Hi Im renee, im a 22 year old afterschool program teacher ive been two scarred to go to a doctor and find out if i have cancer. i have had sores on the back of my tounge for 3 years now. my mother died of malpratice when i was 15 years old and i have been tramatized ever since. she was 46 years old and they said she died of the flu but she was really posined by the medicine the doctors gave to her. im so scared and i dont know what to do . i havent been able to push my self to take the step and go get checked out. im in tears writting this letter right now i dont want my life to change but i need to know. i also need a doctor i can trust and i want to know the satistics of cancer survivors. ive been so scared i have never told anyone about the sores not even my boyfriend of a year. i know i cant live my life like this and the longer i wait it could get worse. im scared that they are gonna cut my tounge out and ill never be able to talk again. i need to talk to someone about this i need help and advice. please help me

Reneelynn: This is going to sound stupid, but RELAX...take a deep breath. I'm sure you're not dying if you have had these symptoms for three years. There are many here who will give you the same advise.

First of all, I AM NOT A DOCTOR, OR A NURSE, but you must summon the courage to schedule a visit to a doctor.

In the meantime, if you can't get past this personally, seek out professional advice to get you past this phobia, and give you the strength you need to cope with this situation.

We're all friends here, and we're all in this together. Try to list your other symptoms, I'm sure you'll get some answers to help you make the right decision.


Lois in NC

Renee...I agree with Lois..I doubt that cancer would remain the same for three years...but the only way to know is to get yourself checked. In a few minutes, you could save yourself all of this trauma. Just think of all the emotional energy you might be wasting worrying about something that an antibiotic or a medicated mouthwash could fix. AND, if it is cancer, then waiting is not going to solve anything.....will only make it worse. You can read here that there are many people who have had cancer at the base of their tongues, and they did not have their tongues cut out.

I challenge you: Call an ENT tomorrow and tell them that you are very concerned about some sore areas that have been there a long time. Ask for the earliest appointment possible.

I promise you this: No matter what they tell you...and I am betting that you are worrying for nothing, but you MUST be sure!!!.....that you will feel better afterward to have taken this step.

Please...write us back tomorrow and tell us that you have made an appointment, and then keep us posted...OK?

One of the most important things a person can do for themselves....MUST do for themselves..is to get suspicious areas checked out by well-trained professionals.

Renee,

You have to go to a dentist ASAP. You probably are looking at circumvalate papillae which are normal bumps on the back of the top side of the tongue. The bumps form in a "V" shape with the point (the frontmost one) in the middle and then go back to the sides.

I will say what has been said already, anything that has been there for so long and has not changed, is probably normal. I say probably, so that is why you need to get it checked out so that you can get on with your life.

Please let us know.

Jerry

PS check out the birthdate year that you put in your profile.

what if i dont have insurance???? how would i go about reciving help ... i also do not have alot of money im worried about the finical burdon it might put on me .... im scarred also about doctors b/c of what happened to my mom can anyone reccomend someone... I feel really alone and i thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for trying to help me

You won't have to worry about the financial burden if you die from this disease becauase you delayed seeking out help. Tomorrow first thing get on the phone and get into see an ENT, a dentsit, a MD, someone that can tell you what you have while you can do something about it. Perhaps they will just tell you this is nothing serious and you will gain untold piece of mind from the visit with them. Nothing is going to get better for you mentally or physically until you take action. Do it tomorrow. No matter what the doctors say, you are part of our family now, and we will talk you through it. But YOU have to take the first step. Post here tomorrow night that you have taken this leap of faith.

Renee - I hope that by now you have already called someone to make an appointment as soon as possible. It may just be nothing but if it is more serious, then you are wasting time and your health is way too important. My son put off seeing the dentist because he had no health insurance and no job until the cancer under his tongue got to stage2. It is a whole lot more stressful NOT knowing than knowing because once you know for sure then you can start doing the right thing to take care of it. If you can't manage to talk on the phone and make an appointment at LEAST tell somebody who can call for you and take the first step. Tell your boyfriend or a family member - it really helps to talk to somebody. The doctor and hospital can give you all kinds of suggestions about options if you have no insurance. There is ALWAYS a way to take care of whatever situation you are in. Having part of your tongue cut out does not mean you can never talk again. My son is doing great, now and talks just fine! The more you know about what is happening, the better you will feel and the easier it will be to do something about it. So, please let us know you have taken that first step.

Hi Renee;

Take it from me, I waited for more than a year and it almost cost me my life. No kidding - I was so stupid thinking the lumps (growing daily) on my neck would just go away with time, but I was so wrong. Yeah, they finally went away all right, but I could have avoided a lot of pain and anguish throughout the ordeal.

You know what - instead of going to see the doctor about my sore throat, I grew a full beard to hide those two growths that were now the size of small compact automobiles. Talk about feeling stupid! So I made a deal with myself that should I survive my Stage IV cancer and beat the odds, I would scream "DON'T WAIT TO INVESTIGATE" from every rooftop in the land. Which is what I am doing now with you.

