Symptoms

My Dr. believes I have Hodgkins Lymphoma. I've had a biopsy done but they didn't have enough cells to test all the markers. I will be seeing an Oncologist soon. My question is....before you were diagnosed what kind of symptoms did you have?

Comments

  • Iluvlucy
    Iluvlucy Member Posts: 26 Member
    The only symptom I have had

    The only symptom I have had is a lump in my right armpit.  But this certainly can vary, some folks will have persistent fevers, unintentional weight loss,  drenching night sweats, extreme fatigue, some have persistent cough, etc.  But for me, i still have no symptoms and start treatment tomorrow and have known about this lump since July 2018. Please be patient and kind to yourself as you gather info and meet with the oncologist.  Best wishes to you.  

  • CCGarcia
    CCGarcia Member Posts: 2
    Iluvlucy said:

    The only symptom I have had

    The only symptom I have had is a lump in my right armpit.  But this certainly can vary, some folks will have persistent fevers, unintentional weight loss,  drenching night sweats, extreme fatigue, some have persistent cough, etc.  But for me, i still have no symptoms and start treatment tomorrow and have known about this lump since July 2018. Please be patient and kind to yourself as you gather info and meet with the oncologist.  Best wishes to you.  

    Thank you hun!!! Best wishes

    Thank you hun!!! Best wishes to you too!

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,819 Member
    CCGarcia said:

    Thank you hun!!! Best wishes

    Thank you hun!!! Best wishes to you too!

    Symptoms

    CC,

    Symptoms of lymphoma vary a lot, but the nearly universal one is extreme fatigue.

    Except for extreme fatigue, I had no symptoms: I have never felt a node to the touch ever, despite widespread Stage III disease.  From what you describe, you must have had an aspirational (needle) biopsy. Be aware that an excise (surgically removed) biopsy is much to be preferred.  It is good that you see an oncolgists, since most family doctors have no, or very little, cancer expertise.  Even an experienced hematologist will not usually guess as to whether a new case of lymphoma is Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's, so I'm not sure what is going on in that assessment from the doctor.

    max

  • Evarista
    Evarista Member Posts: 336 Member
    Like Max

    My only symptom* was profound fatigue, followed by alarming blood test results.  In hindsight, I did have "rigours" but it was mid-winter and I am "always cold" so I did not think of these as symptoms of anything.  I never had any lymph nodes that I could see or feel; they were there, but deep inside my abdominal cavity.  My biopsy was aspirational because of the location of the involved nodes. Do follow up with your oncologist and if you can see a hematology-oncology specialist, do that ("Hem-Onc").  Good luck going forward.

    *Non-Hodkins (DLBCL)