Welcome to OCF! Im so sorry to read of the things you have been thru at such a young age.

Please do yourself a huge favor and try to calm down. Being upset only causes more stress which can make everything more difficult. Only thru a biopsy can it be determined if you have cancer.

I suggest calling around to get an appointment with an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT), one who specializes in oral cancer. Not that this is what you have! These are the most experienced doctors and can better diagnose your symptoms much faster than someone without that background. If its not possible for your father to take you, do you have friends or other relatives, even a neighbor who could drive you? It may take a couple weeks to get into the proper ENT, probably a couple more weeks before you get any results from a biopsy. This is only one reason why its in your best interest to try to stay calm about your situation. Its unhealthy to be stressed for weeks. It might be a good plan to see your family doctor to discuss some medications to help with anxiety.

First thing you must do is QUIT SMOKING IMMEDIATELY! This is not optional, it must happen right away. Your mouth could be irritated by the chemical additives in the tobacco which could be aggravating something simple. By eliminating the irritants it will give your mouth a chance to heal. I know its not easy to quit, I smoked for far too many years and quit cold turkey. I made the decision to quit knowing the damage was already done but I didnt have to make everything worse by continuing to smoke. Please let this be your wake up call and get rid of all tobacco products for good.

Hopefully this is nothing serious. Best wishes!!!



Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile