1:50 am
I am NED as of March, when I had my last surgery.
This past week and a half I've had bronchitis and lots of coughing. Then came the neck pains. Fairly painful shooting pains in my glands behind my left ear and jawline. The right side of my neck had the lymph nodes removed in 2010 and I have had no problems with the left side of my neck. Until now. This was NOT muscle, NOT bone, what else could it be but glands?
I am NED as of March, when I had my last surgery.
This past week and a half I've had bronchitis and lots of coughing. Then came the neck pains. Fairly painful shooting pains in my glands behind my left ear and jawline. The right side of my neck had the lymph nodes removed in 2010 and I have had no problems with the left side of my neck. Until now. This was NOT muscle, NOT bone, what else could it be but glands?
So I said, I will not freak, I will not freak. It could be related to the coughing. (Note: I have had bronchitis at least 15 times in my life and NEVER had any kind of neck pain). Not every ache and pain is the cancer returning. But I was freaked.
Told myself to wait until Monday and if the pains were still coming I would call the onc for an appointment.
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. The pain is gone as of yesterday afternoon, as is most of the cough!!!!!!!!!!
My next PET is end of this month. I can do this thing.
Nicki, Stage 3b
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- August 7, 2011 at 4:59 am
well.. the lymph nodes can swell from many things, and they do have a job to do in the immune system. With your right side nodes gone, it makes sense to me that the left side ones would have to do twice the work.
Since you are feeling better, maybe those nodes won't light up when you go for your PET.
I have my nodes light up my PET to the point where the radiologist actually called it as probably a spread of my melanoma, when all it really was was a virus.
I will cancel a PET nowadays if I've had a cold or the flu!
I'm glad you are feeling better, that, I believe, would NOT be the case if this was melanoma.
good luck, get rid of that bronchitis!
dian
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- August 7, 2011 at 4:59 am
well.. the lymph nodes can swell from many things, and they do have a job to do in the immune system. With your right side nodes gone, it makes sense to me that the left side ones would have to do twice the work.
Since you are feeling better, maybe those nodes won't light up when you go for your PET.
I have my nodes light up my PET to the point where the radiologist actually called it as probably a spread of my melanoma, when all it really was was a virus.
I will cancel a PET nowadays if I've had a cold or the flu!
I'm glad you are feeling better, that, I believe, would NOT be the case if this was melanoma.
good luck, get rid of that bronchitis!
dian
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- August 7, 2011 at 5:45 am
I know exactly what you mean! Since finishing interferon, it seems like everytime I get an upper respiratory infection, the lymph nodes in my upper body begin to ache. And the worse the URI gets, the more they hurt! I really thought I was going crazy at first. Now I just accept that when the discomfort progresses to a certain point, I need to go to the doctor because my URI is moving to my lungs & becoming bronchitis. A built in health barometer!
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- August 7, 2011 at 5:45 am
I know exactly what you mean! Since finishing interferon, it seems like everytime I get an upper respiratory infection, the lymph nodes in my upper body begin to ache. And the worse the URI gets, the more they hurt! I really thought I was going crazy at first. Now I just accept that when the discomfort progresses to a certain point, I need to go to the doctor because my URI is moving to my lungs & becoming bronchitis. A built in health barometer!
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- August 7, 2011 at 10:41 am
I am so hearing you!!!!. I am also Stage 3b for approximately 11 years. This disease can absolutely play with your head sometimes. The slightest cough, you think that melanoma has spread to your lungs. The slightest headache and you think its spread to your brain and everytime you feel abit of swelling in your lymph nodes basin, you think that its spread to your lymph nodes and 99% of the time, it just turns out just to be a bit of bronchitus, a headache caused by the usual winter flues and the same goes with the lymph nodes, just them doing their daily job of getting rid of all those nasty viruses and bacteria. Sometimes you feel like your in a rock and a hard place. You don't want to be spending half your life sitting in you GP's office with every little niggle but sometimes you do know your body, if you are seriously worried or the symptoms don't go away after a period of time then a doctors visit should definately be on the cards, even for peace of mind.
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- August 7, 2011 at 10:41 am
I am so hearing you!!!!. I am also Stage 3b for approximately 11 years. This disease can absolutely play with your head sometimes. The slightest cough, you think that melanoma has spread to your lungs. The slightest headache and you think its spread to your brain and everytime you feel abit of swelling in your lymph nodes basin, you think that its spread to your lymph nodes and 99% of the time, it just turns out just to be a bit of bronchitus, a headache caused by the usual winter flues and the same goes with the lymph nodes, just them doing their daily job of getting rid of all those nasty viruses and bacteria. Sometimes you feel like your in a rock and a hard place. You don't want to be spending half your life sitting in you GP's office with every little niggle but sometimes you do know your body, if you are seriously worried or the symptoms don't go away after a period of time then a doctors visit should definately be on the cards, even for peace of mind.
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- August 7, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Nicki,
I am happy to hear that you are feeling better. It's reassuring to hear that everyone reacts pretty much the same to minor aches regarding melanoma. I thought it was just me that jumps to that "dark spot."
Having said that, make sure that your GP is at the top of his game. When I went to the local "urgent care" facility because I noticed a bump close to my original site, the doctor told me it was just a sign of aging…it wouldn't be melanoma because melanoma starts at the bone.
