If you have a lump on the side of your tongue that has been there for over a year but is soft could it be cancer?
The ENT did not do a biopsy because the lump was not firm.
Thank You
Brenda

Brenda...the lump on my tongue wasn't hard. I was put on steriods too in the beginning, by my so called Dentist. I'm now on Nexium for acid reflux because I had the feeling something was in my throat and I thought it was a tumor. I had a CT/Pet Scan no tumor in my throat it was acid reflux. I also lost 20 pounds plus pounds when I was going through this asking for help from 5 doctors.

If it was me and know what I know today I would make an appointment to see an Oral Surgeon asap. Shame on the ENT you went to, when I hear thing like this it P.O.'s me right to know end. Seems a few Dr.'s take this with a grain of salt, they should be ashamed of themselves. Nothing to have a biopsy what's up with them that's what I'd like to know. If it's their valuable time it took longer for my tongue to get numb (while he saw other patients) than to take the biopsy.

Make phone calls and get moving on this it's nothing to mess with and also for peace of mind.

Keep us posted...take care...

Thanks Connie for your great advice. I read your story and thank goodness you didn't let it go. You have been through a lot and still you are generous with your time on this board.

I hope it is ok to do this but I went in the bathroom a little while ago and took photos of my mouth and posted them on Flicker. Photos are worth a thousand words.
The small soft lump close to the tip of my tongue has been there for over a year. Now I have developed an area towards the back of m tongue with a lot of small bumps and it is discolored. My tonsils have white spots and some very red areas.
I don't understand how the ENT said this could be normal. I did have some tongue swelling for a few days.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12572982@N07/?saved=1
If it is not ok to share the photos please let me know and I will remove the link.
Thanks again
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
All of my tongue cancers were firm and painful. A biopsy is easy. I would recommend a conversation with your ENT or at least a second opinion from another doc. Best of luck to you. Please let us know what you find.
mark

Hello Mark
Thanks for your reply.
Today I decided to try and find a great doctor. I looked up Duke University and ENT's that graduated from Duke within driving distance. I found a doctor that I was so excited about, 100 miles away.
When I called for an appointment I was told he recently retired. The doctor I was referred to in my area also just retired as my own primary doctor retired three years ago that I loved and trusted.
So if anyone knows of a good doctor within a hundred miles os Asheville, NC.
I do have the HPV virus for ten years but have never had an oral outbreak. The lump has been there over a year and has not grown and no pain but the other symptoms have progressed for several weeks.
I took photos this evening and I used Flicker with a different name and only photos of the mouth so hope it is ok to post.
I know no one can dx anything but just wonder if this looks like anything anyone else has had.
MY symptoms are difficulty swallowing, hoarse at times, tongue swelling, red tonsils and the Oesaphagus .....according to ent, inner ear pain, jaw pain, weight loss,sinus/nose pain .
It feels like I have strep throat, mumps and toothache all at once. I'm pretty miserable.
I know none of this is anything compared to what some are going through and I apologize for making such a fuss over this.Usually I find the strength to deal with tough things once I know what it is I'm facing it's just the unknown that scares me so much.
Well here are the photos and the ent said everything looked normal.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/12572982@N07/?saved=1

Thanks again.........

Hi Brenda -Edward McNellis at charleston ent. It's a little over 100 miles but chuck town is a lovely place to visit. 843-766-7103 is the office number. He has biopsied me many times in his office. Usually when he performs the biopsy it's cancer for me - woo hoo.
Have you tried asking your current ent to perform a biopsy? He might relent if you twist his arm a little bit. Best of luck to you.

Good Morning

Thank you for the info and sorry to hear that your biopsies come back with devastating news.

I think by pure accident I have it figured out. For a couple of weeks I have been photographing my tongue because of the swelling and so on. Last night I was going through the photos to delete some of them and noticed a lump on my nose in a couple of them. I felt my nose and sure enough there is a very firm lump on top of my left nostril and also the entire end of my nose looks bumpy and the bridge looks wider. It has become almost impossible for me to wear my glasses for about three weeks because they fit too tight and causes pain so I have been wearing them loose on the end of my nose and reading with my head up. I thought this was from facial swelling related to my tongue/mouth.

