It started in August when I noticed swelling on the right side of my neck. My PCP told me it wasn’t cancer and gave me antibiotics mid September. They didn’t work so he referred me to an ENT who could see me until December. On the 4th I saw the ENT and he told me we needed a stat CT. The radiologist listed lymphoproliferative disorder and tonsil cancer with lymph node metastases as the differential diagnoses. They did a biopsy a week later and this past Thursday I received the news that the growth was metastatic cancer. It has been a difficult few days. The doctor mentioned they’ll need to remove the nodes and biopsy my tongue and tonsil. I’m so scared. I’m married and have two children. I don’t want to leave my family. I have an appointment Monday to discuss next steps…I’m trying to be brave and trying to convince myself I can get through this, but I’m just so incredibly scared and right now hyper aware of everything, if I have a slight pain in my ribs I’m convinced the cancer has spread to my lungs already. It has been so difficult.