Welcome to OCF, Tom! We can help you with info and moral support.

Hopefully your results are negative. You didnt mention getting a biopsy but it sounds like thats where you are at. The longest wait in the world is when you are waiting for test results. First let me explain .... everyone is different and will respond to things in their own unique way. That goes for diseases, symptoms, medical treatments, medication, etc. Even taking 2 people who are the same age, sex, from the same general area, have the same diagnosis with the same size tumor in the same location and each one can have drastically different experiences. If another member has similar symptoms that does not mean what you have is oral cancer. Ive been thru this 3 times and have had far more biopsies (where I was certain I was sick again) that came back negative. Hopefully yours will be negative!!!

Symptoms can vary greatly for oral cancer patients. Some have ear pain, others dont, some difficulty swallowing others dont, some experience ear pain others dont. Some patients have a tumor visible where others cant see their tumor (base of tongue tumors) and some patients have significant pain while others dont feel any pain at all. I had no symptoms at all other than a visible tumor and feeling lousy for weeks like I was on the verge of getting the flu.

If you can quit using tobacco in all forms it may give your mouth a chance to heal. Ive seen quite a few people come thru here who smoked or used chewing tobacco. Once they stopped using it their "tumors" healed on their own. Tobacco has hundreds of proven cancer causing additives which can play a big part in delaying healing in any sores someone would have in their mouth. Im glad to see you arent drinking as that can play a part in delaying healing in your mouth too.

As far as smoking goes, please let this be your wake-up call and quit ASAP!!! I want to explain a little of my history to give you a different perspective. I am a former smoker so I do completely understand the stress you are going thru. I wasnt able to quit immediately when I was diagnosed. I felt overwhelmed by the thought of having cancer, no one in my family had cancer so back then I was quite ignorant about what a cancer diagnosis meant. It was on my way to the hospital for a feeding tube consult as I was reaching for a cigarette when the lightbulb went on. I realized I had done this to myself and now I could leave my children alone. At the time my kids were teenagers, luckily they werent young children but they still depended on me for almost everything. I picked up my pack of cigarettes and was about to light one when I finally understood what those cigarettes had done to me. My son was with me and I said to him... "Thats it, I quit!!!, I will never smoke another cigarette in my life". I threw the pack right out the window (I never litter either) and told my son I now know how I will die but I'll be damned if I make it any earlier than it has to be. He looked doubtful as he said "I hope you really do quit". That moment is etched in my mind. Every time I thought it wont hurt to have just one cigarette I thought of it as another nail in my coffin and less time my children had their mother. Quitting is NOT easy. Smokers must decide they really want to quit more than they want to smoke. Nobody can nag anyone into quitting. Please do your best to learn from this and try your very best to decide you want to quit. Im one of the lucky ones who have gotten thru oral cancer 3 times. But (there always has to be a but)... I have paid a huge price for my "habit". Ive lost half of my lower jaw, all my teeth, cant eat hardly anything, depend a feeding tube for over 10 years, and endured intense pain and days where Im very, very sick and of course I lost my looks.... all from smoking which was a choice, a very bad choice I made.

Im sorry if it sounds like Im nagging you about smoking. Im not trying to nag you. I dont want to see anyone else have oral cancer which in many cases is preventable.

Please let us know how you make out with your biopsy. Best wishes with everything!!!!