The ENT put the tube down my nose and said everything was blood red and he said I had acid reflux. I doubted this because I haven't eaten much and mostly soup and bland foods for weeks.
The two things which have concerned me lately is the extreme inner ear pain and sore throat.
This is what convinced me I had oral cancer along with the lump on my tongue and being HPV positive. . When I looked up nasal cancer it actually fits my symptoms more closely.
The symptoms are close to oral cancer.
The thing that puts me at risk for the nasal cancer is I'm an artist and use toxic solvents(sprays) on a regular basis.
It is more of a hobby then anything else. I also had a darkroom for years without good ventilation.
Since the ENT had never seen me before and I was going on about my trouble swallowing and my tongue I guess he didn't notice . So I think it is not what is coming up that is causing the irritation but what is going down.
There also seems to be an excess of saliva lately and my nose seems to run more often.


It does seem the ENT would have seen something suspicious in my nasal cavity so the jury is still out on that one.
Luckily I have a follow up appt. at the clinic tomorrow so I hope they will set up a new appt. with the ENT.


Sorry for the rambling and repeating some things. I'm not thinking clearly lately.

Thanks for your help and I will post when I find out anything definite.

Hugs
Brenda

Oral cancer moves quickly. If you had a sore for over a year and it was cancerous you would probably have become very ill by now.

Please add a signature when you have time. It helps us to know what treatments you have gone thru. Have you had radiation or surgery and when? Have you had oral cancer before? I went back and read some of your older posts but must have missed this info. To add the signature, click on the My Stuff heading then on profile. Type your info in the box at the bottom of the page.


Best of luck with your appointment tomorrow. Hope it turns out to be nothing wrong.

Hi Christine

I'm very distraught right now because the doctor I saw it was his first day volunteering at the clinic and he said he thought I may be having a reaction to my bp meds I have taken for ten years!!
He said that jaw pain,ear pain, tongue swelling, lesions on tongue, sore throat, hoarse voice were not related symptoms and my suspicion of cancer was because I'm emotional and spending too much time on the internet.
That if the ENT didn't see anything then I needed to let it go.
I am very ill btw.
I'm just going to get my things in order as clearly there is no help for me.
I have no insurance or ability to pay doctors. This was my last hope!

Thanks for everyones time and the best of luck to you.

Brenda

Brenda call an Oral Surgeon seeing you have lesion on your tongue they should be able to do a biopsy. Tell them your desperate you need help. Let them know you have no insurance setup a payment plan. My biopsy cost $175.00 for the Oral Surgeon and I think $20.00 where he sent it away to be diagnosed. Plus $100 for my first visit. I would be very disappointed if a Dr. turned me away because of no insurance and I was willing to setup a payment plan.

Don't give up....

Definitely, Don't give up! I agree with ConnieFL. There are ways to get through the financial portion of this disease. My son had no job, no insurance,and was going through divorce. He was able to get a pay't plan going and found out that one of the drug companies affiliated with the hospital had a plan where deserving or qualified patients would have the bill "forgiven". The hospital allowed him to pay any amount monthly for the different departments that were sending bills, even as low as $5/month. He has survived all of the above, plus best of all he has survived oral cancer - almost 4 years, now! You can do it, too!

Hi Connie

I'm feeling better today and more logical. It is just difficult to go to a doctor and they talk down to you and dismiss everything you say. How could this doctor decide in ten minutes by looking at my tongue with a stick if I have cancer or not. Doctors need to weigh what the patient is saying along with what they see.

To me it is like when someone is murdered. All evidence points to the fact that the person was murdered but if they have no body they have no case. Sometimes years later they decided to build a case on circumstantial evidence, they wait a long time because they no the chances are poor of a conviction with only circumstantial evidence no matter how strong. No visible tumor, no cancer.

