Hi.

I’m new here but here goes. I’m almost 25 with 3 children & since about January, I’ve had what feels like bout after bout of what I assumed was tonsillitis. I’ve been to the doctors for it twice & was prescribed 2 courses of antibiotics twice too but nothing caused my tonsils to swell back down. Even in between my assumed bouts of tonsillitis, they never swelled back down either. I seemed to keep getting a sore throat on my right side, I think my right tonsil is slightly swollen but my left is definitely worse like maybe 3 or 4 times bigger. So this has been going on for a few months. In April, I got referred to the ENT department which was classed as a urgent referral but my appointment had been cancelled & I finally was seen last week on the 23 May, I assumed the whole appointment was to see whether or not I fulfil the criteria to finally get my tonsils removed but that didn’t even get mentioned. I explained to the consultant what had been going on for the last couple of months & he checked my tonsils & said they definitely swollen. He then wanted to put a camera up my nose which he did straight away & then said that my tissue behind my nose & everywhere seems really swollen. He then checked my neck & said he found 2 lumps & that he wanted to send me for a ultrasound there & then which he did. On the ultrasound, on my left side where my tonsil is extremely swollen, there seemed to be a massive lump that was pulsating. It looked massive on the screen & the radiologist were focused on it for a while compared to the other side & even brought a second radiologist in quoting he wants to get a second opinion whether these photos are okay. He then said they definitely swollen & I probably need to get them removed no matter what but no biopsy needs to be done just yet. Maybe it was to put my mind at ease I don’t know but when I got sent back to the consultant, he then wanted to send me for a urgent MRI on my neck within the next 2 weeks, he sent me off for 13 different blood tests & prescribed me with antibiotics for 2 weeks which so far is proving useless with the swelling. The consultant then arranged another appointment for 3 weeks time (15 June). The consultant never mentioned or talked about what he assumed it was or whatever but when I went for my blood tests doing, I had 3 sheets of paper with me of what they was testing for. In the clinical notes bit, it said Waldrye’s ring hypertrophy, cervical lymphadenopathy & he questioned whether I had a lymphoproferative disorder & what was the cause & I assumed they trying to find the cause of it with the blood tests (FBC, kidney & liver function, glandular fever, HIV, stuff like that). I researched those terms with google & found that they could possibly be investigating cancer. I know it could be amongst other things. I never got told this, I never asked. I feel stupid that I didn’t now but I was just in shock at the appointment. Anyway, the day after my consultant appointment, I received a phone call from the MRI department arranging an appointment for the 30 May. But it confused me because I got told I would need to make my own appointment when a letter came through for me & now it’s been arranged for me the day after so now I’m sort of thinking that my blood tests wasn’t normal & that’s why they fast tracked the MRI & arranged it for me.

I think I posted on here for some advice & to hear some similar stories really. I just hate this waiting game I just want to know answers & finally know what’s wrong with me! I’ve been poorly on & off for months now so it’ll just be a massive relief to finally know even if it does mean I’ve got some kicking *** of some sort of cancer to do!

Sorry for the long post & thanks in advance