Hi Adam:

Glad to have you back! When Dave went for his follow up with Dr. Rounds recently we did ask him about you and hoped you were doing okay. I agree with all of the above messages and given that Dave and I know Dr. Rounds VERY well (and he diagnosed David's OC), I can tell you that oral cancer is a topic he is well versed in diagnosing(he was a regular member of the head & neck cancer team at Mass Eye & Ear until he left to become the chief of ENT at Newton-Wellesley) and you are in good hands with him.One of the most impressive things I like about Dr. Rounds is that in addition to his skill, he is humanistic and will spend time calming your fears as you have probably found already in your interactions with him.

If your anxieties persist, you could ask to see one of his colleagues at Mass Eye & Ear for a second opinion(Dr.Rocco and Dr. Vavares are both great). Dr. Rounds is a great believer in collecting information from many sources(he advocated we do this when dave was diagnosed) and isn't likely to be offended. I would also suggest you be honest with him about the level of your anxiety if it persists(you need to tell him if worry is starting to encroach on your day to day life again).

The fact that he did two scopes demonstrates his healthy conservative approach. I can tell you that it took all of 10 seconds for him to look in Dave's mouth and say we needed a biospy.I trust Dr. Rounds and really believe he would err on the side of your safety. But, the most important thing is YOUR comfort so keep going back for follow-up and ask him about a biospy and/or CAT scan if it will give you peace of mind.

I was going to also ask if he mentioned persistent tonsillitis(then I saw your most recent post) because this is a common problem with college age people and a node can stay enlarged for a long period of time post-infection. Augmentin is often used for treatment.Is the node tender now and has is been before? How did Dr. Rounds explain it to you? Just a thought-has anyone around you (think you mentioned a girlfiend) having similar symptoms?

Keep us posted,

Kim