Kk's Love Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 About 4 weeks ago, I discovered a huge lump in my neck. I got sick about 2 weeks later and I'm still sick. Last week at the doctors because of being sick (they said I have a viral infection that is going around, they gave me a z-pack) and this lump (she said it was in my thyroid), they ran blood and urine test. I had to go back to the doctors today, now I have bronchitis and was put on 1000mg of Biaxin for 2 weeks but my question is about the lump. She said that my blood came back okay but I have white blood cells in my urine and she could feel around the lump better today and said that it is in my lymph nodes, not my thyroid. She is hoping that it will go down (it's huge, about the size of a golf ball and you can see it) but I have to be back in 2 weeks because if it hasn't they are going to check it for cancer. When I looked it up tonight on the web, the cancer website says that white blood cells in your urine are a good sign that you have cancer. And webmd said that white blood cells could be because of an infection, cancer, or kidney disease. I know you can't determine what is wrong over the net but I'm just asking what kind of "infection" can webmd mean or is there any other reason why these cells are in my urine. Does it mean that I probably have cancer? Just your medical opinion is all I want. What are the questions I should ask and should I be worried. By the way, I'm a 28 yr old white female, if this helps. Please help....Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites
Matilda Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 First of all, I am not a doctor, I do have a medical background, but I am certainly no expert about anything medical. Secondly, I am so sorry you are sick and having to worry about possible cancer. It's not bad enough to be sick, but you are having this major worry placed on you as well. Okay, I'll tell you what I know. Lymph nodes are part of the lympatic system. The lymphatic system is a system of vessels that carries lymph, similar to blood vessels carrying blood, and at various points along this system there are lymph nodes. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system that helps to fight infection and disease. The lymph carries extra fluid and proteins from our cells back to the blood. The lymph nodes are like little filters that take unwanted foreign material, like bacteria or cancer cells, out of the lymph so it doesn't get into the blood stream. The lymph nodes contain WBC's that destroy (hopefully) the "bad" cells. It is my understanding, and remember I am not a doctor, that WBC's in urine is a non-specific symptom. Meaning, it just means there is infection somewhere. Usually it means there is an infection in the urinary tract, but can mean there is infection anywhere in the body, due to any foreign body (bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, etc.) It does not mean you probably have cancer, but as you read it can be a symptom of cancer. Also, there are many causes for swelling of lymph nodes in your neck, usually it is due to a bacterial or viral infection, especially in a young person such as yourself, but occasionally it can be due to cancer. If at any time, you feel worse, or feel like the lump is getting larger or simply not getting smaller, do not hesitate to return to your doctor, or get a second opinion. Also, if you are feeling generally worse or very worried, do not hesitate to call the doctor or go back to see her. some links you may find helpful: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003097.htm http://www.lifesteps.com/gm/Atoz/ency/lymphadenitis_pr.jsp Link to post Share on other sites
Leikela Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Did this lump just appear overnight or was there a gradual growing of it? Has it gotten any bigger or stayed the size of a golf ball? It doesn't sound like cancer because it wouldn't appear that fast in two weeks. If a cancerous ball grew to the size of a golf ball in 2 weeks then it wouldn't just stop. It would keep getting bigger and bigger. Plus, you would have been feeling sick months prior to any of this. The white blood cells just indicate the presence of an infection. You probably just have a bad infection. Definitely follow up with your Dr. though if it doesn't get better. Also, I hope you feel better soon! Link to post Share on other sites
tiki Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I'm not a doctor either! But Matilda is right on. I'm a registered medical assistant and worked in a clinic for three years, learned A LOT! WBC's in urine is a sign of a UTI or improper cleansing before giving a urine sample. Usually with a UTI, there's a trace of blood in your urine. I'm assuming you didn't have that...so it may just be a cleansing issue. Did you clean (properly) with an obstetrical towelette? Did you wash your hands before use? Swollen glands (lymph nodes) in your neck are not uncommon. I had a swollen gland in my neck for months on end. It was like a golf ball. I can almost guarantee that by the time you go back to your doc, your gland will decrease in size. You may not notice the decrease as your doctor will. Continue to take your antibiotics, they will help to fight off any infection that's there...hence the swollen gland. My mom has non-hodgkins lymphoma. It's a type of cancer that attacks the lymph nodes/glands. She checked me constantly and kept me paranoid as a child. You may have an infection of any sort. You know how if you ever get an ingrown hair 'down there'..your groin has glands too and they will swell. It's part of the normal body's healing process and I'm sure there's no need to worry. Please keep us posted. Link to post Share on other sites