Renee - please help me achieve that objective. Make an appointment with a doctor you trust or simply get it started with a trip to the walk-in clinic; that's what I did.

As far as the money is concerned, I don't know where you live (I'm in Canada), but I am certain you will have no problem getting the care you require now, with any financial arrangments to follow. In my experience, cancer people think a lot differently than other health professionals about some of the fine details like money. Its nothing to worry about. As Mick Jagger once said, you may not get what you want, but you get what you need!

You were being very brave when you contacted this website. Keep that bravery going. What you see here and now is what you will get; caring, dedicated, knowledgeable & helpful people who have been exactly where you are now - and they will be at your side right the way through. Straight goods.

It was easy to sense the apprehension in your words, and I am sure I speak for all when I say that we'd all want to hold your hand if it were physically possible. But the mental link is just as strong and just as encouraging, so reach out and take us with you. Its not as difficult as you might think. Remember, there is nothing to fear but the fear itself; once that is behind you, the path becomes remarkably clear and unobstructed. All you really need to do to convince yourself of what I speak is to read the many posts of other people who were scared just like you when they first contacted this website, and then their follow-up posts which all show tremendous relief. Check it out!

What's left to do? Just go and do the right thing. You know what it is, and the moment it is done, be sure to post the details on this website..... and try not to keep us waiting too long. It just wouldn't be the right thing to do now that we're watching out for 'ya

We look forward to your earliest reply...

JT2

Dear Reneelynn,

As you can see from my signature line, my husband and I lost our favorite Aunt to this hideous cancer just a few months ago. My Aunt was one of the best friends I ever had in my life and because of that, I was her cancer buddy from day one. I read, learned, joined this Board and understood everything a non-medical human being could possibly understand about oral cancer in order to help and be of support to my Aunt and Uncle (who refused to buy a computer or ask too many questions). I was there when she went through everything. As a result of our Aunt being so ill, my husband and I began brushing and examining our tongues on a daily basis. Our dentist is also my very good friend's husband, so I felt covered by our checking and his checking. Despite all that checking, it wasn't until we were both horribly sick with the flu and bronchitis that I noticed that I had a half dozen red dots on the very back of my tongue and to make that worse, something in my mouth was bleeding when I brushed my tongue. I can't tell you where the blood was coming from. To make a long story short, I checked those red bumps for a few days and they remained. They even remained when I was nearly recovered from that flu. One day in particular, I got myself really so scared that I wasn't able to accomplish anything that day. I picked up the phone and called my ENT right that minute and made an appointment for later on that same afternoon. Called my PCP and got a rush referral. (Yes, I have insurance and I'm awfully sorry that you don't but there ARE ways around that). My ENT is also a head and neck surgeon (who knew?) with a fine reputation who is attached to a couple of fine hospitals. He gave me a very good once over, examined every nook and cranny of my mouth and told me I had a geographic tongue with prominent papillae (is that right Dr. Jerry?), right between what I always call the "dinosaur footprints" that we all have on the back of our tongues and are normal. In any case, what I am trying to say is that I couldn't even make it through THAT DAY when the fear took me over. How are you doing it for so long?? It's BETTER to be checked out and KNOW what's going on inside your mouth, than not know.

In the very very least, and I DO NOT mean to compromise any of the very good advice that's been given by these fine people thus far, go to an emergency room and get checked out!! Hospitals HAVE to see everyone whether they have insurance or not. Even if you have to say that you're there because you have a funny sensation in your tongue that won't go away, or you have pain in your tongue- anything to be seen. Make something up. Just be seen! Now of course, the optimum and what you should have done a long time ago is see a very highly recommended ENT. But if your mind is really in a twist over money, be seen by ANY medical doctor.

It's two years later and I still have those red bumps in the center of the back of my tongue. They never went away, they sometimes get smaller, never got bigger but I know what they are. STILL, at every opportunity I have, I have a doctor look into my mouth and down my throat. Why not be SURE??

See someone today or tomorrow. Take that leap of faith as Brian said. Put yourself in God's capable hands and get yourself to any doctor or emergency room.

I'm worth it. I got into the car that day and went, shaking while I was driving the whole way. Aren't you worth it?? GO!

Hugs,
Lisa

Renee,

Me again. I just scrolled up and realize that you're in Westchester. Honey, there's something called "Healthy New York" where we live, a medical plan that is available through hospitals for people who don't have medical insurance. It's subsidized by the State of New York. Get yourself into the system at any hospital by going to be examined and if the long shot becomes your truth, and you need care and treatment, the hospital can help to arrange for medical coverage for you.

If you're that scared, I'll even volunteer to go with you. I'm not that far away. Just let me know. Us OCFers stick together. You need to be seen.

Lisa