Hello! I'm hoping someone can help point me in a right direction.

What do you do when your docs don't listen? Especially when you know your own body and know when something isn't right?

I have a few white patches in different areas in the back of my throat that's been there for over a year. I have a sore that isn't a canker sore but looks more like a laceration than anything that doesn't bleed, it just won't heal up.

My right ear hurts most of the time now and behind the ear up the back of my head. Sometimes the right side of my face hurts as well. Never on the left. It's always on the right.

On the lower right side of my jawbone, there are 2 swollen lymph nodes. They feel like little peas under the skin and they hurt. Not excrutitating pain but definately more than tender. Some nodes along my neck are a little swollen.

Since August of this year, it's been a virtual nightmare. It's pain around the clock. My PCP sent me to an ENT the same day. ENT said my sinuses were fine, ear was fine, see your dentist. I saw my dentist who didn't know what it was, said my pain was TMJ, see an oral surgeon.

Saw oral surgeon #1 and for $100 I got a panorex and was told to get my teeth cleaned and stop smoking come back to see me after you've quit smoking.

I left there frustrated, went back to my dentist. He sent me to an orthodontist who atleast said it's something but wasn't sure what, see another oral surgeon. I saw a second oral surgeon who had no clue what the leision was and referred me to an oral pathologist. The oral path guy took another panorex. Said it didn't appear cancerous or suspicious but the white areas were leukoplakia and I had bacterial periodontitis.

At that point, I literally stopped going to doctors. They don't listen.

I have a new dentist now who doesn't listen either despite the fact I've missed 3 weeks of work because of pain and feeling sick. I can honestly put fingers on the pain. I can point to the areas.

For $500 bucks, he said it's muscle spasms. Wear a TMJ splint. Honest, exact words. The splint isn't helping. Period.

I'm sick, I feel sick and I've told them this from day one and nobody listens to me.

It's pain around the clock. I can't sleep, can't eat. Like I said, I can put fingers on where I hurt the most.

I don't have any upper right molars, I lost them years ago and I understand I have a bad bite but that wouldn't contribute to this type of pain.

I'm anxious all the time because of the pain.

I'm at the end of my rope. I'm out of patience and I'm frustrated because they don't listen. They charge me tons of money on things that don't help me.

On the upper right where the molars were, that whole area hurts sometimes but primarily it's inside the right cheek, edge of jaw, tender nodes, right ear, and back of my head.

I just want to know what's wrong. That's all. I'm tired of hurting all the time.

Nobody has ever biopsied the areas. They just glance at them and say it doesn't appear to be cancerous.

So now what? I think I'm losing my mind. I need some pain relief and some peace of mind of sorts.

I know this has been lengthy and I am sorry for that.

Thank you for any suggestions you all may have.

I don't know where you live but I would go to the largest city in your area and find an ENT and get a second opinion including a biopsy and a CAT scan. You can not be too careful and time is not on your side if it is cancer. Keep looking for a doctor who will do those two test for you. If you give your location on this site, perhaps someone can recommend an MD or hospital. Good luck. LM

. I have a sore that isn't a canker sore but looks more like a laceration than anything that doesn't bleed, it just won't heal up.

<<My right ear hurts most of the time now and behind the ear up the back of my head. Sometimes the right side of my face hurts as well. Never on the left. It's always on the right.

On the lower right side of my jawbone, there are 2 swollen lymph nodes. They feel like little peas under the skin and they hurt. Not excrutitating pain but definately more than tender. Some nodes along my neck are a little swollen.>>

Hello Tiffini;
These are almost the exact indications that I had, and when I was biopsied they found out that the little lump that appeared benign was actually squamous cell cancer...At first the oncologist thought that I had a swollen gland at the right side of my kneck because of a cyst or some blockage of the salivary gland, but he was wrong...

It could take a long time before that little ulceration begins acting up, but once it does it could progress to become a malignant tumour...Insist on a biopsy or some other test to determine what it "really is"...

The fact that it looks like a slight laceration that won't heal is something that I noticed after the biopsy..It just would not heal over where the oncologist had made the cut...I wish that there were some other test for cancer that the medical profession could use, as in fact; I'd had no problem with that little lump until after it was irritated by the biopsy...

Were I in your position right now; knowing what I now know through experience; I would consider that soreness in your glands as an infection that could eventually become cancer if not dealt with immediately...There is a good chance that if you begin right now, building up your immune system by changing your diet to vegetarian; and much juicing; and of course; giving up the nicotine; that you could prevent that area of your mouth from becoming malignant...

You would be doing yourself and your immune system a great service by giving up the cigarettes. It would also be beneficial if you should decide to go the "traditional" routes, as your body would then be more able to heal itself after being subjected to radiation...

There is also the fact that doctors will almost snub a cigarette smoker and not give one the respect that we are all due...They feel that there's no use talking to you if you continue on with that self destructing habit...Give it up and you'll see a change in their attitude towards you...

Godbless you Tiffini...

Tiffini

Well you are certainly right. Given the number of doctors you have seen, you would think that someone would have gotten the diagnostic procedures right, and come to a firm conclusion. Any dentist is competent to do a "brush biopsy" of suspect tissues, and oral surgeons are the ones most likely to do an incisional biopsy, either of which would give you a diagnosis. That is IF there is something obvious there to biopsy. A white patch in a smoker