Pain is what lead us to diagnosis. Actually Kris had being having severe pain radiating from his jaw up to his ear for 6 months.
His GP had been treating him by manipulating his neck for a trapped nerve!
I then insisted on an MRI ......and he got diagnosed.
If either of you do get up in the night, and a safe time period has elapsed from the last dose of pain meds, then I think it reasonable for your husband to take another dose.
Not long now until treatment starts.
Tammy

Caregiver/advocate to Husband Kris age 59@ diagnosis
DX Dec '10 SCC BOT T4aN2bM0 HPV+ve.Cisplatin x3 35 IMRT.
PET 6/11 clear.
R) level 2-4 neck dissection 8/1/11 to remove residual node - necrotic with NED
Feb '12 Ca back.. 3/8/12 total glossectomy/laryngectomy/bilat neck dissection/partial pharyngectomy etc. clear margins. All nodes negative for disease. PEG in.
March 2017 - 5 years disease free. Woohoo!