Tomorrow I go to see yet another ENT.

I’m going on nearly 2 weeks of antibiotics. The bilateral nodes don’t seem to have changed in size. Still pea sized, under my jaw on each side and move around a bit. Pretty firm. Found a bump or ridge behind one of my ears, in the level 2b area. Painless, hard, doesn’t have apparent margins but I don’t feel something similar on the left.

Went to the dentist and asked him to look at my tongue. He doesn’t know what I’ve been through but noted more lymph tissue in the area of my lingual tonsil on the right. Of course I accidentally but my tongue in that area earlier today so now it’s bothering me. Otherwise, throught hasn’t been overly sore... just some pangs here and there... same with the right sided ear pain. The popping sensation isn’t really happening anymore but neck still feels full/tight.

Wondering if I’ve been chasing the wrong rabbit because what initially brought me to the ENT was the feeling that something was stuck on my tongue right around the area of the anterior 2/3 meets the base of tongue. Feeling around, I don’t know what it should feel like. It seems bumpy with a greater concentration of bumps around midline. It’s not painless but does smell/have a discharge. I brush my tongue during all brushes, drink water and just had a dental cleaning. I do have post-nasal drip and clear things out a few times in the morning. Course I’m worried now it’s base of tongue while I’ve been focused on the tonsil.

Given that I’ve had a CT scan less than 2 weeks ago. What more can be done at this point? I’m hoping to be scoped tomorrow. Last time I was scoped was 6/3. I also had an upper endoscopy a couple of weeks ago - that was by a Gi, would he have seen anything abnormal with the base of tongue? Does anyone else feel their pappillae on their tongue? I know what they are but I feel mine... like every time my tongue touches my upper teeth move my tongue around I feel them. I never did until about a year ago. They are quite prominent to look at. I keep worrying they are more than that. My hygienist said “cancer looks much different” my dentist concurred. Should I may an oral surgeon appointment? Should I ask the ENT to do a biopsy of my nodes? Would it be back tracking to have an ultra sound done on the nodes since I’ve already had a CT?

I’m crossing my fingers for an ENT tomorrow who takes my concerns seriously. I’m not suggesting others haven’t but I’m disappointed that none have explained or explored what could be causing my persistent symptoms. TMJ was thrown at me but I have literally no jaw pain and the ear pain happens out of no where. And it’s a deep, internal pain... not pain coming from where I expect TMJ ear pain would come from.

Would another radiologist ever take a look at my scans and write up a report with more detail. Mine just said “several prominent lymph nodes... presumably reactive”. It doesn’t tell me how many, where or why they are presumed to be reactive other than because they are below the size believed to be pathologist (10 mm) my largest is 9mm.

Sorry, just asking all these questions out loud to organize myself for tomorrow so I don’t leave wishing I had asked more questions.