I'm after some advice for ongoing symptoms that have effected me for the past 6 months. I'm a 25 year old male. I smoked for 6 years and quit smoking last year when my newphew was born.  
 

It began at beginning of June where I began to get pain on the left side of my jaw / neck which developed into a sore throat. At the end of that week I checked my throat and found a large lump behind my left tonsil. I went straight to doctors, they were confident it was a mucus cyst, said it had probably been there a while and I'd picked up a viral infection. Fast forward 6 weeks, persistent daily pain spreading down my neck, antibiotics, acid reflux tablets (nothing worked) aswell as normal blood tests. I had also developed a whitish (pus filled?) tonsil that look slightly enlarged on the left.

July 21st the cyst had changed colour, looked like it was leaking pus and had black dots. I also discovered a hard swollen lymph node under my chin and one central to my hyoid bone aswell as as a larger more soft on the right hand side of my neck. Doctors panicked and reffered me urgently to ENT. 
 

August 8th - Had MRI Scan. August 21st - appointment with ENT. MRI was normal and lymph nodes weren't concerning. Took a look at lump and said looks like a papilloma wart - removed it and sent for biopsy.  Mentioned my pus filled tonsil and ENT said it had all been checked on scan and basically I was too young to have cancer. Also said a lot of my symptoms were probably due to anxiety and I should see someone about it. (I've had bad anxiety all my life). He had a quick look down my throat with camera then sent me on my way. (Biopsy confirmed as squamous cell papilloma a few weeks later and was discharged). 

August 23rd - doctors appointment and put on 50mg sertraline (anti depressant). About a week later found a large lymph node in left collar bone. Left it a few weeks to see if tablets work for pain but it persisted aswell as developing really tender armpits. October, discovered a lump in right groin, went back to doctors. Doctor said something wasn't right with all these lymph nodes and suggested a chest XRay which came back clear. My doctor then wrote to haemotology who suggested I be reffered back to ENT. 
 

After a few weeks of doctors messing on - received  another urgent referal to ENT. November 13th - seen ENT, had a quick look at tonsil and said looked fine. Said collarbone lymph node wasn't on my original MRI so referred for ultrasound and biopsy said if that was ok there's more or less nothing they can do.

November 18th - Ultrasound said lymph nodes appeared ok and no biopsy needed, said perhaps pain is muscular. I am now waiting to hear from the ENT whilst he has been sent ultrasound results but I guarantee I will just get discharged.

I have been in daily pain for 6 months. As it stands I have pain right down the left side of my jaw and neck,  to the lymph node in my collarbone. I have really tender armpits, dizziness, nausea. I've also been persistently clearing my throat through all this especially when I eat and coughing up brown mucus. The lymph nodes are still there and not going anywhere. I have a really sore tongue most days too. It is most uncomfortable lieing down on a night, I wake up constantly through the night, not always because of the pain, I just wake up. I've also had really bad back pain on the left hand side, at one point had to ring 111 who upped my painkillers, I have been on codeine and naproxen throughout these past 6 months and it has done nothing for the pain. 

I never ever go to the doctors when I'm ill, I always fight it out and don't like to waste anyone's time. Everyone is telling me it's anxiety and it will go away when I relax. I know my body and I know something is not right and I really don't know what to do anymore. The pain started before I even seen or felt anything and just seems to be getting worse.  
 

I can't help but think because of the papilloma (must be HPV?) and the tonsil and the pain and the lymph node especially the large on the left that's it is tonsil cancer. If it was an infection the antibiotics would have worked or if it was viral it would have gone by now. Everything is just to coincidental to be happening together and for this long. If it was an infection or tonsil abscess or anything it would have shown on an MRI. I understand that MRI scans tend to particularly miss tonsil and base of tongue cancers. 
 

Please could anyone offer me any advice or share any information if they have experienced anything similar.

Hope you are all keeping strong during this pandemic.

P.S. Apologies for the long post but it's a long story, one I can assure you has been even longer for me :( 

- Daniel