Hello all. I'm a 27 year old male...For the past few weeks, I've had a nonstop headache. I get migraines rather frequently, but this has been daily, and over the last week has literally become a nonstop ache (with an ebb and flow of severity). Around the same time the headache started, I noticed a small bump on the back of my head (lower left side, about a finger's length from my ear). Two days ago, this small bump had grown in size immensely and started causing a constant and extreme deal of pain.

I went to the doctor about it today, expecting just to get some ointment and be sent on my way. They said it's near where a lymph node is, but were unsure exactly what it was (no cut or marks suggesting an insect bite). They started asking a bunch of questions:

- Did I have any other bumps anywhere? Yes, in fact, I noticed small painful bumps in both my armpits this morning. Swollen lymph nodes, they said. Not thinking much of it at the time of questioning, I neglected to mention that over the past several months (if not a year or more), these lymph nodes have been frequently swollen and painful (I had assumed they were just the result of being a guy with hairy armpits, so I never worried about it).

- Has my vision been blurry? Not that I've noticed.

- Have I felt dizzy lately? Just the other day I had a monetary dizzy spell, but that's it. Though, as I type this, I remember that back in January, I was frequently waking up in the morning from intense dizziness (sometimes vomit-inducing) that would last for about five to ten minutes.

- Itchy skin? For the past several months my lower legs have been quite itchy - not madness inducing - but enough to bug me some; and my scalp has been itchy for a few weeks as well (no change in shampoo/conditioner or water hardness).

- Feeling weak or tired? I always have trouble sleeping, so I'm pretty much always tired.

- Weight loss? I've lost 6 pounds in the last week (no change of diet).

After asking all these questions, they took a culture of the swelling on my head and gave me some antibiotics; said they'd report back to me by Friday and we'd go from there. I came home kind of confused by all the unexpected questions (and surprised by the amount of affirmation I gave), so I googled these symptoms, and well, found myself here.

I'm no hypochondriac, so I feel so weird posting all of this... but having the Google results page be nothing but "lymphoma this" and "lymphoma that" took me back some.

I know the answer will be "don't risk it, go to the doc!" but for those who deal with or have loved ones who have this disease, do you think my situation calls for a follow up appointment where I can give the doctor better, fuller answers, regardless of the culture results? Or is this just a case of the web making "doctors" of us all?

I appreciate your time and responses. Thanks!