Alex, thanks for taking the time to write out your history. Most new members leave alot out which makes it more difficult to help them. Thank you for serving our country. First thing RELAX!!!!!! You are not doing yourself any good by worrying and thinking "what if". I know you are afraid and its ok and only natural to be scared. Ive been where you are and know how you feel. You are in the right place to get both info and support to help you get thru this.

If you think there is something wrong then get it checked which is what you are doing. Going to an ENT is a smart move. Some ENTs will do biopsies while others will send you to an oral surgeon. Not all dentists will do biopsies either. You already had one area biopsied and it was not cancer. Have the ENT give you a good screening for oral cancer and if necessary biopsy any areas where you have had a sore for over 2 weeks. Thats the guideline to go by, anything that doesnt look right for more than 2 weeks should be checked.

Now about the tobacco.... QUIT!!!!!! Throw it all away and then you wont have anything irritating your mouth anymore. I am aware of how difficult it is to quit, Ive done it. You have been doing very well with cutting back now just keep up the good work and dont use tobacco again, EVER!

As to the panic you are feeling, try to stay busy. It will keep your mind off the worrying. If Ive learned anything from this forum its not to stress over things I have no control over. There is absolutely nothing you can do about your situation at this time so it isnt doing anything positive by dwelling on this issue. The worst possible scenario is that you have cancer. Oral cancer is very curable when caught early, which it sounds like you have done. That is IF it is cancer. The key word is IF! You dont know what it is yet, worrying will not change what it is. Im not trying to be harsh or give you a hard time. Im telling you these things to make it easier to understand so you can help yourself to stay calm and feel better about this.

Best of luck with your appointment.