A short time ago, my neck started feeling especially tight and hurting more, including my left ear (Which has been hurting for quite a while). A portion of it started to swell and was turning pink, so I made an appointment with my regular Doc for the next day; by then I had a swelling on the side of my neck as large as a golf ball!

The Doc drained it, using two packages of gauze sponges in the process. She prescribed an anti-biotic (Keflex). At the end of the course, the opening was still suppurating, so we tried a second course, with the same effect.

Some probing on my part revealed a wound track more than an inch deep heading up towards floor of mouth. I checked with a finger, but there were no holes or soft spots (I don't have the forward part of my tongue, so I could check the whole area).

I had been keeping Dr Haakenslash's office apprised of the situation and it was decided they would see me. After some probing on my ARNP's part, some blood came up in my mouth, and later a clot, so it's clear that the wound was open on the pharynx end.

She took a sample of the tissue granulation for biopsy (No pathologist report yet) and we did a CT scan, which showed no tumor and some edema on my left side. I offered to do the biopsy with the scissors on my Swiss army knife (I had already been trimming the granulation with it), but she declined my offer.

I started on a course of a heavier anti-biotic (Augmentin), and four days later it's still suppurating. Yesterday, that side of my neck was turning pink and an smaller abscess was developing. I drained the abscess manually and this morning it all looked good, except for some faint pink. Left ear still hurts.

Tomorrow, Dr Haakenslash will take my case to the Tumor Board