Okay, I know I've come to this forum before, and I'm going to see if I can go to the ER or something tonight, but I am absolutely TERRIFIED.
I'm almost 17, so I know cancer is probably rare, but...I used to have this very small cyst, barely the size of a pea. I went to my GP a few months back for a wellness check and she poked and prodded at it and assumed it was benign. Since then, it's gotten larger. I can't lay back or move my arm certain ways without soreness. It's about a fingertip or two in size I'd think.
I can provide pictures via messages if needed, but I'm so so so afraid this is maliginant/cancerous.
I noticed in particular it formed in a high stress situation, and after the police got called in one major argument and we got kicked out it appeared to be getting larger. When we were driving back to the household where this took place since we kind of have to live here, the cyst was particularly sore and started burning once we turned onto the street. (That has since stopped.)
Adding onto this in which cysts DO run in my family...it's not on my spine rather off to the side almost on the shoulderblade. In certain lighting it does appear different but in the average lighting of my living room/outside it looks kind of skin colored if not a bit tinted.
You are aware you are a hypocindriac (health anxiety/ocd) right? I know you just started therapy so hopefully at some point the doctor will help you with all this. You are very young and you have to know the body knows how to heal itself from a lot of stuff. A cyst the body will take of. No need to bother even thinking about it. next time you go to your gp you can show it to the gp. Otherwise forget about it.
Generally if there is a sudden and noticable change in size and colour your GP may then decide on a test by taking a sample of the growth ???.
It does sound however very small, I have one on my neck, next to the spine and it has been there for over twenty years and has remained stable in fact like this on it is been absorbed back into my neck.
All I can advice is trust your GP findings and just keep an eye on it. Lups like these cysts are very common and very few are cancerous
So do not keep feeling it and pushing it just leave it alone. Forget about it at this time If it is like mine you will be getting your pension and it could still be there a monument to an earlier time
You know where we are, please do not worry
BOB
First: I would do everything I needed to do to distance myself from situations where police are involved. That's not just a "high stress" situation, that is being in a situation, and with certain people, that results in the involvement of authorities. If you are not in school, what are you doing with your time. Even if you just decide to read and study a big dictionary, that would be a step towards doing something that is fairly much guaranteed not to involve authorities - unless you steal the book.
You say, "cyst." I had to look at other posts to see where it is. Fatty lumps aren't unusual. You say that "cysts" run in your family. What kinds of cysts? Cysts like this? Fatty lipomas? I see someone replied that you are a hypochondriac. Well, hypochondriac or not, have the thing evaluated because fact beats speculation every time.
It was a domestic abusive situation in which cops were called for safety concerns, sad to say it's not uncommon here and my mother and myself are incapable of leaving it due to finanical and other issues despite both of us in search of job opprotunities.
We've already had CPS come to my school and pull me out of class, they're supposed to visit sometime soon which is inevitably going to make matters worse...it's not physically abusive by any means, but it's leaving a heavy emotional/mental toll on my mother and I both.
I don't really prioritize myself too much and try and make sure my friends and everyone else are "okay". Free time I'm trying to sleep despite insomnia and nightmares and tend to work with arts.
Cysts in my family (or at least my mother's and late father's side) as far as I've been told by my mother are usually always sebaceous/benign. My mother had one on her spine in particular and had to get that removed due to infection (though she was young too when this happened and her father popped it, hence the infection). I don't know much else other than that...mine's slightly off to the side though. I'm thinking it might be attached to the shoulderblade/the muscle there.
I'm hoping for the best--though it's true, my hypochondria makes me fear for the worst at all times no matter how small the situation. (It's honestly kind of ridiculous. I got a compliment once and my brain decided to change that into "oh you must be dying."
Here's hoping test results/the visit will pay off for the better...
Hi mcncheri,
I had a cyst on my back the other week the size of a pea to start with. It became itchy and painful and grew much larger in no time. I went to the doctor and he said straight away that it was an infected cyst. He gave me strong antibiotics and it disappeared in about 8 days. Your symptoms sound like mine so if I were you I would get it sorted so that you can stop worrying.
Hey, Juliannah,
Thank you so much for mentioning this! I don't think I'll be able to go today, but there should be an appointment tommorrow after my classes. Think it'll be okay/safe to wait til then?
It's not particularly 'painful' per se, rather it's overly sensitive and occasionally sore if minimal pressure is put on it. Kind of like if you accidentally bumped into something you know?
Still hoping for the best :'
Hi again,
Yes you can wait until then but the sooner you get the infection treated the sooner it will go.
Take care
Hello
How have you managed today with your cyst ??
BOB
Hi,
I think you meant to send this to mcncherie? I too would like to know how she got on at the doctors.
Regards
I managed to get an appointment next week, but I'm not sure yet...
It apparently looks bruised, so I'm a little afraid and extremely anxious still.
Hello
Sorry you are still concerned.
If it looks sore and bruised, could it be you have been messing with it, leave it alone until you get a positive result, that shows there is possibly nothing wrong
Stop worrying, keep a hold
BOB
First I want to say that I sypathize with your situation. You are so young and having to experience things that you shouldn't have to. I also want to say that I think you are an incredibly smart and resourceful person looking into an online site like this for advice. Many people never reach out and you are so thats great.
It does sound to me that you have a reason to be concerned and definately should check your cyst out at doctor. However, anxiety seems to make small things seem like absurdly large things. I have been a hypochondriac since I was a little girl due to a lot of childhood trauma. Many times it is caused by seeing someone get really sick or going through a childhood illness. It can also be a symptom of childhood trauma.
I believe that you will get through this just fine but definately do things that bring you peace of mind.
Managed to get an appointment with my regular GP, went today and she determined within minutes that it was definitely, without a doubt, an infected sebaceous cyst.
I'm prescribed an antibiotic and some sort of warm compress for a certain amount of time (I'm unsure of that), but she scheduled me for a appointment with a plastic surgeon or someone similar to see if they think it needs removed presuming it's still there.
She didn't seem TOO worried, actually she sounded rather calm about it. That kind of calmness really helped to be honest, it makes it sound as it's not as severe as I thought.
I'm scared about the antibiotic, but as far as I'm aware the only side effect is nausea and taking it before/after eating helps ease that. So...hoping for the best!!!
Hello mcncheri
I am so pleased for you and you have medication to clear the cyst.
You can now relax and know it will all clear.
My Wife had some Plastic Surgery that year and you can not see where the wound was. She used BIO OIL to keep the skin subtle afterwards and everything has disapeared. You can get the oil at BOOTS and LLOYDS.
Well done if you wish to chat I am around
Keep a hold
BOB
Hi again mcmcheri,
I'm so pleased to hear your good news.
My infected cyst went after about 8 days from starting antibiotics. Hope yours does too.
Time to relax now.
Best wishes
Apologies if this question is too personal!
I just started the medicine yesterday, though I'm a little curious...when you took the antibiotic, did the cyst happen to be a bit more sore than usual?
Might be stress making it ache or something hormone related too, but I've noticed in particular that it's been aching a bit more than usual, though the purple area around it seems to have cleared.
Further updates - still red, now itchy/sore again. Purple has faded and it seems there's smaller bumps on and around. Probably gonna contact my GP about this and see what's going on...not really sure what's going on with that. Granted, I have missed a few doses...took only one instead of two a day for a bit.