Would you be happy to wait this out TW - kids health / in mouth picture

[kpopmum04]

Hi
my 11 year old daughter has been complaining on and off with a sore throat for a few weeks. Would only be briefly in the evening usually after dinner time and would self resolve and she would say “ my back of my mouth hurts “ . I assumed it to be a reflux flare and was waiting for our scheduled appointment to speak about dosage of meds - was not too concerned.
she was then sent home from school on Thursday with a persistent sore throat - put this down to viral and Friday she was still complaining a lot of it hurting especially when she breaths during talking not sure what she means by that.
anyway I got my torch to check if there was any puss etc ( she does not have tonsils )
no redness or puss but was greeted with ( picture )
I called the GP and got her booked in right away.
got to the GP and she said her throat was not inflamed no real signs of infection is viral. She has no other viral symptoms. However was clearly in a lot of pain with her throat. I had suggested that it was a polyp which she said she wasn’t sure as she had seen one quite so big and hanging from soft palate. Said she likely has a mild virus on the throat and the “ lump “ is chronic and probably been there years and won’t go away on its own “ it defo has not been there years.
the on and off throat before this constant sore throat has been for at least 4-5 weeks.
she said to give it 4 weeks if nothings changed pop back and possibly might need to see an ent but that could take up to a year referral.
has anyone’s child has something like this ? The lump does not hurt but her back of her mouth does and she is struggling to get correct speech sounds out.
I know it’s not an A&E scenario. Thought about dentist but couldn’t get her in and the GP said because it’s hanging is soft palate it ENT - so who do I go to ?

No picture op

Says it’s under review 🙈

Think it’s up now

Is it possible that there’s still some tonsil tissue left (or it regrew) and it’s a tonsil stone?

That needs ENT to look at it, surely gp can do urgent referral? If not then actually maybe do go to a&e because if she's struggling to speak and that's a new change that needs urgently investigating. I'm a dentist btw and I do not think that lump has a dental cause.

I did also suggest this she said it isn’t where the tonsils would be located it’s coming down from the soft palate and not attached to anything at the bottom or sides it’s just attached to the cord thing. It’s the location and size that’s worrying me I think. Never seen anything like it !

What a worry for you OP. I don’t know what it is but wanted to suggest- could you spend £200 on seeing a paediatrician with ENT experience privately, to find out more?

I absolutely KNOW we should not have to do this & feel bad for even suggesting it - but I had to when the NHS failed to investigate a serious medical issue for my son. By the time the NHS appointment arrived for him he had been on vital meds for a year - prescribed by neurologist who he saw privately & given through our GP on NHS. (GP did not have the specialist knowledge to deal with issue without consultant input.)

The NHS would just have left him, with (in his particular case) serious consequences.

Maybe it would put your mind at rest after weeks of worry?

I have requested an enquiry for a paed ent at the Portland - it is not easy money for us though but I think I’m going to have to.
im not an over anxious parent usually I Promise we have been through a lot medically and Im usually a ok sit back and wait when needed - this does worry me though :(

Speaking as someone who had oral cancer as a teenager, I think the GP should be doing an urgent referral to ENT. Mine was a lump in the roof of my mouth that the dentist didn't notice and being a child I didn't think much of it until it became painful. I had it removed and now have to wear a prosthetic with dentures on it as some of my jaw had to be removed as well.

I don't want you to worry, I'm just saying it's better to insist it's checked out than to go with what the GP is saying when they clearly don't know what it is. The clinicians in my case were all shocked when it was discovered it was cancer because it's so unusual for a child to have oral cancer.

Not sure if this is any help OP, but dentists are very knowledgeable about anything in the mouth. If you have a dentist and can get an appointment you can at least have a second opinion.

Thank you yeh it didn’t look dental to me either ! It’s not attached to anything gums and is behind where her teeth stop. It’s hard to see in the picture and we can’t even see ourself the whole thing and where it ends but it’s not attached to the tongue it’s just attached to that cord but hanging.

Thank you - I do have this in my mind in terms of getting it checked but staying reassured that it has a stem so likely a polyp but don’t like to location or size 🙈 but I agree they shouldn’t have just been like we don’t know so that’s that !

Oh dear. X posts with JoyfulSpring.

My dentist checks very carefully, makes me stick my tongue out and move it right and left etc. Sounds like not everyone is so thorough.

I don’t know what’s worse in this area getting a GP appointment or a dentist 🤣🤣

i did contact them yesterday to and got no where close to being seen but going to chase again.

I would honestly go to A&E for this as you've said it's affecting her speech but I appreciate my history has an affect on my decision making. Good luck, I really hope whatever happens that she's ok.

Thank you - parenting is a hard gig !!!