As I sit here recovering from surgery to remove MELANOMA, I wonder if I should give the good doc a call to let her know it WAS melanoma, and had I followed her advice…well, let's not go there!
Feel better!!!!
Tricia
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- August 7, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Nicki,
I am happy to hear that you are feeling better. It's reassuring to hear that everyone reacts pretty much the same to minor aches regarding melanoma. I thought it was just me that jumps to that "dark spot."
Having said that, make sure that your GP is at the top of his game. When I went to the local "urgent care" facility because I noticed a bump close to my original site, the doctor told me it was just a sign of aging…it wouldn't be melanoma because melanoma starts at the bone.
As I sit here recovering from surgery to remove MELANOMA, I wonder if I should give the good doc a call to let her know it WAS melanoma, and had I followed her advice…well, let's not go there!
Feel better!!!!
Tricia
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- August 8, 2011 at 10:59 pm
WOW!! This is such a trip Nicki!! The past couple of weeks I've had bronchitis too( I think) it's really the only explaination for coughing like crazy but no fever. It's been brutal! Anyway I've had almost the same exact pains in my neck!! I have all my nodes in my neck but it was only hurting on one side. It's the same side as where I had surgery on my chest. One night the pain was so bad I almost went to the ER. I think I posted about this. Of course I was freaking too! I go to the doctor tomorrow and hoping I can get an antibiotic for the cough, it just keeps hanging around driving me nuts!! Don't know how old you are but being 45 with 3 kids (older) my bladder can't take the harsh coughing!! It'd be nice to not pee my pants for a day!! LMAO!! I know TMI!! I just thought this was weird that we had the same thing going on!! Going to definately bring this up tomorrow when I see the oncologist for the first time!! I'll let you know what he says.
Denise
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- August 8, 2011 at 10:59 pm
WOW!! This is such a trip Nicki!! The past couple of weeks I've had bronchitis too( I think) it's really the only explaination for coughing like crazy but no fever. It's been brutal! Anyway I've had almost the same exact pains in my neck!! I have all my nodes in my neck but it was only hurting on one side. It's the same side as where I had surgery on my chest. One night the pain was so bad I almost went to the ER. I think I posted about this. Of course I was freaking too! I go to the doctor tomorrow and hoping I can get an antibiotic for the cough, it just keeps hanging around driving me nuts!! Don't know how old you are but being 45 with 3 kids (older) my bladder can't take the harsh coughing!! It'd be nice to not pee my pants for a day!! LMAO!! I know TMI!! I just thought this was weird that we had the same thing going on!! Going to definately bring this up tomorrow when I see the oncologist for the first time!! I'll let you know what he says.
Denise
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- August 9, 2011 at 1:19 am
Denise, that is soooooooooooo funny. One of the things about bronchitis I never tell anyone. I'm 56 so probably pee lots more than you. Sometimes I just sit on the toilet when I know a long coughing spell is coming. Hope no one is offended, heck, melanoma is offensive enough, who cares about potty.
I don't think they will give you anything if it's bronchitis. Nobody gives me anything. But always go to the doctor, even if you get it every year and know what it is, always a chance it may be pneumonia or something.
Just got a laptop, gave up our desktop. I hate this little thing.
Nicki, Stage 3b
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- August 9, 2011 at 2:17 am
It's good to know I'm not alone! I too sit on the potty waiting for the coughing to stop!!
I wonder what the heck the neck pain is??!! Some people said it was surgery pains because of where my pain was but I don't think it had anything to do with it. Maybe a muscle spasm from the harsh coughing??!!
Denise
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- August 9, 2011 at 12:36 pm
could easily be the hard coughing causing neck pain, stiff neck symptoms. Mine were sharp shooting pains in the gland area. But I do have stiffness everytime I get bronchitis..
My doctors suggest rest, rest, rest and TONS of water (has to be room temp, not cold)
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- August 9, 2011 at 12:36 pm
could easily be the hard coughing causing neck pain, stiff neck symptoms. Mine were sharp shooting pains in the gland area. But I do have stiffness everytime I get bronchitis..
My doctors suggest rest, rest, rest and TONS of water (has to be room temp, not cold)
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- August 12, 2011 at 1:56 am
Matter of curosity, What type Dr is it that refers you to your GP? My Oncologist refers me on to what ever he feels necessary.+
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- August 12, 2011 at 1:56 am
Matter of curosity, What type Dr is it that refers you to your GP? My Oncologist refers me on to what ever he feels necessary.+
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- August 9, 2011 at 2:17 am
It's good to know I'm not alone! I too sit on the potty waiting for the coughing to stop!!
I wonder what the heck the neck pain is??!! Some people said it was surgery pains because of where my pain was but I don't think it had anything to do with it. Maybe a muscle spasm from the harsh coughing??!!
Denise
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- August 9, 2011 at 1:19 am
Denise, that is soooooooooooo funny. One of the things about bronchitis I never tell anyone. I'm 56 so probably pee lots more than you. Sometimes I just sit on the toilet when I know a long coughing spell is coming. Hope no one is offended, heck, melanoma is offensive enough, who cares about potty.
I don't think they will give you anything if it's bronchitis. Nobody gives me anything. But always go to the doctor, even if you get it every year and know what it is, always a chance it may be pneumonia or something.
Just got a laptop, gave up our desktop. I hate this little thing.
Nicki, Stage 3b
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