Swollen Lymph Nodes???

This morning, I was brushing Katie's hair and I felt 2 swollen lymph nodes (1 behind each ear). It scared the hell out of me because this was how we originally discovered that she had leukemia...she presented with swollen lymph nodes behind her ears. Mike immediately wanted to call the oncologist, but I suggested we wait until her appointment on Friday. But, it didn't take long for those swollen lymph nodes to send my mind into a complete tizzy and the anxiety was overwhelming. My denial kicked right in and I started thinking, "this can't be happening again, it just can't". However, as the knot in my stomach continued to grow, I decided it was better if we call and bring her in today for a blood test.

I spoke to the nurse practitioner and she indicated that it was probably not a recurrence of her leukemia, but that we could certainly bring her in for a blood test if that would make us feel better. So, we brought Katie in to the clinic.

This was our first time in the clinic post treatment and they drew blood from her arm instead of her port. Katie wasn't thrilled, but it was a lot easier than trying to access her port for a blood draw.

We waited around for the CBC results which all looked perfect and the doctor examined her. She agreed that her lymph nodes were swollen (so I felt reassured that I wasn't losing my mind completely), but she attributed it to a rash on her body and a slight cold that she has been fighting over the past few weeks. I accepted that as a good enough explanation after seeing the blood results. They did suggest we make another appointment with the dermatologist, so I will do that tomorrow and see what they have to say about this rash that she has.

I can't believe how easy it was for me to be brought right back into the anxiety that we felt in the beginning. I can't help but wonder if I will ever stop feeling behind her ears for swollen lymph nodes... or her forehead for fever... or counting every bruise on her body... probably not...

This visit will take the place of our regularly scheduled one on Friday. Her next visit will be in 4 & 1/2 weeks on Friday, December 10, 2010.