One Enlarged Tonsil - could be cancer?

Hello

 

I have been a avid "lurker" for the last few weeks but have finally plucked up the courage to post, and I wondered if anyone had any advice or has been through a similar experience to me.

 

Around November 2021 I noticed I was feel tired all the time, my throat was scratchy and I felt as though I was always in the verge of having a cold or a bug. Early December 2021 I lost my voice for a few days and during this time I noted my Right Tonsil was significantly larger than the other. Ever since I noticed this I kept an eye on my tonsil, and realised it wasn't going up or down and everyday it looked consistently enlarged. I have ear pain and neck pain. Although the pain isn't enough to stop me in my tracks, it's enough for me to know it is there. I also have blood in my saliva, and I had a coughing fit this morning which ended up in the bathroom sink looking like a massacre

 

i had a GP appointment to discuss general symptoms, and I mentioned my scratchy throat and swollen tonsil. I was prescribed some antibiotics and told to come back if they didn't help. Fast forward a week and there was no change so I went back to my GP who referred me for a 2 week urgent referal to ENT.

4 days ago, I was seen within 10 days in ENT. The consultant examined me, and performed a endoscope. During this he discovered my adenoids were swollen and he said he would take them out. He also showed me (on the camera footage) my swollen tonsil and told me he didn't like the look of it and he wants it out ASAP. 
 

Plan is urgent MRI this coming Sunday, and once I have had this I will be scheduled for surgery. I presume this will be very quick as the consultant told me he was putting me on a "fast track" for surgery.

 

I am sorry for the long post, but wondered if anyone had similar experiences to me and what the outcome was please? 
 

I think you are all so brave for sharing your stories, and for lifting others up though their hardest times.

 

Thank you 

 

Fizzy

  • Hello Fizzy, 

    A warm welcome to Cancer Chat and I hope that you'll hear from others on the forum who have been through a similar experience. Poor you you've been through a lot since November 2021 and had quite a few throat issues and it sounds like it was rather painful and uncomfortable. 

    It's a shame that the antibiotics didn't do the trick and it looks like they are being thorough and that things are now moving fast. I hope that your MRI scan on Sunday sheds some light on what is going on and that you will be able to have the surgery very soon. 

    I will now let other members come and say hello and share their story with you. I am sending you lots of positive vibes ahead of your surgery. I hope it all goes well and that you find out more soon and that all these throat issues get sorted once and for all! 

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Hi Fizzy

    Am sorry to hear of your circumstances and I hope all goes with your Scan and surgery

    We obviously cannot diagnose anything on here as not qualified and all different but often it could be the case of tonsils needing out and thats it.

    Unless I have picked you up wrong, your consultant has not mentioned cancer when endoscopy done and that in itself is ecouraging. I was diagnosed with stage 1 throat cancer and was picked up immediately when endoscopy done.

    That said MRI will be a more throurough check and examination of the area.

    Hard as it may seem, try and stay as positive as you can and wait until MRI results and consultation with consultant. It;s honestly not always sinsister and tonsilitis and removal is no picnic as I had that done prior to treatment.

    Happy to answer any questions you have or your welcome to friend me if you would like a 1-1 chat , but please keep us posted over your progress and I'm rooting for you.

    kind regards

    Ian

  • Thank you so much for your reply, and for your kind words. It is much appreciated.

  • Hi Anchor

     

    Thank you very much for your response.

     

    When I had the endoscope the consultant said he didn't know what it was that he was looking at, but that he didn't like the look of it. He did say however, that if it was cancerous it would most likely be early stages by and that in itself was encouraging. 
     

    I am sorry to hear of your diagnosis, can I ask how you are? I hope you are keeping well. 
     

    I have read these forums a lot of the years but this is my first time joining anything like this, and I am truly grateful for your reply. I think it's amazing how a community like this can help people through their hardest times.

     

    I will, of course, let you know once I have any more information.

