[quote=AmyK] Florida has an excellent Medicaid program, while it's not perfect, it's doing a damn fine job helping me pay for my medical expenses.[/quote]
[quote=davidcpa]Get qualified for Medicaid and then go your your County and get a County Health card and they will pay for everything.[/quote]

After reading and researching it seems that for most medicade programs, including Florida's, financial need alone is not enough. They seem to only cover the following, none of which describes me.
* Low income families with children
* Children only
* Pregnant women
* Non-citizens with medical emergencies
* Aged and/or disabled individuals not currently receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

[quote=Lostpassword]Where are you in Florida? Everyone in here says if it doesn't go away in about 2 weeks, then SEE AN ENT or DOCTOR. I know you don't have insurance, but if it is cancer, which chances are for you, it isn't, get it taken care of EARLY and fast. Keep us informed, cuz we are a caring group of folks. Jane (Sarasota) [/quote]
Thanks, Jane. I'm going to school in Palm Beach Co. The more I look into it the more it seems that it isn't OC but I don't want to lull myself into a false sense of security as my Grandmother died of OC of her tongue less than a year ago (the docs seemed to think it was the result of her chewing on her tongue).

[quote=Dr. Mike]Concerned about it,
You say it is on the top. Was that after you folded it?
The other question is what would make you fold your tongue in the first place?[/quote]
The lump is in the tongue slightly towards the upper surface, it only becomes a visible bump when I draw blood into the area, otherwise it is just a tiny dark splotch and I have to feel around a bit to find it. I was doing a routine through cleaning and inspection of my mouth and moving my around quite a bit during.
[quote=Dr. Mike]It could just be the blood vessel on that side of you tongue filling with blood that cannot drain while the tongue is folded. Usually there are two major vascular bundles in the tongue consisting of the artery, vein and nerve called the lingual vascular bundle. It may not appear on the other side due to the fact that we are not bilaterally symetrical. The bundle may be in a slightly different position on one side.[/quote]
I'm also thinking it might be something like this although the condition still exists to a lesser degree even after not moving my tongue for a few hours.

Overall it isn't the diagnosis or even the treatment that concerns me it is being able to pay for it all. I don't have any significant income or available financial support from family and friends. I need to insure that I am taking the right steps so that the life I want to protect doesn't go to ruin as part of the process.

Just as a side note, if I lived in the UK or Canada I wouldn't have these dilemmas.