They’re about the size of a marrowfat pea, a centimetre apart, and they’re on the back of my son’s neck, just below his hairline.
I’m not worried about them, but his Mum is. Beside herself, in fact.
Our relationship works like this: when one of us panics, the other gets all stoical, logical and calm, and vice versa. And my wife went into panic mode after discovering these little growths under our seven year-olds skin during bathtime on Saturday night.
‘They’re just cysts or swollen glands, or nodes, or something,’ I tried to reassure her. ‘Nothing to worry about. They’ll be gone in a week.’
‘But he’s already had them a week,’ she said. ‘Can you get them check out? For me.’
Being a typical man, I was determined not to go to the doctor’s surgery. The last time I went there they asked me how many units I drank a week. When I told the truth, the doctor blanched and then gave me a lecture. I’m too old to be told how to live my life, so I nodded a lot and vowed never to go again, unless my leg was hanging off.
But with your kids, it’s different. You’ve got to go, you know, to be on the safe side, because, as a parent, you’d never forgive yourself if something terrible was wrong with your kid that could have been prevented if it wasn’t for your own stubborn middle-agedness.
Still, I was determined to avoid the visit at all costs, and so turned to Google, and then to Twitter, where I got lots of reassurance (thanks all) and no horror stories.
‘I still want you to get him checked out,’ my wife insisted.
So I asked my son’s head teacher, who referred me to the school nurse, who said: ‘Go and see your GP.’
FFS! Can nobody take a decision around here?
And thus, at 5pm on Tuesday evening, I took our seven year-old, accompanied by his little brother (their big sister is away on a school trip this week) and, to be fair, was seen pretty darned quickly by a very pleasant, very friendly, very young – and, ultimately – very unknowledgable female GP who had graduated from doctor college two weeks earlier.
Over the next 10 minutes, she did everything by what I imagine is the GP’s book: took my son’s temperature; made him say ‘Aaah’; looked in his ears; stethescoped his heartbeat; asked him questions;; and even weighed and measured him.
Thorough. That’s good.
When she finally got round to prodding the lumps, I thought we’d be out within a minute.
Any pain? No.
Any fever? No.
Any sign of infection? No.
Any problems with eating? No (aside from the fact his favourite food is leeks!!)
Any slump in energy? No, unfortunately.
He was as right as rain in a drought.
‘So what’s the problem?’ I asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ she replied. ’I need to get one of my colleagues in for a second opinion.’
At this point, I guess I should have started to worry, but I just felt irritated.
I knew there was nothing wrong with him. I KNOW there IS nothing wrong with him. And I wholeheartedly expected the £50k-plus GP to agree. But no.
So we waited. And waited. And waited for her colleague to finish with another patient who was far more likely to be suffering from something far more sinister than a couple of pea-sized lumps in their neck.
Now, 40 minutes in the company of a stranger with two frustrated lads in a room that must have been 80 degrees hot can feel quite awkward.
The doctor tried to make smalltalk with my sons, but all they could say was: ‘It’s so hot in here. When are we leaving?’
So, like an over-qualified hairdresser, I stepped into the inane breach.
‘Finally got a bit of sunshine, eh? I can’t believe it’s rained so much. Where are you from originally?’
On and on. I was boring myself with the questions, let alone the answers.
The conversation perked up a little when she told me she’d had her iPhone nicked from her handbag in a fancy shop in Covent Garden, which led to a few minutes of ‘What’s the world coming to’ type convo. But by and large, it was very obvious to us both than I didn’t to be there, and she wanted me there even less.
Eventually, her colleague arrived – this time a man, not much older than my son – who proceeded to do precisely the same tests his colleague had just done, before declaring: ‘I’m not sure what it is.’
‘You must have some idea,’ I suggested. ‘What about swollen glands, or nodes.’
‘Glands are the same as nodes,’ he said. ‘I think.’ Then turned to his colleague, ‘Aren’t they?’
She just smiled.
The sweltering room grew hotter with a tense silence as we all wondered who was going to speak next.
Yes, it was me.
‘So, are they dangerous? Should I be worried?’ I asked. ‘More to the point, what shall I tell his mother?’