I have read that it is not that uncommon for people to have cancer and the primary tumor is never discovered.
Also that it takes one billion cancer cells to make a 1cm tumor.

I do have a trust issue when it comes to doctors. It is not lack of respect but it is hard for me trust.
Anyway with all that being said (blowing off more steam), sorry I have made an appt. with an oral surgeon for December 8th..
If he says he doesn't see any reason to suspect cancer then I will let it go.
Thanks again for your time and information. This sight and people like you are a life raft.....
Hugs
Brenda

Hello Anne-Marie

So happy to hear your son is doing well! My daughter had thyroid cancer but it was caught early and she is doing well also!

The hospital has worked with me and forgave my bill last year when I had my gall bladder removed. I qualify for the local free clinic but every time I go I see someone different, sometimes a doctor but not always. They referred me to an ENT and he said he thought I had acid reflux. There is just no way I believe that is the case and then yesterday was told possible allergic reaction to my bp meds that I have been taking for ten years.
It is the fact that I don't feel I'm being taken seriously that has caused me to become much more paranoid then usual.
Taking the advice from this forum I have made an appt. with an oral surgeon on the 8th of December.
I will come up with the money somehow!
Thanks again and I will let you know what he finds out.

Hugs
Brenda

Brenda,

I'm glad you have an appointment. Hope I'm not stepping on any toes, BUT if he says it doesn't look like cancer please make sure you have a biopsy of the lesion on your tongue no matter what, it will give you peace of mind. If it was me I would want all the lesions biopsied.

Don't ever let a Doctor talk down to you that happened to me in the beginning, but like I said before if I knew then what I know now maybe things would have turned out differently.

This is how different Dr.s think.....My Dentist of 11 years looked at the lump on my tongue he said, let's keep an eye on it...back to him again 2 weeks later it was getting sore and bleeding he gave me steriods...I called him 2 weeks later he was on vacation I went to another Dentist he took one look at it he said..Cancer...I jumped out of the chair. He was so upset he never charged me. As you can see they all think differently.

You are your own best advocate. I know your tired, sick and weight loss, I was in the same position..don't give up!

Take care and God Bless..

Brenda, glad to hear you are going to an oral surgeon. I agree with Connie, make sure you have your lump biopsied. Please try to keep yourself busy so you can keep your mind off this. Worrying will never change anything, it only makes you feel bad. Hope to see you come back with the results as negative.

You should check with a different ENT. Or go to an ER and tell them of your symptoms. They work with people with no insurance and they have programs that help wipe your hospital bills clean!

BTW, it is totally possible that this is not cancer, don't give up on it so easily!! A hard lump on ur nose can be many things, and the stuff going on inside ur mouth can be many things as well!!

You can't just say, i have this this and this going on, so i will read the internet, and go with what looks to be most fitting!! Its not how it works, and often the internet is wrong! You might be getting yourself all worked up over nothing!!

You need to be seen by a doctor, I suggest a ENT but at least go to ER and start there if you are so worried about no insurance and what not!!

Also check with your county about possible health insurance programs!! Here in minnesota, we have a few different options for low income people to get health insurance through the county!!

How silly are you going to feel if you get ur "things in order" and nothing happens? or you get them in order, and go in and find out that the thing on ur nose is nothing but just hardening tissue, and you have a combination of acid reflux and maybe an infection in your mouth??? You owe it to yourself to get checked out!!

Oh and by the way, I had a lot of your symptoms that you have in your mouth before my cancer, and yes, it was all due to acid reflux from my hiatal hernia!! So go get checked out!!

oh and if they don't want to biopsy lesion on ur tongue, or even if they do, sometimes it's better to ask for a scan first, sometimes a scan can rule out the need of a biopsy, if the scan doesn't find positive, then no need for biopsy!! And a scan covers many areas!!
Glad you got a appt made with a oral surgeon! Make sure you tell them about ur worry with your nose as well!!