     

    take care 

     

    Fizzy 

  • Hi Fizzy

    I am absolutely fine thanks and feel great 

    i was diagnosed with stage 1 tonsil cancer around 3 and half years ago and have been through treatment and recovery and treatment itself was 100% sucessful

    so to be honest and following your condultants comments even with your worst case scenario and early stages of cancer it is pretty much curable with treatment nowadays

    i was told by my consultant that is one of the most succesful areas for treatment and statistically very high for complete cure 

    i started a thread on here as soon as i started treatment to log my journey and i also kept a blog which i have published and has helped so many people and even from abroad

    lets see how you get on and if you have to go through any treatment for cancerous cells i will give you details of thread and a link to my blog

    that said, you may well have nothing at all other than tonsilitus and have them removed

    either way stay as positive as you can my friend as i was positive from the outset of diagnosis after my consultant told me he was looking for complete cure and he did

    one of the toughest treatments and recoveries but you get through it and the light at the end if the tunnel is always there for this but im rooting fir you to have nothing else other than tonsils removed

    On the positive side you are in good hands and mri will pick up anything that will help consultant decide most appropriate treatment for your current symptoms

    all the very best and keep me posted

    kind regards

    ian

     

  • Oh this sounds just like me.

     

    for a few months now I had this weird "sore throat" would last a day or two then just go away always felt like I was on the verge of a proper sore throat/cough but nothing happened! 
     

    then I got this weird stabbing like pain in my ear and throat again lasted maybe a week then gone.

    this pain kicked in again in early December, I thought it would go and thought it was because of the cold I had. 
     

    needless to say the pain has continued, I get a weird stabbing feeling in my ear, pain in my throat where my tonsil is, pain along the side of my tongue and pain into the front of my neck near my thyroid (if I press certain areas it's like I've touched a nerve and the pain shoots back to my ear). I also notice my right tonsil larger than my left (I can't see my left at all) the right is round and firm like a little sack or ball with what looks like little holes or spots and I'm sure I've had the odd stone come out of it recently (was very prone to these in my teens but hadn't had any for a long time until now) 

    metioned it to the gp who got me in to look, he said he couldn't see anything but from what I describe he's certain something is irritating nerves so wants the camera up my nose to my throat to have a look.

    I recently had an endoscope (not up the nose) but they didn't mention anything about seeing anything in my throat so hopefully that's a good sign that there's nothing back there that I can't see other than this one tonsil.

    the ear pain can be really awful not painful that I feel I need meds etc but very very distracting and uncomfortable, I've also had what I can only describe as an itch deep in my ear and the top of my throat (can't scratch either of them which is frustrating).

    my gp didn't mention anything and actually said I wasn't a red flag for cancer so I hope he was right! 
    however he referd me on the Wednesday morning and by Friday I had my letter for my appointment on the Tuesday I had to rearrange as I couldn't get the time off work at such short notice I'm now booked in for the 26th so 2 weeks to wait firm today and the worry is killing me! 

     

     

  • Thank you Ian for your kind words.

    Wow, that's great news to hear you are doing so well. And fab about the blog, I am sure it helped you writing it but also I am sure it has helped many other people who have been going thorough the same as you. 
     

    I had the MRI today and hopefully should know a bit more about what is what over the next coming weeks.

     

    I will let you know once I have any updates.

     

    I appreciate your kindness.

     

    Take Care, Fizzy

  • Hi JRLT

     

    I am sorry to hear you are going through this. And I know 2 weeks will feel like such a long wait for you, but it will be here before you know it.

    Its easy to get stressed inside your own head, and what I have been doing is meditation and using mindfulness techniques to help me when I can feel myself getting a bit flustered with worry. I also used the same technique today when I had my MRI scan (as I am claustrophobic) and it really did help. 
     

    Please let me know the outcome when you have your appointment, and I am wishing you all the best. Let's get our positive pants on we've got this  

     

    If you need to talk, vent etc please send me a message. I will be thinking of you.
     

    Take Care

     

    Fizzy

  • Hi

    I just wanted to post a update - for my own ramblings more than anything so please bear with me as I waffle on.

     

    i have been given a surgery date of Friday 18th March. Whereas, it is reassuring that I haven't heard anything back about my MRI, I was told this surgery was on a "priority 2" basis which means the surgery needed to happen 28 days from the date of the referral. This operation date I have been given will be take my significantly over this time frame. I don't want to complain, but I did question this when the waiting list team called me to confirm my surgery date. The lovely lady on the phone apologised and said the surgery is a priority 2 however they do not have the capacity to accommodate my surgery in this time scale. 
     

    A couple of extra weeks of worry is a small price to pay for being looked after by our marvellous NHS, however time feels like it is moving very slowly.

     

    Anway, sending love and best wishes to you all- your stories are inspiring ️
     

    Take Care

     

    Fizzy 

  • Hi, hope all is ok just wondered what the outcome was ? Thanks x