A couple days before Thanksgiving, I noticed the floor of my mouth in between the back of my tongue and teeth was painful to touch, eat, and even talking was a little painful. After the pain only got worse, I went in to see my ENT on Monday. She could barely see anything, and said it just looked like a little ulcer, however, given the amount of pain I was in she went ahead and took a biopsy to be on the safe side.
I woke up Monday night in extreme pain, and ever since then it is super painful for me to open my mouth, eat, talk, or even touch the underside of my chin. The pain doesn't feel topical, it is more coming from underneath, which is very swollen.

I spoke with my ENT yesterday and she had no idea why I am in so much pain, she took a very shallow sample. She also prescribed me to some antibiotics, in case it is infected. I started taking them yesterday, but the pain has not gotten any better and I am starting to get concerned. My speech is sounding like it did months ago because of the swelling and pain.

Has anyone experienced anything similar after a biopsy? my last biopsy was on my tongue, and i do not remember it being nearly as painful. I am wondering if maybe the location she took it from is more sensitive? I was extremely swollen and in a lot of pain after my surgery (which is similar to what this feels like), but that was also a 9 hour surgery where they took out half my tongue. I have always had a very high tolerance for pain and have only taken pain meds when extremely necessarry, and this is to the point where i have taken out my pain meds from radiation.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


Emily - 24 years old at diagnosis
HPV-, no risk factors
T2N2b Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Left oral tongue, poorly differentiated
Hemiglossectamy, reconstruction, partial neck dissection
30 Radiation treatments, weekly chemo (cisplatin)
1/13/12 last day of treatment
Diagnosed October 2011