Beth

Interesting you should mention the ER because of new symptoms, a friends concerns and much more pain I did go to the ER yesterday.

I was treated in the hallway by a nurse practitioner whom after I mentioned five symptoms asked if I suffered from panic disorder? She felt my lymph nodes and looked at my tongue and throat, ordered a fast strep test. It was negative. I had mentioned I had seen an ENT and she said well if you have seen a doctor why are you here? The only thing we do is treat your symptoms and refer you to a doctor or specialist.
A doctor also came out looked at my tongue and said he was surprised the ENT didn't do a biopsy. I said the ENT said he didn't see anything that looked suspicious enough to biopsy as in a hard lump.I told him I had an appt with an oral surgeon on December 8th. He thought that was a good idea and said he doubted with the holidays I would be able to see anyone sooner.
No blood tests were done, urine, anything other then bp and temp.
They dx me with Thrush and gave me a script for mouthwash and a note to follow up with an oral surgeon.
Perhaps I'm wrong but I feel if I had good insurance and a job my experience would have been much different.


I have now cancelled my plans to travel to Atlanta four hours away for Thanksgiving as I'm in too much pain for the trip and I know i would be unable to eat anything.

My new symptoms are severe headache for three days,increased ear/jaw pain. Also either I have developed a lot of white lumps on my bottom gums are the bones are showing through.
My upper gum looks abnormal to me also and one area does have a new lesion and it is purple looking.
I showed a friend my mouth and gums and they were very concerned about how it looked and suggested I get to a doctor sooner then the 8th which also prompted my visit to the ER.

I am in shock as to how quickly my mouth is changing.
I don't feel silly about getting my things in order because I have not felt well for over a year.
The truth is I don't plan to have any procedures done if I do have a cancer dx.

First of all I can tell you are a very caring person. It is horrible that you had this illness at such a young age. I admire your strength, dignity and optimism.
So please know that my question comes from deep respect for you.
You say you had similar symptoms to me and you believe it was acid reflux, which is what I was told also. Do you think it is possible that was not the cause and I ask this since you were dx at stage 3? To me it just proves my point that my dx is wrong. You had to have had a stage one and two.....you were under medical care and yet dx came at stage 3. How much time elapsed between your dx of acid reflux and your dx of stage 3 cancer?
My thoughts are because of your age you didn't fit the profile. The reason I don't fit the profile is that I never smoked.

As you can see I don't have much faith in doctors but I do have faith in science,It is absolute. So if I receive a biopsy then that I will believe. Maybe if doctors were doing more reading and actually listening to patients then there would be more dx of stage one and two and less three and four.
My fear comes from the fact that we are always reactive rather then proactive.

MY favorite quote is by Albert Einstein
"Insanity is doing exactly the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Lastly it is true I may not have cancer but I do have an illness that is greatly impacting the quality of my life and it is not acid reflux or Thrush!!!!!!!!

Warmest Regards
Brenda

Hi Brenda,

About the gums. Well while I was going thru radiation I was so sure that the bones in my guns were showing through as well. I could feel them touching my lips. My dentist said that my gums had always looked like that and I'm only noticing it now because I'm on alert and I'm always looking at them. I showed my gums to my sis at the time and she freaked out as well. However the dentist was right. My gums had always looked like that and I've only just noticed it cos I'm looking.

Hoping you get some answers soon.

Minh

Hi Minh

Thanks for your post! I just spent the last hour or so taking pictures of my gums and nose. I will post them with my other ones and to me they look scary. I know I'm really paranoid right now so that is why I'm taking pictures to verify to myself what it is looking like and to document the changes.
In the pictures I used a macro lens so it may be tmi for those nose photos lol, but I think I see some abnormal bumps inside.
Like I said the changes are happening so fast. Wish I could photograph the things you can't see like the back of my throat, inside of my cheeks and the roof of my mouth.
Will let you know when the photos are up.
Thanks again
Brenda

Minh
One more thing is I did find out or read on the internet that this was a common side effect when patients were receiving treatments for certain cancers such as breast, however, I have had no such treatments...........
I'm not even sure if it is bone or what it is....it just looks odd to me!