KK'sLove Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Thank you so much for your responses. They have all made me feel better. I have had many swollen glands in my lifetime, usually at the top of my neck and they get swollen and hurt if you touch them. This one is different because it's a the bottom front of my neck. I have also never had one so big that I can see it sticking out of my skin (I think this is what is freaking myself and my family out because they can actually see it) and it doesn't hurt when I touch it. It has gotten a little bigger over the last couple of weeks, it's more prominate now and everyone keeps telling me it. Cancer runs in both sides of my family, currently my Aunt has breast cancer. She had 2 lumps in each breast, and both breasts had a different cancer than the other (doctors said that this is unheard of and they are putting her in some research program because they have never seen this). She did have a surgery to remove both breasts and she still has cancer. So this story is going on. My grandfather died of pancreatic cancer and in the end he died actually laying on my hand. There's others too. I'm not new to this disease and I have seen what it does to you and the thought of going through any of that misery scaries me. As far as when I took the urine test, I can say that I did do the cleaning and so on. I'm a very clean person as it is but you know what I mean. I have been taking tests like that forever and I got the procedure down. I guess the waiting right now is what is frighting me most. I have to let this antibiotic run through and I'm praying that it works and the lump goes down. My nose is constantly bleeding, stupid stuff like that, but it makes me even more nervous. I've had bronchitis many times, I'm asthmatic, so I think it kinda runs in the territory. In the last year, I have had plurisy, shingles, sinus infections (even though I had surgery done 3 yrs. ago), arthritis (my spine was cracked in a bad car accident), ear and throat infections, uti's, yeast infections from taking so many antibiotics, severe anxiety attacks which put my heart into irregular rythm, etc. It's like my body never gets a chance to totally heal before something else. I also think the fact that I live and take care of my 85 yr old grandmother with moderate/severe alzheimers doesn't help my sleeping or my stress level. It's just been a hard couple of years and this one has been the worst so far and I just don't feel like I have the energy to go through more. I appreciate you being there for me and giving me advice. I'm normally on here looking for relationship advice but I thought I would try this too, thanks from the bottom of my heart. I will let you know what happens in 2 weeks. Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Gosh! Poor you! Once this is sorted out, I'd go sit in front of a doctor and demand that the doc check into what's up with your immune system and whether you are low in iron or B12 or something. And I'd take multivitamins for sure if you aren't already. I'm sure you will be fine! Link to post Share on other sites
Matilda Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 My goodness, I agree with Moimeme, that's a lot of sickness in a short period of time! I think you should see if someone can help you out with takin care of your grandmother. That is an extremely stressful job. Your poor body needs some time to get back to a healthier state. Take care. Link to post Share on other sites
midori Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 Hi KK'slove, It sounds like you've sought appropriate medical treatment for your condition, and I hope that your health improves soon. I'm glad that you've been able to find a bit of comfort from other LoveShack members, and I'm also glad to see that some of the people who responded were careful to preface their responses by letting you know that they're not medical doctors. If they were medical doctors, it would not be appropriate for them to give you even an informal diagnosis on this forum, since they cannot properly assess you. Dispensing medical advice is not part of LoveShack.org's mission, and I just want to emphasize to you, and to all of our members and guests, that this is not an appropriate forum to seek medical advice. No online forum can replace the skills and knowledge of a real, live, trained medical professional. Best wishes, midori LoveShack.org Site Director Link to post Share on other sites
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