Hi,

I have been lurking here for two months and I would like to say that you are quite courageous.

Here is a bit about me:
I have been having on and off throat and right side ear pain since mi-March. My jaw is noisy on the right side when I chew and it hurst. My neck and shoulder sometimes hurt as well and when I open my mouth, it looks crooked to me. I have no pain swallowing nor do i have a hard time swallowing. I have not lost any weight, I have actually gained some. I also have night sweats only 5-8 days prior to my periods, it is odd because the night sweats started at the end of March. I have had a CT scan with contrast that showed inflammation of the right lingual tonsil. No mass or lesion, just inflammation.

My ENT has looked into my throat in May, with a flexible tube and saw nothing that alarmed him other than the inflammation of the right lingual tonsil. He told me that if he was worried, he'd biopsy my throat right away. He then said I could go back in 4 to 6 weeks or we'd do a biopsy in June or July. I opted for the biopsy.

The biopsy is on July 2nd and I am now scared beyond scared !! He will look at my throat, my digestive tube and will also do a bronchoscopy. I am very scared of throat cancer, but more so of lung cancer.

I have been through a medical ordeal in December - XRay of shoulder showed something that looked like a lytic lesion. After a bone scan and MRI with contrast and 3 weeks of major anxiety, all was clear.

My boyfriend of 3 years left me during that time. I thought things were going really well between us...anyways that is not so important right now.

I have this huge sense of doom and I feel like I know something bad is coming my way. Somedays, I just feel like canceling the whole procedure and live in ignorance.

I am very afraid and feel so alone at the moment.

Any kind words would greatly help.

Ps: I am 44 and I stopped smoking in May.

Chantal honey, I'm so sorry for the stress and fear you're going through. It sounds as though you and your ENT are being very vigilant. The steps you're taking will make sure that if there is anything, you find it and address it early. Most cancer scares are false alarms. You are doing everything you can and should.

& hey, good on you ditching the smokes!!! That's a HUGE accomplishment. I know that after I quit, I too had feelings of panic worrying that smoking could have already done me major harm. As the years went by that feeling went away.

Keep us posted, we're here for you --

Lynn

Thanks Lynn,

I will keep you posted. I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnostic. I am sending you positive thoughts and prayers.

Chantal

Chantal, welcome to OCF! I hope you do not need our assistance as your test will be negative. If it would be cancerous we will help you every step of the way, so try not to worry.

I hope you can continue to be tobacco free. For most people its only a matter of time before the tobacco causes serious health problems.

You are doing the right thing by getting checked out. You dont want to wait only to find out you have a serious medical condition. Wishing you all the very best with your upcoming procedure.

Get the bio and do not ever use tobacco again. That won't be easy but I'm sure you are up to the task. Has anyone mentioned TMJ as a possible explanation?

Hi David,

My ENT ruled out TMJ. It's weird because I do get right side temple pain as well. But he pressed on my TMJ and said he did not think it was that. Would TMJ cause inflammation in lingual tonsils ?

You are wise to listen to trained professionals and I'm sure they can tell you what may cause tonsil inflammation but here is something I found on a May Clinic site re TMJ:

By Mayo Clinic staff
Signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders may include:
Pain or tenderness of your jaw
Aching pain in and around your ear
Difficulty chewing or discomfort while chewing
Aching facial pain
Locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close your mouth

TMJ disorders can also cause a clicking sound or grating sensation when you open your mouth or chew. But if there's no pain or limitation of movement associated with your jaw clicking, you probably don't need treatment for a TMJ disorder.

Hi again David,

Thanks for that. It sounds like what I have, but since my ENT ruled it out, I have not pursued that in details.

I'll see what the biopsie says and if it's not cancer, I'll look into this with a dentist or oral surgeon.

Chantal

I hardly slept last night. In two days I get the biopsy and I am 100% sure I have cancer. I have this gut feeling and unfortunately I know the gut feeling is right.

I am now to the point where I am planning how I will manage the operation, the chemo and radiation.

A friend of mine who had cancer told me that she knew before the diagnosis and that most people know. I am beyond scared, I really don't want to die young. There are just so many things I want to do.

Sorry about this rambling, but I had to get it out.

Chantal

Chantal, please calm down. You are making this so much harder on yourself with worrying so much. try to limit how long you "go there" to maybe 5 minutes then "change the channel" and focus on something positive. Another way to help you avoid worrying so much is to get yourself involved with projects that require alot of concentration. Like crosswords, reading a book, watching suspense or drama movies with a twisting plot these things will take your attention and leave you little to spend on worrying. It takes practice but I know you can do it!!!

When I was diagnosed with my third round of oral cancer, it was Stage IV. The day before I was diagnosed I spent doing a 25 mile bike ride with my son. That day was one day I will always remember, I finally felt better and it was just so nice to have a day off from being a cancer patient. I felt like I was finally well again after 2 years of being sick. Imagine my shock when the next day I am told I have Stage IV OC and to get my affairs in order. So you see, not everyone knows they have cancer. In fact even the doctor doesnt know for sure thats why they have to do a biopsy. Many times oral cancer has no symptoms which is why its found in its later stages. Ive seen many new members who are "positive" they have oral cancer only to find out its something much less serious. Please dont get ahead of yourself with this, take it one step at a time, day by day.