Well I had the appt last Wednesday and the doctor said it looked like a tonsil stone was causing irritation/inflamation to my throat. He didn't look deep into my throat by scoping though, just the normal flat stick and ahhhww type thing and some poking around. Said my neck felt fine and he saw no reason to panic and I didn't have throat cancer.

Needless to say I'm relieved of course. Although my throat still doesn't feel 100% yet it does seem to get a bit better as days go by. I did find it amazing how much fear and anxiety effected me over the course of these weeks though. The mind is a powerful thing!

I'm still a bit paranoid and he suggested I see him in another 6 months, probably just to allay my fears.

Even if in the next couple weeks I feel back to 100% and this was all just a big scare, I'm still done dipping. It's been 33 days since my last dip and I don't miss/crave it. 30 yrs was long enough.

I do have to get an MRI because of hearing loss in my right ear that started 9 yrs ago. So if he missed anything hopefully this will catch it.

Thanks to you all for all the input/support and encouragement. It definitely helped! If I ever do have to come back or know anyone dealing with this I'll definitely be telling them about this place!