I know none of you remember me. I posted a few times about the sore in my mouth I ran from dentist to dentist with and they all did nothing but look at it, say " hmmm, unusual, doesn't look like cancer. Go home" No biopsy, nothing. Went to an oral pathologist, dx'd with leukoplakia in several areas.

Hx: 32 year old single mom. 2 pack a day smoker, began smoking at age 13 or 13. No alcohol. Used to drink alot when I was in my early 20's but stopped.

Fast forward to now: Began to experience some right sided neck pain like a pulled muscle. Nothing major, would come and go but the 1 original lymph node that I started with last year on the edge of my jaw is still there.

Began to get hoarse. Worse in the morning, get better by midafternoon, return at night. Deep in my throat on the right side, deep localized pain.

Finally scraped up the cash to see my internal medicine doc for the neck pain because years ago we discovered I have a bulging disc in my neck so I thought it was the cause of my neck pain, facial pain, etc.

He examined me, xrayed my neck, xrayed my sinuses, all clear. Looked in my ears, clear. He found the jaw lymph node and also found one behind my right ear, 2 under my chin, 1 further down in my neck.

He asked if my throat hurt and I said not really. He had me open my mouth and saw the original sore in my right cheek that is still there, still wide open, won't heal. I had to stick my tongue out and my left side looks great. Can't even see the tonsil. Right side, different story. At the far back of my tongue where the tonsil is, all you see is a mass there. He asked me again if my throat hurt, again, I said not really. Feels more scratchy than sore but the deep pain on the right is pretty bad from time to time.

He asked how long my tonsil had looked like that and I told him I hadn't noticed it. Other DDS' and 1 ENT, 2 oral surgeons I saw last summer about the sore in my cheek said " go home, doesn't look cancerous, you don't need a biopsy, you're too young for cancer. Go home, live your life, forget about this" THey all brushed me off. Never did one thing. Nobody. I never noticed the tonsil area because I don't look in my own throat or anything like that. Even as a kid I never had alot of sore throats or anything.

That is when I stopped going to the doctor, stopped going to the dentist. None listened to a word I had to say. I asked for a biopsy, they all said no because it doesn't look like cancer there.

My internist wants the tonsil out asap. He said it doesn't look good and I need a scope down my throat to see what it looks like deeper in there.

He said the nodes have to come out as well and IF, it comes back with cancer in that area, it's possible it could have come from that original sore I fussed about last summer.

He didn't think it looked like strep or mono but tested me anyways and they were fine.

My neck hurts pretty bad though. That's the only thing that really bothers me. Except when I talk alot I hurt on my right side.

I lost my job last month and also lost my health insurance. I have applied for state assistance ( TNCARE) but it takes months for an answer and I told my doctor that. He said, you don't have months, you need this done as of yesterday.

I don't have that kind of money. Period. I have enough money to pay my rent and car note for July and that's it.

What really upset my doctor is all the specialists I saw last year all said " oh you're too young for cancer, it doesn't look cancerous, no biospy, go home"

His reaction was since when is anyone too young for cancer and since when did all cancers look alike? Especially with a diagnosis of leukoplakia and a smoker? Didn't make sense to him and he's as mad as I am.

But an ENT isn't going to see me for free and do work at no cost or sliding scale, etc. Hospital won't take me for free. Waiting on a response from the state will take a long time and even then, they can deny me.

I really don't know what to do. Any suggestions?