10,000 years will give you such a crick in the neck
July 5, 2016 6:24 AM Subscribe
What kind of doctor should I see for a bump in my neck?
I've had a bump in my neck for over 10 years. I asked my doctor about it when I was in undergrad and she just shrugged. I haven't had health insurance since.
Fast-forward 15 years. I now have health insurance. I saw an osteopathic surgeon who said it was probably a benign tumour, but he wasn't gonna do anything about it. I would like it gone. What kind of doctor should I see about this? Is this something I should see my GP about? Or my physiotherapist?
I've had a bump in my neck for over 10 years. I asked my doctor about it when I was in undergrad and she just shrugged. I haven't had health insurance since.
Fast-forward 15 years. I now have health insurance. I saw an osteopathic surgeon who said it was probably a benign tumour, but he wasn't gonna do anything about it. I would like it gone. What kind of doctor should I see about this? Is this something I should see my GP about? Or my physiotherapist?
Best answer: See the GP. This is exactly the type of gatekeeping they're there for, and they're probably going to need to be in the loop a bit on this.
oh and +1 for the title
posted by azpenguin at 12:42 PM on July 5, 2016
oh and +1 for the title
posted by azpenguin at 12:42 PM on July 5, 2016
Best answer: I've had this surgery; though the bump was on the back of my head. I went first to my GP, who sent me to a general surgeon. He told me it was probably cancer (I am already a cancer survivor, so, um) but he wasn't going to operate. It was a hard surgery, he said. And I should keep an eye on it.
So I went back to the guy who did my previous (cancer) surgery and begged him to do this one, which he did. With a valium under a local anesthetic (me, not him), because it was easier to book and there was less recovery time. That guy is a otolaryngologist. He did not balk at this "hard" surgery. It took him about 20 minutes.
It looked like lymphoma, but turned out to be reactive follicular hyperplasia. AKA a harmless, overreacting lymph node. They removed the giant one on the back of my head, but I still have 11 more in my neck that developed since. They shrink and grow regularly. You have been warned.
Bodies are weird.
posted by Hildegarde at 7:48 PM on July 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
So I went back to the guy who did my previous (cancer) surgery and begged him to do this one, which he did. With a valium under a local anesthetic (me, not him), because it was easier to book and there was less recovery time. That guy is a otolaryngologist. He did not balk at this "hard" surgery. It took him about 20 minutes.
It looked like lymphoma, but turned out to be reactive follicular hyperplasia. AKA a harmless, overreacting lymph node. They removed the giant one on the back of my head, but I still have 11 more in my neck that developed since. They shrink and grow regularly. You have been warned.
Bodies are weird.
posted by Hildegarde at 7:48 PM on July 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks! I've made an appointment with the GP..
I don't think this is a lymph node, because this same bump has been there and not changed size in Whoever knows how long. I am glad you were able to get yours (at least the initial one) taken out!
posted by Enchanting Grasshopper at 8:51 AM on July 6, 2016
I don't think this is a lymph node, because this same bump has been there and not changed size in Whoever knows how long. I am glad you were able to get yours (at least the initial one) taken out!
posted by Enchanting Grasshopper at 8:51 AM on July 6, 2016
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posted by cooker girl at 6:30 AM on July 5, 2016