Last Sunday, Isaac was laying his head in my lap. I ran my hand over his hair and down the side of his face and neck. I was in the middle of a conversation and had to stop to gasp. What the …?? I discovered a large bump on his neck. It’s HUGE. About the size of a peach pit (which looks GINORMOUS!! on a one year old neck). It appears to be a swollen lymph node. Just on one side. I realized he had a mild fever and went home from church.
It’s now Thursday. He still has the lump. You can’t miss it. It’s popping out of his neck. You can see it really well when he turns his head. The fever is gone and never really amounted to anything. He shows sign of pain or discomfort. He has no other signs or symptoms of anything. Well, a runny nose but he’s had that for… 2 or 3 months now (blame it on the teeth).
Well, the family doc said it was just viral and there’s nothing to do but wait it out. Can this be right? What else could it be? Have any of you ever experienced something like this.? Because of the move I don’t have a pediatrician just yet and we’ve been going to this family doc but when ever I go I’m unsatisfied.
Web MD says this:
The glands on either side of the neck, under the jaw, or behind the ears commonly swell when you have a cold or sore throat. Glands can also swell following an injury such as a cut or bite, near the gland or when a tumor or infection occurs in the mouth, head, or neck.
Treatment for swollen glands focuses on treating the underlying cause. For example, a bacterial infection may be treated with antibiotics, while a viral infection often goes away on its own. If cancer is suspected, a biopsy may be done to confirm the diagnosis.
Any swollen lymph nodes that don’t go away or return to normal size over about a month should be checked by your health professional.
Lymph nodes may remain swollen or firm long after an initial infection is gone. This is especially true in children, whose glands may decrease in size while remaining firm and visible for many weeks.
So maybe I shouldn’t be that worried. I mean I haven’t really been that worried but I just keep waiting for this thing to go away. Come on already!! Do I really have to wait a month? Wouldn’t you be freaking out too???
My name is Manda and I love creating 
I would be freaking out, because I recently stumbled across a blog where the 30-something year old mother is facing the situation mentioned in the last sentence of the second paragraph from WebMD (I don’t want to SAY it outright). But I would bet that 9,999/10,000 times it is viral and you don’t have to worry about that other problem.
What does your heart/prayer tell you? What about a blessing for you and the baby to give you clarity of mind or healing? If you still feel uneasy after all that, it surely can’t hurt to press for more testing or second opinions!
I’d be totally finding a pediatrician right now! Sure, the family doctor is probably right, but wouldn’t you like to hear it from another doctor as well! Call all of your girlfriends, and if you don’t have any, call your visiting teachers/ anyone who has kids your age/ and get an appointment for tomorrow morning! Good luck!
Ok, well I would like to tell you not to freak out, but I know I would be also… in fact, Dom has these 2 little bumps around the bottom of his neck (above shoulder) He has had them for probably longer than a YEAR, I just got used to seeing them and forgot about them. But I saw them earlier today, they still “move” around and are the size of peas so I am pretty sure its ok (the pedi told us as long as they move and don’t bother him, it should be fine) We are supposed to be massaging them to try and get them to “release” but its hard to keep a 2 yr old to sit still long enough to even TOUCH his neck, let alone massage it. I think I am going to take him in once I can get an appt… best of luck to you!
I would say don’t freak out. Wes has one and has forever. I just tell people thats were I shot him and the bullet is still lodged in. If you need a dr. recommendation I LOVE mine but he is over by me so not the most convient for you but he is awesome.
You know, with his constant runny nose, I’d maybe consider taking him to a pediatrician and talking allergies. I’m like you, doctors are a total last resort, but peace of mind is a good thing.
A quick question: do you have a cat or has he been near a kitten/cat recently and gotten scratched? Children are at the highest risk factor for Cat Scratch Fever (yes, it’s real) and it usually manifests itself in swollen lymph nodes (in the neck) and some fever. It can also make the body feel sore and tired all over, but not always.
I got CSF as an adult working in a vet clinic and it took five weeks to get a diagnosis. I had tons of blood tests, biopsies, pricks, pokes, prods, etc. from ENTs and family practitioners. Afriend of ours at our church had been on vacation in Europe for most of that month and didn’t know what I was going through. When he got back and heard about me through our prayer chain at church he called me and had me come to his office the next day – he’s a pediatrician (now retired) and put me on a round of sulfa drugs (Bactrim – the best choice for CSF) and I was better in days.
Kittens are the main carriers of this bacteria and children are usually the ones that get it, but I got it from a kitten where I worked. It’s common and not near as bad as most people say it is.
I do hope all is well, though.
Hey, don’t stress. B. has one, too and I’ve had S’s bro who is a Dr. check it out as well as our ped. They said as long as it is not rock hard that it is normal. Good luck!
I have two small but firm lumps on the back of my neck that have been there forever. When I was a kid I remember asking the doctor what they were and he told me something along the lines of “scar tissue after an infection.” My mom didn’t seem to know anything about it.
They have gotten smaller as I’ve gotten older, or maybe they have stayed the same size as I got bigger.
I am so sorry! I’d be frightened msyelf. It never hurts to take him to a Dr. Better safe than sorry, and sometimes (for me) hearing it from a professionals mouth gives some type of reassurance. Besides, they should have it in his records just in case it ever did become something.