My 10 month old DD has got a lump at the side of her neck. It's not hard, feels very liquidy and it isn't bothering her. She's just had a fairly rotten cold. I took her to the doctor today, who told me that he didn't know what it was, it was odd, but he didn't think it was anything sinister. WTF? How can he say it isn't sinister if he doesn't know what it is. The advice was for me to keep my eye on it, see what its doing, whether it is getting bigger, smaller, or staying the same, and then if it hasn't gone away, come back in a month and he'll organise an ultrasound and that a month really doesn't make a difference.
He isn't our normal doctor, but the one that I always try to see has a waiting list of over four weeks long. It's impossible. The last time I went in there, the doctor I saw actually googled my symptoms. I refused to see that doctor today. I'm going back again on Saturday for another opinion from a doctor that my DH sees, but the clinic refuses to book in patients on Saturdays, so its a case of ring up when they're open on Sat and hope for the best. I'm banging my head against the wall. This has been my doctor's clinic since I was 12 and now they're just not caring anymore.
I'm now really freaked out about what it could be on my DD's neck. The doctor said it didn't feel like a swollen lymph node or swollen glands, but other than that, he was unhelpful. Has anyone else's baby had something like this before? Or does anyone go to a great caring doctor? I'm in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
Corelly, what suburb are you in? My GP is BRILLIANT. I see him and him only (unless emergency) for DD and I. GP is in Eltham.
Re: the lump. I'd be getting another opinion too. I'm not a fan of lumps in necks.Even if it is just a swollen lymph node, I'd want to know what's causing it.
I'd definitely be getting a second opinion too. Even if it is nothing, it would be nice to be reassured. You can request an ultrasound referral. Lumps can be caused by lots of things, it would be impossible to speculate. But it may be as simple as some scar tissue or a cyst.
Mother Goose - I used to work in Eltham, its about 20 minutes from where I live, so if you're happy to pass on your doctor's name, I'd really appreciate it.
Jungle Mum - I couldn't believe that the doctor googled the symptoms too, and she did it in an appointment for my mum too. I'm beginning to feel that our medical profession is becoming the equivalent of a third world country - because all the good doctors seem to be disappearing across the globe to help others in need. My grandmother died last week and the doctors that handled her situation should be banned. They assured us a month before she died that she was cancer free, then it was back, but only minor with no spots on her liver of kidneys, then the very next day, her kidneys were failing and the cancer was aggressive. She died two days later. I'm having very little faith in the whole system right now.
I'm going to insist on an ultrasound, even play on the "I'm a neurotic first time mum" stuff. I'm pretty calm usually, and go with the flow, but there is NOT supposed to be a lump on my beautiful girl's neck!!!!
I dont have much advise but i would go see another Dr or u will not be able to relax... i hope it goes ok
some Dr's just dont care iv been there with myself and its so frustrating its like they dont have time for u and ur wasting there time ,they are so busy ..umm hello thats there job!
I agree to get a second opinion. It is so hard to find a good dr so I can really sympathise. I just went to a new one the other day (just moved) and was blown away by the great standard.
We had the second opinion today and the GP was beautiful in listening to my anxieties. She gave DD a massive check over, from ears to throat, lungs, heart, so on, which is more than I can say for the other twit. She said that DD was really well and that indicated that the lump shouldn't be anything bad, but she didn't expect that it would go away on its own so she handed me a ultrasound referral for the next stage. At least we're beginning to get somewhere.
Alan - you echoed my thoughts. If we could all just google how we were feeling we wouldn't go to the doctor in the first place!!
Hey Corelly, We have a Dr who googles too while patients are in, it's a bit off putting!
I had something similar when I was little and it turned out to be a cebacious cyst (??spelling). I had it removed and it was nothing sinister. It actually came back and had it removed a second time. Again nothing sinister. Think it's something like toxins trying to escape the body when you have had a virus or been generally unwell???
Definitely worth the second opinion..the second Dr sounds very switched on
Corelly I hope the ultrasound goes well and good on you for pursuing it further, I am just going to subscribe to this because I am interested to see what the ultrasound shows up. My DD has lumps (not just one) in her neck, all about pea size and each time I ask about it I get the same reply "its just lymph nodes". I havent been worried about it too much as she has been well and not sick or anything but I am a bit worried with some things people tell me that they could be.
Anyway enough about me, hope you gets some answers.
Had the ultrasound today and DD screamed up a storm so it made it difficult for clear images. I've been to see my GP this afternoon and the results are showing that it is not consistant with things like cancer, but they still are unsure with what it is because it could be many different things that aren't life threatening. So where we're at now is that I'm waiting on an appointment with the Royal Children's Hospital for further scans to see exactly what it is and we're being referred to a specialist. We've booked to have a holiday next week, and my GP told us to go, saying it isn't anything dangerous for us to warrant cancelling the holiday. But I still can't help holding my breath! Once we're back and the scans have been done at the RCH, they should have a better idea of what it is and if it can be left alone, or what treatment needs to happen.
I can't believe that this is going on. DD is almost 11 months old. At 7 weeks she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and went into a brace. At three months, she had surgery for it and was in plaster followed by another brace which comes off for good this Friday. Just when we can go, hey, life is gonna be great and awesome and we can finally do so many things we haven't been able to do, and now this is thrown at her too. Poor little munchkin. It never happens to the bad people of the world, does it? Not to the drug pushers or the murderers or rapists.
Salad - from what I can gather from what I've been told, lymph nodes are hard and pea sized. What my DD has in her neck is liquidy feeling and about the size of a walnut. But don't you hate the dismissiveness when you ask and get an answer without any sort of check or test?
Thought I'd just update here again - DD had her ultrasound last night at RCH and the belief is that the lump is a mass of incorrectly formed lymph nodes that have mounded together. It's only a problem if it gets infected and we'll know if it is because it will get even bigger and be red and she'll be distressed. We're being referred to a specialist who will decide if they'll just leave it be, or if further action is required.
I tell you though, the people at RCH are just magicians. They chatted to her, played with her, and managed to get perfect usable images.
Had the appointment with the surgeon yesterday to decide what needs to happen with this lump and he said he is very comfortable to leave it alone. He is going to review the ultrasound images and if he then disagrees with his own prognosis, he'll call us back. He said an infection in it isn't a bad thing if one should occur, because sometimes it helps reduce the size of it and can be treated with antibiotics, but to get rid of it, if needed, is either injecting it or surgery. Wants to see us again in six months, but said if it was his daughter, he'd simply leave it alone. Phew!
Oh this thread has made me feel better. My DS has a lump on the side of his neck under his ear just like you have described. Squishy and about walnut sized.
My GP is a bit perplexed by it but seems to think it is an infected node or gland.
He has had a few sore throats over the last few weeks so he put him on a course of antibiotics to see if it would reduce it.
I think it has a little, but it is still there after a week on antibiotics so this morning he said to finish the medicine and come back in two weeks and he will ultrasound it if its still there.
So after reading your posts and updates I feel a bit better about the whole thing.
I was going to go to another Dr to see if they thought the same thing but think now I will wait to see if it goes down or get an ultrasound done on it.
Thank you Corelly
2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.
Lump in neck
i can not believe a dr GOOGLED symptoms?!
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