Amanda,
for most of us, the cancer was asymptomatic - there was was pain at all. Only a slight horseness and maybe a feeling of something stuck in the throat. I would be encouraged by your bloodwork. My CBC and WBC was completely normal in the the 2 pre Dx tests that I had. It it normal for lymph nodes to swell up when they are busy fighting infection. We a have a general rule that if you don't respond to antibiotics within 2 weeks then you should see an ENT or Head & Neck surgeon. There are exceptions to this rule, 2 of them are possibly a peritonsillar abcess or a crack in a tooth root. These conditions can take months of antibiotics to treat. In the case of a crack in the root of a tooth, the treatment will only be temporary. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause a lot of problems as well and they should removed by an oral surgeon. You are at the perfect age for this.

When the fear level gets up there you will be looking at parts of your anatomy that you have probably never even been aware of. I actually though a normal salivary gland was a new tumor - My H&N surgeon and I had a good laugh over that one (AFTER the fact of course). I wasn't laughing while I was waiting to find out however.

Statistically, your odds of contracting oral cancer, at your age, are very low. You are being a little paranoid but caution and early detection are never a bad thing. Regular doctors, like GP's, oral surgeons and dentists are not the best qualified to rule anything out. The head & neck is a complex area of the body and you should get a referal to a specialist for your own piece of mind.