Thanks for a great question. I'm sure that the last month and a half has been frightening for you -- there's nothing worse than worrying and waiting, is there?
Did the FNP seem to think the doctor would call you at some point or that there would be more communication of any kind? It seems odd to me that after that many tests, you would hear only from a nurse practitioner, even though they are very good at what they do.
Our lymph nodes -- there are many throughout the body -- perform a lot of important functions. They are part of the immune system, helping us fight infection and viruses, and they help drain excess fluid and waste. There can be a lot of reasons why one might be swollen.
One of the most common is infection. Did your doctor or FNP suggest this to you, or suggest a round of antibiotics? Or perhaps suggest over-the-counter pain medicine and warm compresses for the pain?
Here's the Mayo Clinic page on swollen lymph nodes. Be sure to note the things you can click on down the left side such as Symptoms, Causes, Treatments and drugs, Lifestyle & home remedies:
Have you had any other symptoms as well? Fever, loss of appetite, weakness, etc? Here's another article that discusses swollen lymph nodes, and their sometimes-link to lymphoma. But it includes several symptoms that you did not mention:
I hope this information has helped somewhat. Maybe it has helped you form questions that you can ask your FNP or your gynecologist to set your mind at ease. Please write back and update us, or let us know if we can be of further help.
Comment Reply
Hi, Anon, and welcome to Empowher!
Thanks for a great question. I'm sure that the last month and a half has been frightening for you -- there's nothing worse than worrying and waiting, is there?
Did the FNP seem to think the doctor would call you at some point or that there would be more communication of any kind? It seems odd to me that after that many tests, you would hear only from a nurse practitioner, even though they are very good at what they do.
Our lymph nodes -- there are many throughout the body -- perform a lot of important functions. They are part of the immune system, helping us fight infection and viruses, and they help drain excess fluid and waste. There can be a lot of reasons why one might be swollen.
One of the most common is infection. Did your doctor or FNP suggest this to you, or suggest a round of antibiotics? Or perhaps suggest over-the-counter pain medicine and warm compresses for the pain?
Here's the Mayo Clinic page on swollen lymph nodes. Be sure to note the things you can click on down the left side such as Symptoms, Causes, Treatments and drugs, Lifestyle & home remedies:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swollen-lymph-nodes/DS00880
Have you had any other symptoms as well? Fever, loss of appetite, weakness, etc? Here's another article that discusses swollen lymph nodes, and their sometimes-link to lymphoma. But it includes several symptoms that you did not mention:
http://lymphoma.about.com/od/symptoms/f/largenodes.htm
This page has some more technical information, as well as a graphic:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/swollen_lymph_glands/article_em.htm
And here's a short ABCnews video on how to know if your swollen lymph nodes point to something serious:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluQuestions/story?id=6434097
I hope this information has helped somewhat. Maybe it has helped you form questions that you can ask your FNP or your gynecologist to set your mind at ease. Please write back and update us, or let us know if we can be of further help.
April 16, 2009 - 8:36amThis Comment
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