Lymphoma in CHILD

allie1027

Hi, I'm new to this website. My 4 year old daughter has had swollen lymph nodes for about 8 months(that we have noticed). Her other symptoms are fatigue, night sweats, irritability, emotional, nose bleeds, stomach hurts after eating very little and body aches. She was diagnosed with anemia when I took her to the doctor 5 months ago for those symptoms. They put her on iron for 2 months and her levels went back to normal so they took her off. I just took her to the doctor yesterday and her lymph nodes were still swollen and she still has all the same symptoms except I think she's actually more tired. I got on google and her symptoms came up with Lymphoma. (I know Google isn't a good idea!!) The doctor sent her for lab work and tested her CBC, thyroid, and other things. Everything came back normal except her platelets and ESR were elevated. I googled what the elevated levels could mean and it came back with Lymphoma, kidney disease, or immune disorder. I am a worried mess because I really feel it could be lymphoma because she has all the symptoms except weight loss. The doctor had me schedule her to see a rhemotologist. We don't get to go to that appointment until 2 weeks from now. The doctor didn't seem super concerned but I'm sure they would hide it if they were. Has anyone had lymphoma, known someone with it, or had a child with it? What kind was it? What were your symptoms? How were you diagnosed? What were your treatments? I see the survival rate is good for some of the lymphoma but bad for others. I'm scared. Our family has been through so much lately.

OO7

Trying to find the right words

I can only imagine how scared you are, any parent would be.  Pediatric oncology is an entirely different animal but very treatable.  I can tell you eight months and swollen glands you have reason to be concerned.  Four year olds do have night sweats especially when they're growing.  Are they drenching?  This is an impossible request but here I go, breathe try not to worry too much.  Stay steadfast and focused.  My advise is to seek out the best pediatric hemotologist oncologist you can find. You are your child's advocate, don't sit back but rather demand answers.  You have gone to the doctor,  perhaps  time to see a specialist just to rule it out.

If your doctor was concerned you would know, you're concerned so that matters.

My daughter was ill at birth, I swiftly turned into a pit bull on red bull and thankful I did.  It matters.

I hope this helps......

po18guy

For your own sanity, please

For your own sanity, please stay away from Google! As you have found, it automatically leads to a fatal illness, no matter the symptom. Google is not a doctor. It is a mortician. Before visiting Google, you had a daughter with some unknown condition. Now you fear that she may have a fatal illness. Google does not have answers - only more questions, anxiety and sleepless nights. Treat Google like a virus. It is useful after diagnosis, but not before. 

Childhood cancers are very rare in any case. Children do not normally develop lymphoma, and if they do it is usually an aggressive variety. It would not be survivable for 8 months without treatment. Neither would the next most common childhood blood cancer: leukemia. But, leukemia is easily suspected and diagnosed from simple blood tests (CBC). The most likely reason that doctor did not seem concerned is because doctor was not concerned. If doctor was concerned, additional testing and other measures would have been immediately ordered.

If you do not trust doctor, then seek another pediatrician. Has she been seen by a pediatric endocrinologist? An immunologist? This could very well be an autoimmune condition, a hormone conditon, a bone marrow problem or any number of non-cancerous childhood conditions.

If it was a childhood cancer, she would have gotten extremely, hospital ICU-type sick very quickly. The fact that 8 months have passed should be a comfort and seems to point well away from cancer. From all of the testing already done, there may indeed be a diagnosis on the way. But, as a parent, it is very difficult to be patient.