Worried about reoccurring infections and symptoms and no answers

[Rebeccahedges95]

Hi, I am new here and just wondered if anyone else has experienced the same thing as me and if I should just trust the process and waiting list after being put on the waiting list to see the haematologist and being told it could be a long wait..

For about a year I have had reoccurring infections at least one a month always ear infections or sore throat & flu & urine infections and forever given antibiotics. Had a couple of blood tests which keep showing my total white blood cells lower than reference limit along with neutrophils lower than the usual limit & monocyte count however my mean cell haemoglobin above limit. Also had night sweats and bone pain on and off in my shin and severe fatigue. Had a xray on my shin which showed up no stress fracture.

Now come up with a lump on the back of my ear along with a sore throat just fed up of not getting any closer to getting answers.

Would really appreciate any advice and if there is a way I can push to get closer to finding out the cause as really worried.

[Erica]

Hi @Rebeccahedges95 welcome to our forum.
Isn’t ir difficult when we have generic symptoms that might have several causes or none.
I find once I get run down and start getting infections etc. it takes me a very long time to build myself backup.
Unfortunately I have found that there is a lot of waiting and not knowing in the system and that is the worst feeling.
Personally I find when I feel low and unwell then all the negative thoughts start coming in.
Perhaps you might consider asking for a cancellation or short notice appointment or if you had insurance cover or were able to pay privately are other considerations.
I have had to learn to be a ‘patient patient’ since my diagnosis,
I hope others will be able to share their experiences
Please do let us know how you get on and in the mean time try and divert your mind with nice things and really look after and be kind to yourself

[Emma_BloodCancerUK]

Hello @Rebeccahedges95
We are sorry to hear you are going through a worrying time.

We would advise perhaps making another appointment with your GP if you are having persistent symptoms or if you have additional symptoms to see if they can speed up your referral to haematology.

Infections, allergies and sensitivities can cause raised lymphnodes and some infections can take a while to go away/ cause reactive lymphnodes which can continue to be raised or go up and down for several months. However, you are right in getting these symptoms checked out and would reiterate all of these to the GP again and express that you are feeling concerned, they may be able to upgrade this appointment for you to reduce the waiting time.

You may find our 'Blood cancer symptoms and signs’ page helpful to read - it contains information on what to look out for, as well as prompts for questions you might like to ask your doctor.

As it explains on the webpage:

"Most people who have symptoms described on this page won’t have blood cancer. But it’s worrying to have symptoms you can’t explain, and important to find out what’s causing them, if only to set your mind at rest.

If you have just one symptom that you can’t explain, that goes on for a long time, or is unusual for you, book an appointment with your GP. If you suddenly feel very unwell at any time, get medical help straight away by calling 999 or going to A&E."

One of the first tests that would be done to investigate someone’s health is a full blood count (full blood count), which measures the number of each type of cell in your blood: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. We have information about normal ranges on our website, and you can read more about each of the tests that might be done to confirm or rule out blood cancer here: bloodcancer.org.uk/understanding-blood-cancer/tests-diagnosis.

If you would like to talk any of this through, please get in touch on 0808 2080 888

Take care,
Emma (Support Services Nurse)