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Swollen lymph nodes for nearly a year?

I’m a 24 YO male, in October last year I got a very bad chest cold which turned into an infection, 102 fever every night for two weeks until I started antibiotics. Eventually it did clear up but then three weeks AFTER the Antibiotics the nodes popped up, 5 on the left anterior cervical chain, three going up my left jugular to under my chin. Dr ran a ton of blood work, all showed normal. I had ultrasounds of the neck showing all of them to be under a centimeter but bigger than the other side so enlarged. Still we are talking about 9 swollen lymph nodes not present before and not bI lateral, finally I got an FNA ordered however the dr performing it said all the swollen nodes I’ve been noticing are too small and biopsied a node deeper in under my jaw which I can’t even feel. She said it was the largest but said that’s normal for the area. That is what worries me, instead of sampling the newer slightly swollen nodes she got one that may be its original size.. would that still rule out malignancy given it’s proximity to the others even if it’s not swollen? The sample they got was good and showed no signs of cancer or malignancy of any kind but again it wasn’t of the newly palpable nodes on the cervical chain.

I guess I’m just bothered by the lack of interest all the docs have shown. I have 9 lymph nodes that while small popped up out of nowhere, I know my body well and they are unilateral. They have not shrunk in 10 months now and I just want to know what’s causing it. I’ve heard everything; lymph nodes can remain enlarged forever sometimes; they have always been there probably (US disproved that by showing the difference) but a whole lot of not good answers. I just want an absolute answer if this is something serious or not. Because literally everything I’ve read says lymph nodes don’t just stay enlarged and mean nothing.
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15695260 tn?1549593113
Hello and welcome to the forum.  Thanks for that question.  Are you or your doctor's sure they are lymph nodes?  They sound small in nature.  Normally lymph nodes are a response to fighting an infection so the timing of their showing up even if after antibiotics is not unusual in my opinion.  https://www.webmd.com/cancer/when-swollen-lymph-nodes-mean-cancer#1  This article may help you.  I'm glad to see you are working with your doctor but am sorry this is so stressful for you.  A reactive lymph node can stay swollen for up to 6 months.  We wish you the best.
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