Hello Bret and welcome to OCF. There are a lot of people here with a lot of experience that will be responding to you shortly. You may want to stop beating up on yourself and you most certainly are not stupid.

The really good thing you have going for you is that you have been getting screened for OC every six months. So if it is cancer, and it may well not be, you have caught it at an early stage.

There is a lot of junk on the internet that will make you nuts. My doctor told me to stay away from it. At this site you will find people and caretakers that have firsthand experience with OC and genuinely want to help others.

Don't get too far ahead of yourself until you get a diagnosis. You are doing the right thing by being proactive and seeing your doctor right away.

If it is any comfort to you, just know that I was diagnosed at stage 4 with tumors on my tongue, neck and lymph node. I had 2 months of treatment with radiation and Chemo and am now cancer free, 6 months after being diagnosed.

It's not easy but it is doable and it is treatable. Relax and try not to worry. Keep us up to date on how things work out.

Ed