Hello, thank you in advance for taking the time to read this post. I have been visiting the site for over a month now, and am touched by the genuine care and support you provide for each other.

I am in need of everyone's advice. I am not going to go through the stereotypical "list symptoms and beg for diagnosis" bit, since I know the answer that I'll get, but let me give a quick backstory:

I am a 27 year old male. In decent physical shape, only with poor eating habits (lots of pizza/burgers/sweets, almost no vegetables). I have never smoked cigarettes but smoked a lot of pot with few breaks in between for the last ten years until stopping for good several months ago. I am also positive that I've been exposed to HPV since I have had oral sex with quite a few girls over the years being a single young man, meaning around 20-30 at least since becoming sexually active.

Last fall I noticed a sort of tightness under my chin, it felt like something was pulling my tongue towards my adams apple is the best way to describe it. It would throb off and on but it didn't diminish my quality of life or anything so I decided to wait it out. Over the winter, it either went away, or I stopped noticing it. Also, whenever I would take a hit of marijuana that one area would feel soreness when I inhaled smoke.

A few months ago, the feeling came back and was noticeable again. Mentioned it to dentist who couldnt see/feel anything, told me to go to my primary care who said the same thing and referred me to an ENT. While waiting for the ENT appointment, I noticed when I drank, ate something, it felt like something was stuck after, as if it was a foreign body in that one part of throat (left side). I freaked out, went to this website, went to every other website and convinced myself I had HPV throat cancer. Couldn't sleep/eat out of fear. Also started noticing new symptoms like ear pain, neck pains, but was poking at my neck quite a bit to try and feel something which might have caused the soreness, and the ear pain was something I had to think about to notice it (if that makes any sense), and was maybe a 1 or a 2 on a 10 scale.

So I got into my ENT appointment, was visibly scared, relayed my fears to him, and he didn't seem to take them very seriously. He did a visual exam with mirror to back of mouth, stuck his finger down my throat, and prescribed some strong Augmentin antibiotics. I was not satisfied with the visit as he kept telling me to relax etc. not worry about it. I took the antibiotics and after a few days, the feeling of something stuck in throat was gone and I could feel food and liquid hit it just fine, but that particular area (where something felt like was there before) was very painful when I would breathe through my nose and the air would hit it. After a few days, the pain got better, but I still felt strange discomfort.

Went back to the same ENT for a follow up, and this time he was more attentive, and did scope through the nose, and said that he didn't see anything that worried him, but I talked him into ordering a CT scan and he obliged.

I got the results of the CT scan, (CT WITH CONTRAST DYE) and it said that there was nothing unusual detected on the scan. When I went in for the scan they asked me if there was any palpable masses and I mentioned a lymph node that felt swollen on same side, and they put a sticker on it for the radiologist to note. He wrote that it was a 1cm lymph node considered normal.

So I was still not satisfied because I keep reading about CT scans missing throat cancer, and I knew that my ENT wouldn't change that so I did like you all say and called a cancer center: Mass general. They referred me to their oncology surgery ENT department and I had an appointment there today.

The ENT surgeon talked to me, looked at my scans, and scoped me a little more thoroughly than my first ent. I mentioned HPV throat cancer and he seemed to know that it's typically found in tonsils and base of tongue. After the scope he said he did not see anything bad, except some slight irritation from acid refluxing and perhaps some post nasal drip. He made a follow up appointment in 3 months.

But somehow I still feel like I am not satisfied. He said there weren't any other scans that could be done. I guess I just want to know what to do next, should I keep going to ENT's every week, or just accept this. Also, a lymph node near my groin has been swelling this past week which makes me think I have cancer and it has spread to my pelvis. I know this seems insane to anyone looking in, but I am just having a real hard time or it at this point. Any advice?