Freddie, first of all, don't panic. As Joanna said, it is not cancer until the pathology report confirms it. I did similar things as you five years ago tolerating an enlarged left tonsil for almost a year without having a thorough check. When I noticed a lymph node on the left side of my neck, I still wondered what's wrong with my body. I had never heard of tonsil cancer before and even the doctors said that the symptoms didn't look like cancer and I wasn't a favorable candidate for oral cancer. Then the lymph node grew bigger and bigger until it looked like a goose egg. So the rest is history and I am still here to share with you my experience. Don't look back and regret for not doing something. Just look forward and do what you should do now and if, unfortunately, it is cancer, get the best possible treatment to kill it. There are some very knowledgeable members here very ready to offer support and help. Hopefully, it is just a false alarm and you need not go through the sufferings I once had.
Cheer up.
Karen