I want to start by just saying that I'm so appreciative of this forum regardless of what the future holds for me. The last year has been a bumpy ride so I'll provide a bit of history. Summer of 2025 I started experiencing sore and enlarged lymph nodes and malaise. My neck became very stiff. This lead to an ultrasound which incidentally revealed 4 TIRAD 4 nodules on my thyroid. Watch and wait is the medical protocol. Late summer 2025, along with the enlarged lymph nodes and stiff neck, my throat became impossibly sore and I was struggling to breath. I was hospitalized with a peritonsillar abscess which resolved after an in hospital 4 night treatment. Fast forward to summer 2026 and I've had a 2 months of persistent sore throat and enlarged lymph nodes despite two rounds of antibiotics. Earlier in the spring/2026, I noticed a lesion on my gums that did not resolve. My dentist referred me to a pathologist and I've just had a biopsy done. One day after the biopsy, a black or dark red spot has appeared along with a patch of my cheek that has a completely different texture than the rest of the cheek and it's least 2cm above the spot where the biopsy was. The actual spot the biopsy was taken is not sore, although my throat and lymph nodes are worse than ever. I'm not sure whether I should return to the pathologist or give them a call. Truth be told, I am sick with worry and trying to figure out what is happening. I keep on blaming myself. I smoked cigarettes and partied quite hard in my 20's only to completely quit when I had a family. However, in 2020 I was sexually assaulted and returned to smoking marijuana (not everyday but weekly). I'm not sure what I expect by telling you all this but I'm so pleased to be able to open up. Thank you.