Tongue

[thegreylady]

I don't really know what I am expecting here but I poted on ballofworry's thread and feel I ought to stop hijacking.
I know no one can help me except a doctor and a specialist at that but I hope you'll bear with me and give me your experiences/thoughts.
About 5 weeks ago I noticed a little lesion on my tongue, as though a crumb was caught. It didn't go so on 18th August I saw my dentist who thought it was probably nothing but she should refer me to be sure. Because of having had breast cancer 8 years ago I get extremely anxious about any possibility of cancer anywhere so she made it an 'urgent' appointment. I still have nothing from the hospital.
Last Friday, having googled, I became so panic stricken that I saw my GP who said he was 90% sure it was nothing but agreed it needed to be seen. Yesterday I rang the dentist again. She checked with the hospital who still hadn't made an appointment for me. I asked about a private appointment and have been told I can be seen within a week so I am now waiting for that appointment.
Last night I couldn't sleep so, having looked at my tongue in the mirror I googled again. I have been sick, have diarrhoea and am cold with terror.
The side of the tongue at the back is the commonest site for oral cancer. That is exactly where mine is. Originally mine looked like a bite mark, then like a pimple with a swelling behind it and now like a swelling with a dip in it. It has no whiteness and it isn't painful. I am aware of it constantly. I dare not google again so I don't even know if it could possibly be anything benign.
I wonder if I could ask some of you to google for me and tell me if you can find anything at all other than cancer for a few weeks old red swelling on the side of the tongue. Thank you.

Hi sweetheart, not surprised you're worried.

Have had a look and there's reams about strep. throat, mention of viral ulcers, reactions to medicines or teeth grinding or ill fitting dentures.

It also says bumps on the tongue, wherever they are are rarely an indication of a serious disease

So do try not to worry.

All the pages I looked at said smoking and alcohol consumption are likely to exacerbate the bumps!

Sorry 'bout that

I'm sure your appointment will reassure you [ wine ]

Thank you so so much. That is reassuring. I have never smoked and drink maybe a coupl of glasses of wine a month- if that. I now have a private appointment at the Nuffield on Monday evening. This morning I had acupuncture to help with the stress which was overwhelming. You have done exactly what I was longing for someone to do- you have given me some hope.

No problem at all. So glad it's helped.

Acupuncture is fab and gives you a general tune-up regardless of any specific problem.

Did the acupuncturist comment on the bump? They're usually quite hot on tongues!

I showed her and she said could it be some sort of ulcer whereupon I panicked again because the GP said," At least it doesn't look ulcerated. That might be worrying!" The acupuncturist then offered me a free session on Thursday as she felt it was important to try to cope with my anxiety. Honestly I seem to have lost all sense of reason/proportion. It is bit better now I have an appt.

I think it's perfectly reasonable for you to be worried, but acupuncturist is right, because if anything it will only make it worse - she sounds like a good one offering a free session.

Have you got anything planned for this week? Nice distractions?

I would send you a large glass of rosé but wouldn't want to be a bad influence.

Although that is my forté

Two accents in one post, la de da!

How do you do accents? I likwe a nice chilled glass of the pink stuff :) just wondering whether or not to take a diazepam tonight. I am back in bed now.

I know this sounds silly but I'm fairly sure an Ulcer & ulcerated are different

I am having a lot of problems with my mouth & tongue atm & I recently had a biopsy.

Oh Katy please will you tell me about it ?

The biopsy was 'not nice' having it wasn't too bad but I'm slow to heal so it took ages to go away

My ulcer was a hole - like a crater & they were 'sure' it wasn't cancer & right enough it wasn't cancer

It's possibly B12 deficiency

Ah I have been dieting and taking Omeprazole which I have been told can cause B12 deficiency. I wonder if that could be it!

How are you now?

Certainly sounds like it could be it, dieting coupled with medication.

Accents - Ctrl and Alt at the same time as you hit letter 'e'

Small pleasures eh

Can you do this? It may have changed.

hahahaha!

Why is that so fab?

Think I'm just amusing myself here!

Sleep well

TBH my threads about ulcers have been many & varied (sorry I'm packing to send DD away to college tomorrow so a bit distracted)

but B12 looks a good possibility for me - whether it's you, I don't know. But it's taken me 6 months from possibility to treatment (& nearly 20 yrs from first symptom) so don't expect a quick diagnosis if it is/could be

i'll try the accent next time I'm on the lap top :)
I will mention the B12 possibility to my GP although I did have a blood test recently which was ok.
I googled Omeprazole and B12 deficiency and found so much to explain not only the tongue but also my general lethargy which I had been putting down to permanent after effects of chemo.
Oh bewitched you are clever. I can't do blank posts either :(
I had a great sleep last night thanks to Katy and bewitched giving me some possibilities which I hasn't even considered. The acupuncture probably helped too, it always relaxes me.

So pleased to hear you slept well.

I only learned the latest method last week, our friend Z shared it

Just type

Katy hope today goes well for you and your lovely DD.

Oooh, that's weird.

Just type four asterisks in a row.

Oh yes that works :)

Yay!

Silly but satisfying.

How are you today?

A little calmer I hope

Woke up at 6ish and am trying to force the fear back into its box. The nasty bugger keeps oozing over the edges and into my brain. I think maybe my dh and my dd think I am going mad. My latest was to say to dd (adult),"Of course I'll kill myself if it is tongue cancer!" The poor lass has enough to worry her with her job, her children and her dh."
I said it at my lowest ebb but I wish I hadn't. I did tell her last night that it was the fear talking and I didn't mean it :(

My tongue is awful just now - whether it's stress or whether it's bee triggered by being treated I don't know

It's a pain like no other; that ulcer on the side of your tongue!

I'm sure she'll know you didn't mean it.

Sorry for you both, mouths and teeth are just the worst pain.

I hope the acupuncture helps today greylady.

Mine doesn't hurt :( that scares me more than anything.
The acupuncture is great for the stress but in the end I just need to be seen by an oral specialist and that will happen on Monday. Bewitched I talked to dd and promised that whatever happened I was there till the end (I'm not sure I mean it though :( ).