Brenda

Brenda,

Christine is right go do something until your appointment you will drive yourself to the looney bin. I know easier said than done, but I was right where you are today March 2009, we've all been where you are today. My imagination ran wild the minute the 2nd Dentist said it looks like cancer. Whatever I said or did I didn't get in to see the Oral Surgeon any sooner. I waited 2 weeks for an appointment. At least you have an appointment on the 8th unless you call around to other Oral Surgeon's to see if one can get you in sooner. I made calls, 2 to 3 weeks in some cases was the earliest I could get in, BUT once I saw him I had to wait another week for the biopsy to be done, I guess that's the way it is.

Hang in there it will all come together.

Connie
You are so sweet and right of course. It is not like me to be like this but I can normally function ok when I'm sick but right now I cannot due to pain. I'm worried how bad will the pain get by the 8th. I have already had pain that has made me throw up.

I will try to let it go as much as possible. I took photos today and now I will try to work on my art or watch a movie.

Thanks again for your support and kindness............
Brenda

So here's what i say, the more you keep looking for problems, the more you are going to find. You should just stop looking, and just wait for the oral surgeon on the 8th. I know it feels like such a long time, but i had to wait from november when i found my initial spot, till march when they actually biopsied it.

I know it wasnt the acid reflux that caused it, and I know it was acid reflux when they said it was and not cancer! My cancer was in my tongue and 1 lymph node. Also the acid reflux was dx five years before my cancer dx, and they say that they feel my cancer was very aggressive and that i may have only had it for the most a year or 2, but they can't say for sure of course.

And what I don't get is why if you got a cancer dx you wouldn't go through with surgery!! Didn't you say you had a child? I am sure you have other reasons to want to keep on trucking and actually go through treatment if it is in fact cancer!

I am sorry you had that experience at the hospital, but at least the doctor there told you it was a good idea to go see the oral surgeon.

The white spots on ur gums may just be thrush, but it also may have been there a lot longer and you are just now noticing, because you are looking for new abnormalities constantly and you keep telling yourself you are so sick that you will more then likely die so you need to get ur things in order. When you tell yourself that, your mind can play games with you, and some of your symptoms can just be in your head, so a dx or a negative could help put some of those symptoms to bed, or finally give you piece of mind.

No matter what the results, i think you should go to thanksgiving, even if you are in pain and can't eat that well, it would be good to see your family if you really are as sick as you think you are, wouldn't you want to see them one more time at least? And besides you should go, not talk about all of this stuff, and just have one day where you enjoy the company of your family and loved ones without worrying or talking about all of this.
Also, stop showing your friends, as they will be biased by seeing how worried you are!! They aren't dentists, doctors, or experts in this, so they are only going to make you worry more.
Stop looking on the internet too, it's not always accurate.
Stop looking for new symptoms, the more you look, the more you will "find" cuz like i said, you are scared/worried and your mind can play games on you.
Don't rule out treatment yet. If it is cancer, just hear them out. You have reasons to fight this, even if its just for yourself, the strong go through battle, the weak just give in and let it win without a fight, and no matter how much you don't think it's worth it, it is!!
I say, you do what you can to get your mind off of this, stop thinking about it, find something else to busy your mind. Spend time with family and friends, and don't bring any of this up to them anymore because it won't help you.
Also check with your county on monday. If you aren't working and are "low income" they almost always have some form of medical insurance programs for you, if they don't, check your local hospitals, they do sometimes too.

I wish you the best and hoping that this is just some odd infection that is spreading and causing pain else where, and maybe just ur mind playing games on you, and not cancer, and that they get it all cleared up for you, so you can move forward from this and be a strong person and learn that everyone has a reason to fight cancer and not just give up and let it win, even if it's not cancer!!