‘To be honest,’ said the more senior junior. ‘I think we should just keep an eye on them for a week or so and if they haven’t gone by then, come back.’
‘And then what?’
‘We’ll do more tests.’
I’m in the wrong job.
Oh you are so on the money with this. Last time I went to see a GP she openly Googled my symptoms in front of me. I only just managed to keep quiet, but was hardly filled with confidence.
They ALWAYS just tell me to wait six weeks and see if it improves. It never has yet.
Sebaceous cysts, lipomas or enlarged lymph nodes (prob not nodes though). I’d put my money on lipomas.
I asked Dr Knott – he said: “Although it would obviously be better to see and feel them ‘in the flesh’, from the picture they look like lymph nodes. Enlarged lymph nodes in this position are very common in children; they are part of the immune system and are particularly prominent after infections such as coughs and colds . Providing he is otherwise well and doesn’t have swellings anywhere else it is worth waiting a couple of weeks to see whether they get any smaller. If they don’t, further investigation would be warranted.”
gahh, I don’t much like doctors, and avoid them as much as possible… I begrudgingly took my youngest to the doctors earlier in the week… not entirely sure why, because I KNEW he just had a virus, but you know when they go all lethargic and floppy and hot n unwilling to wake up, well i guess it kind of throws you sightly so i trudged to the doctors for a ‘sit and wait’ style appointment because i hadn’t had the forsite to know he would get ill at 8am so couldn’t book a proper appointment, anyway when i got in there to meet this nice chap who did simular tests on my little one as your docs did, you know listened to heart, check temp, blah blah he turned and said oh its a virus if hes no better in a week come back, if he deteriorates take him to a n e… and then turned to his notes and said oh theres not much in his medical history is there? I think he must have thought my son was some sort of miracle child who had never been ill – ever, but in reality i just don’t report to a doctor to be told he has a virus.. seems a tad pointless going to be told to monitor him, i can do that without them telling me to do that! hope the mystery lumps dissapear soon so a repeat appointment isn’t needed for you!
Right I’m not being funny but you need new doctors! Ridiculous
GPs work on the assumption that most things clear up by themselves after a couple of weeks at the most. All they have to do is keep you busy until then, after which you come back and say what a fabulous doctor they are.
Try not to worry to much, as actually I do find that most things clear up or disappear after a short while – because we have to pay to visit the GP in Ireland, I tend to leave things like these lumps for a week or so myself before going to the GP and demanding a referral letter for a consultant x
Well as you know from my good lady wife I have something very similar to this, in fact have had them for 10 years now. Had plenty of tests but nothing serious found. Just cysts that should go away at some point. If they feel kind of rubber below the surface and aren’t sore then would be very surprised if it’s a problem. Although of course I’m not the doctor here
I’d take him to a real pediatrician, and ask for a referral for that at the GPs. If you don’t get this looked at and it’s another week of “I don’t know” it’s another week of “growing” if that’s what it’s going to do. Yes people google for symptoms because publishers aren’t making books with paper any more. It’s a resource. Before they would see you one week then have to go sift their libraries to find an answer, now they’ve got instant searchable options.
My son now 34 often had little lumps like this when he at primary school.
After the third lot I stopped worrying and the last time he actually saw a DR he was 10 years old. Acouple of years ago I got a letter from the surgery asking in a very roundabout way if he was still alive. It is my experience that if anything lasts more than a week then you should consult a DR, always best to get a proffesional opinion when possible.
Please…..Did you ever find out what they are? because my son has the exact same things on his leg and two Ultra-sounds later and one MRI, the doctor’s are still puzzled!!????….have your sons gone away? Have they gotten any bigger?…please respond….I’m so desperate at this point and really worried!!!! Any idea or help will help me and my son. My son is scheduled for a biopsy this Monday and the Frustration of “The WHAT IF?” is making me crazy!!
Hi Josie. I wrote this as a follow-up. http://reluctanthousedad.com/2012/05/11/my-sons-neck-lumps-an-update/
My son suffered flu-like symptoms soon after the visit to the doctor, and then the lumps gradually subsided until they disappeared altogether. Eight months on he is a very happy, healthy, eight-year-old boy.
I wish you all the best for your family.
Keith