Hey, Mark.

I'm glad that you came back for an update. I totally understand your need to take a break from all of the information. Things can become overwhelming here, so it's good to pace yourself.

I'm glad that you have a follow up in a month. If your symptoms are still persistent, I would certainly push for a biopsy of the nodes and an MRI or CT scan. I don't really know how each scan visualizes your tissues differently, but they do.

My tonsillar cancer did not show up on CT even though my tonsil was huge and painful. They only found the cancer on surgery. This is not to scare you, but you're better safe than sorry.

If your doctor hesitates to do a biopsy and scan, the best thing you can do for yourself is get a second opinion at a cancer center where the ENT (otolaryngologist) is a head and neck cancer specialist. Getting a scan in one of these facilities is also important because there will be trained radiologists reading your scan with a fine tooth comb. Experience matters a lot, especially with head and neck cancers.

I hope this is all for nothing and that you get a clean bill of health! Please come back with any questions and keep us posted.

Love and hope in OCF,
Kerri