And to tell you the truth, it kind of upsets me to see someone before cancer dx even considering just giving up. Look at me for heavens sake, i was 25, in nursing school, working as a cna and had a great life. I had everything ripped out from under me. I have people telling me i can't go back to nursing school or being a cna because of my speech, but they can't stop me from proving them wrong, and I went through hell during treatment, but in my opinion it was all worth it, because I am still alive today and able to keep proving those bastards wrong that say i won't be able to do things!!

Don't give up, no matter what it is, and if the oral surgeon tells you it's nothing or just a infection and not cancer, and he does a bunch of tests - scoping, biopsy, scan, palpating and still tells you it's nothing, and you still don't believe it, talk to a CCC around you, they have a list on here, and if you went there, and they still tell you know, then you should just put it out of your mind, and move on, but don't give up on trying to find out what it is that is making you so sick, even if it is just your head!

Beth

I was out of line with my comments and apologize. You have certainly been through enough and still kind enough to help others.
Please accept my apolgy and I wish you all the best.

Brenda

Beth is right Brenda. You are in panic mode right now and your mind is running a million miles and hour at no rest hence giving even more panic and anxiety. It's the not knowing that is doing this to you. But please please try and calm down so you can think rationally. You already know so much about cancer which is good, write all your symptoms down and when you go to the ENT , make sure they are all mentioned and addressed. I'm currently waiting fir a biopsy result only 2 1/2 months after my treatment have finished. Like you I do fear for the worse BUT I'm still hoping for the best. The first day that I found my lump I was a complete mess but since then I have gone on to enjoy a pretty "normal" life. Enjoying every moment if it. Yes I still panic sometimes but I then force myself to stop thinking about it cos it's not going to change the biopsy results. While it's harder for you since you have the constant pain to remind you but please please try to calm down. Also, if it is cancer, why won't you have treatment? Since I have been in thus forum, I have seen how some posters have gone thru hell with cancer but they are alive, coping and are happy. This has inspired me and made me realise that I too can fight this till the very end. Life is so precious and I'm not going to let cancer take it away from me without a FIGHT. I'm so sorry you have to go thru this and the pain you are in. I hope you can get this resolved soon and I'm also hoping that it's not cancer .

Minh

i don't need an apology, i am trying to help you see that you deserve to find what is causing this, but need to just stop worrying so much, its only making matters worse! I would do as minh says and write down all symptoms you know of right now, and once you right them down, then just leave it be till you get to oral surgeon on the 8th, if anything else bad happens by then, i am sure with your list of symptoms, they'll check over everything.

I know it's very very hard to think you have something so bad, that could possibly kill you, and not get answers, that has to be very frustrating, but there has to be an explanation behind it, but don't jump the gun so quickly!

Try ur best to stay calm and do what you can to not dwell till the 8th. Then go from there with what the oral surgeon says! Please whatever you do, don't give up. Like minh says and like i said, there are quite a number of us out here that went through hell with treatment, but we feel it was worth it, even if it has made some aspects of life more difficult, we are still alive, and able to find happieness again, even if it takes time and isn't with the same things. It is possible to enjoy your life after treatment, but you have to go through treatment if they recommend it! Or at least give it a chance to help!!

Just wanted to add this update.

I know with the experiences I have had with recent doctor visits I had lost a lot of faith which is one reason for my panic.
Today I was looking at doctors online and found a doctor with amazing credentials. He has published papers about oral cancer and teaches at a very good college.
The thing is which may seem silly is my dads name was Richard Jones and he died of throat and lung cancer and this doctors name is Kim Richard Jones.
I didn't think there would be any chance of seeing him with his credentials and all he does especially since I have little money and no insurance.
I called the office and I can't belive it but they made an appt. with me for tomorrow and said If I could bring a hundred dollars they would see me, give me a discount and bill me for the remainder. I thought it was a little over a hundred miles but now find out it is about four hours away.
My appt is for one thirty so I will leave very early.


This is off his web site.....hope it is ok to post it here.
It may be of use to someone else in this area.
Will post after my visit. I hope I can find some answers!

Professional

Dr. Jones was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and grew up in Florida and Georgia. He attended Florida State University and graduated with a double major in Psychology and Biology. He continued in graduate school at Florida State and obtained a Ph.D. in Neurobiology. This was followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in neurophysiology at the University of Wisconsin.

He attended medical school at UNC-Chapel Hill from 1982-86, and remained at UNC for his internship in General Surgery and four years of residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Following completion of his residency, he joined the Faculty at UNC Medical School in the Division of Otolaryngology. He was appointed chief of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery in 1992, and was later promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure. He left the University in 1998 to open his own practice in Chapel Hill.

Dr. Jones is well-known for his enthusiastic teaching of medical students and residents, and was selected as Teacher of the Year in both 1998 and 2000 by the senior residents in the Department of Family Medicine. He has lectured widely on sinusitis and general otolaryngology, and has contributed articles to a number of textbooks and specialty journals. A listing of his publications can be viewed below:

Personal

In his spare time, Dr. Jones enjoys gardening, reading, working out at the gym, and photography. He is also an avid traveler and backpacker.

http://www.chapelhillent.com/bio_kimJones.php

Depending on this doctors advice I may cancel my appt. with the oral surgeon.

Thanks again for everyones help.

Hugs
Brenda

Beth

I certainly admire your courage and willingness to find peace and acceptance and carry on with your life.

Everyone's circumstances are different. My medical problems are more then what I have posted here because I was trying to stick to my most recent symptoms concerning my head and neck area.

I was fortunate enough to get an appt. tomorrow with a specialist even though it is a four hour drive. I'm feeling very good about this doctor.

The thing is I have been on my own most of my life and have no support system. My children have a lot of problems right now and are in no position to take care of me through an illness.
Not only that they live on the West Coast and I live on the East Coast. My oldest daughter had heart surgery, thyroid cancer and last December on her birthday was hit by a drunk driver and was air lifted to a hospital in critical condition.
She is ok now after physical therapy but has six children at home and no job. The children's father died of a heat stroke four years ago.

Anyway the reason I said what I did about treatment is I don't want to add a burden to my children and other then one elderly aunt I have no family left other then a half brother I barely know.
A very close friend in New Orleans that is like a sister is taking care of a very sick husband right now and also took care of her mother through breast cancer.
I just don't think I could go through major surgery and so on by myself.

Interesting thing is my ex was an RN.

Not looking for pity or anything like that. I just think I have been misunderstood a bit.

Hugs to you and all the other courageous survivors here.

Brenda

Did you fill your prescsrpiton for Thrush and are you taking the meds. You don't need this problem to complicate the others in your mouth. This can be a nasty disease and hard to get rid of and it does coat things white.

Take care,
Eileen

Update

I drove four hours one way yesterday to visit Dr. Jones. In his opinion I do not have oral cancer and does now feel I need a biopsy.
Since he has extensive experience with oral cancer I will accept his dx.
In my heart I still feel that something is wrong and causing my symptoms but I'm going to put it to rest for a while. Perhaps it will get better on it's own over time.
Thanks to everyone for their time and information. I do hope that the work people are doing here will make more people aware of the importance of oral cancer screening and save lives in the future.

Happy Holiday wishes to all
Brenda

Hello,
I do have the HPV virus for ten years but have never had an oral outbreak. The lump has been there over a year and has not grown and no pain but the other symptoms have progressed for several weeks.
I took photos this evening and I used Flicker with a different name and only photos of the mouth so hope it is ok to post.
I know no one can dx anything but just wonder if this looks like anything anyone else has had...

There is no substitute to being examined by your otolaryngologist to determine what your lump is. There are many tests (radiological, MRI, PET and biopsy) that can help establishing what you have.

I Brook MD

Blog Site- http://dribrook.blogspot.com/

Also there has never been a proven link between a cervical and oral HPV infection meaning that it doesn't travel throughout the body.