Welcome, but sorry for your troubles. You did the right thing going to the ENT, and even getting a 2nd opinion. If they both want to do surgery, it makes me wonder if they suspect cancer. Tonsils can be different size, one bigger than the other, I forget which one. Anyway, being you mentioned an enlarged lymph node, why don't they do a FNAB, Fine Needle Aspirational Biopsy under ultra sound guidance. It's quick, painless, takes about 15 minutes, and is accurate, if done by an experienced pathologist, who can take a sample, and looks at it under a microscope, and see if its cancerous. Mine would tell me on the spot if it was or not, and also send it out for further histology, and confirmation. Following that or before, a PET/CT to see if there is any other involvement, and then a triple scope aka pandemoscopy, under anesthesia, to check the aerodigestive track, and take a biopsy sample of the tonsil, other area, and see if the tonsil is cancerous, and if so, take it out then or do other treatments. I had tonsil, and no surgery was not done to remove the tonsil, but plan was Induction Chemo, followed by chemoradition was recommended. Also, I can't see them not doing any clinical testing to stage your cancer, TNM, tumor, Nodes, metastases. As Ed recommended, maybe another consultation.

I'm no doctor, but just going by what was done for me. Good luck, and hope it turns out to be minor like an infection, which can cause the same symptoms.