Lymph node freakout

Steve – deep breath!  Lymph nodes swell a little for a lot of reasons – you might have a little cold or it might be responding to being touched a lot.  I remember that panic well and in my case it was unfounded.  Make another appt. with your onc, but if he/she just saw you on Tuesday it is unlikely that any swelling is due to mel.     Been there, Steve, and I'm sending prayers and good thoughts.

Fen

Steve – deep breath!  Lymph nodes swell a little for a lot of reasons – you might have a little cold or it might be responding to being touched a lot.  I remember that panic well and in my case it was unfounded.  Make another appt. with your onc, but if he/she just saw you on Tuesday it is unlikely that any swelling is due to mel.     Been there, Steve, and I'm sending prayers and good thoughts.

Fen

Steve,

It's probably nothing and your paranoia is getting the best of you 🙂   Yes, nodes can all of a sudden swell, but you were just seen on Tuesday with no problems. If there is swelling around your WLE scar, it could be scar tissue.  I had my groin lymph nodes dissected in February and the area around the scar and to the left of it feels hard and lumpy. I went to see my surgical onc. because I thought it was my lymph nodes or the return of melanoma, but she said it was scar tissue.  You could always go back and have them examine you again for peace of mind. I don't let anything sit around and wait when it comes to melanoma.

Try not to freak out – I"m sure everything will be okay. Stop touching and imagining the worst – I know it's hard, but I think you should have it looked at again to be sure.

Lisa 

Steve,

It's probably nothing and your paranoia is getting the best of you 🙂   Yes, nodes can all of a sudden swell, but you were just seen on Tuesday with no problems. If there is swelling around your WLE scar, it could be scar tissue.  I had my groin lymph nodes dissected in February and the area around the scar and to the left of it feels hard and lumpy. I went to see my surgical onc. because I thought it was my lymph nodes or the return of melanoma, but she said it was scar tissue.  You could always go back and have them examine you again for peace of mind. I don't let anything sit around and wait when it comes to melanoma.

Try not to freak out – I"m sure everything will be okay. Stop touching and imagining the worst – I know it's hard, but I think you should have it looked at again to be sure.

Lisa 

As other have said, do not palpate your nodes! Do not touch, move, feel, rub, etc. – leave them alone. That alone will make them swollen and sore.

Michael

As other have said, do not palpate your nodes! Do not touch, move, feel, rub, etc. – leave them alone. That alone will make them swollen and sore.

Michael

They are all correct, my husband had a lymph node pop up out of nowhere after a break of doing IL-2. He surely thought it was melanoma spreading, but it was his body reacting and the more he touched it the worse it got. He left it alone and it went away. Try not to think the worst yet.

Rebecca

 My husband Bob stage IV NED 2 years after IL-2 & Surgery. Lung and Intestinal mets.

They are all correct, my husband had a lymph node pop up out of nowhere after a break of doing IL-2. He surely thought it was melanoma spreading, but it was his body reacting and the more he touched it the worse it got. He left it alone and it went away. Try not to think the worst yet.

Rebecca

 My husband Bob stage IV NED 2 years after IL-2 & Surgery. Lung and Intestinal mets.