Doctor accused me of faking symptoms to seem like I have cancer
Hi, so I think I’m going insane.
I got mono in November of 2024. Ever since, I constantly feel drained of energy and feel weak. In January 2025, I had night sweats that were so bad I had to sleep naked on a towel, and then when it eventually got drenched, I had to switch out the towel during the night. I thought it was just mono, and that it just hadn’t fully passed. The night sweats went away but then came back; they always last for a month, and they happen every night for that month. I’ve had 4 night sweat episodes since January 2025.
After the 3rd episode, I decided to Google my symptoms, and it told me I could have HL (Hodgkin’s lymphoma). I ignored my symptoms and hoped it went away. But then in February, I started to get itchy in the shower, which lasted 2ish weeks. I remember that it was a symptom of HL. But I am scared that it’s all in my brain and I just created itchiness because I read about it months ago.
Then in January of this year, I got the flu, and my lymph nodes never went back down. I went to my doctor, and she said that my symptoms could be a blood cancer. She ran a bunch of blood tests and a chest X-ray, and they all came back normal. She also ordered an ultrasound of the lymph nodes, and this is what the ultrasound found : Images demonstrate a heterogeneous lymph node versus lymph node conglomerate in right zone 1 measuring 4.2 x 0.7 cm (remeasured on cine images). There is also a left zone 1 lymph node measuring approximately 2.0 x 0.5 cm (remeasured on cine images) without a definite fatty hilum.
I called my parents, who are doctors, for their medical advice. My dad even told me I was Googling my symptoms. After I got the test back, my doctor asked me about what my parents think about it, and I told her what my dad said to convey to her that they are not taking me seriously, thus not giving any useful medical advice. She then asked me if I did. I was pissed off, then told me that my symptoms and my timeline don’t make any sense, and it looks like I was faking it to seem like I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The doctor said the only thing to do is wait and get an ultrasound in a couple of months or get a biopsy. I am going ahead and getting a biopsy in 2 weeks. My parents think it’s completely unnecessary and told me that nothing points to cancer. I feel like I’m going insane. On one hand, I believe myself, but all the doctors are doubting me and I’m starting to question myself.
I’m scared I’m just making it up, am I going crazy, is getting a biopsy unnecessary?
Note: I have terrible memory, and so when my doctor asked me a question, I looked at my best friend and her messages because I tell her everything. So when my doctor asked if I had an unexplained fever, I searched my messages and surely enough, I texted my friend during 2 of the night sweats episodes that I was having night sweats again and a fever. It could be possible that I have had more fevers, but we primarily send voice memos and can’t search for words in the transcript.
For some background I am 20 years old male, the only medication is a stimulant, and I’ve been vaping for a couple of years.