Don't Shoot Me For Asking But This Has Me Worried.

[Cerberus]

Ok guys, I know this is not a place for free medical advice and I plan on seeing a physician no matter what is said here. Problem is the earliest I can get an appointment with a doctor is next week and this is really keeping me up at night. So if you have any ideas on what this is and how serious it is, please let me know. Thanks in advance...

I have had really bad pains on the left side of my neck for about the last four months. The muscles get incredibly sore and I have a hard time sitting up because of the pain. I asked my doctor last time i went and she said it was probably a symptom of stress and poor sleeping habits. Since then I havent thought much of, thinking it was probably nothing and taking ibuprofens as sympotoms appear, until last week when I was rubbing my neck - as it was in pain - and noticed a lump about 1cm in diameter behind my left ear on the facial side of my sternocleidomastiod (pushing against it actually).
This lump is nothing new really, i noticed it first about 8 years ago and asked my grandmother (who was a nurse) what is was. She said it was probably nothing to worry about and it was completly forgotten till I rediscovered it last week. The size doesnt seem to have changed since I first discovered it but it is hard to tell with certainty. The problem is the pain seems to be centralized to the area where the bump is, this has thoughts of cancer moving through my head at a thousand miles and hour and will leave me a nervous wreck till I find out further information from a physician. Do you guys have any idea what this might be??? Oh yea and there are no symptons (that i know of) other than the neck pain.
How common is cancer in this part of the body??? Any input would really be appreciated till I get to the doctor.
Thank you--Cerberus

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[Fah-Q]

I know we are not supposed to give medical advice and I am not a doc but here is my opinion. A node that is 1 cm is nothing to get excited about, plus you said it has been there for years. Just about everyone has a "node" they can feel in their neck...its almost always nothing. Malignant nodes are usually larger and painless. The location is a little strange (postauricular) but if it has always been there then I wouldn't worry. Out of curiousity, do you perhaps carry a heavy bag/backpack on one shoulder? Could be causing the pain.