A Little Concerned...

Hi, I am a nineteen year old college student who is questioning her health. I certainly do not mean to make light of those on the site with diagnosed cancer, a friend of mine was recently diagnosed and I think I understand just how much no one would like to think they have cancer.

That being said, I have had the stragest lump on my left tonsil for about two weeks now. In the beginning it hurt to swallow and stung, when I went to the GP he said that it was an ulceration and nothing could really be done for it. So I went home and took Aleve like he suggested and did salt water rinses all to no avail. I wasn't really concerned until my mother became concerned that it might be something more serious because it wasn't healing. The thing is, now it is not nearly as painful, although occasional pain comes and goes. It looks sort of like a bunch of grapes in terms of texture, it is mostly bright red so I was wondering if it might be tonsilitis? Now though, I have noticed that my upper gum is bleeding and sensitive as well. Also I have had a sinus infection this summer which was pretty severe but went away after two courses of antibiotics. Now I am feeling that twinge of sinus pain I usually get before them and increasing sinus congestion.

Okay, I am sorry this email is long I just sort of wanted to air out my concerns before I see the campus health services sometime next week to ask them about my throat.

Anything you can tell me, especially if you think I am crazy for worrying, would be great! Thank You!

First of all, you are NEVER crazy for being concerned about your health. You are your first line of defense of your body and being responsible to take care of it. Doctors mean well, but they are only human and don't know everything about everything. When something is different in your body and won't go away, you need to be persistent until the root of it is nailed down. I have had cancer twice and had to be persistent to get diagnosed and finally taken care of. My most recent situation was like yours. I had what was diagnosed as pharyngitis and couldn't talk for a time. The doctor gave me antibiotics and I could talk again. Then I noticed only my left tonsil was enlarged. I got on the internet and put in "enlarged tonsil" and Lymphoma immediately came up. With it only being on one side was worse than both sides. Both sides is usually tonsilitis. I went to a different doctor who said it was a viral infection. NOT. I went back to my doctor and told her that I wanted her to make sure it was not Lymphoma AGAIN. She got busy, ordered the appropriate testing which was a CT scan of my neck and sent me to an ENT (Ears, nose and throat specialist). He took out my tonsil and to make a longer story short, it was Lymphoma which required immediate treatment. You need to be persistent.It is your life. They treat lots of patients daily and then go home with their lives to their family. You go home to your family who is concerned about you and YOU need to be PERSISTENT until the reason is solved. If it is cancer it is not going away without proper treatment. If it does go away it is not cancer. The answer to treating cancer, as I am sure you know, is EARLY TREATMENT! God Bless you as you get to the bottom of your enlarged tonsil.