I Had a Sore Throat. My Doctor Missed a Life-Threatening Diagnosis

In 2021, I had weight loss surgery, and I lost 100lbs. I noticed that when I woke up in the morning it felt like I had bitten my tongue. The irritation lasted all day and never really went away.

I was in a few weight loss groups, and other members pointed out that their mouths also changed after significant weight loss, so I wasn't really worried. But this went on for a long time, and I soon became concerned.

So I went to my physician, and he diagnosed me with strep throat, a bacterial infection that can cause your throat to be itchy and sore. I told him that what I had didn't feel like strep throat, but I was happy to take the antibiotics prescribed to me.

Still, I felt like something was wrong with me. He smiled at me and said: "Loni, I promise, this isn't cancer. Just take your antibiotics." The irritation improved a little but my tongue still hurt.

Five weeks after I started the antibiotics, I dreamt that I was dying. That day, I felt that if I didn't see my doctor, I really was going to die. I tried to talk myself out of being upset and I couldn't.

Nurses always tell their patients that Google isn't better than a medical degree. But we definitely need Google and a few research databases to figure out what is happening to us in instances like this.

I had already researched oral cancer before I went to the doctor, but he had assured me that it wasn't cancer.

My doctor was on paid time off, and I knew that the urgent care would just give me more medication for strep throat, so I researched the different ways in which oral cancer could be treated as I strongly believed that I had cancer.

I called the local oral facial maxillary surgeon. Initially, the secretary asked who was referring me. I told her that I was referring myself, as my insurance allowed me to do so. I'm a nurse, and I believed that I had cancer.

I then cited my symptoms to her. She told me the doctor could see me tomorrow. That was the beginning of my journey. I was diagnosed with stage two squamous cell carcinoma. Thankfully, I was able to get it treated early because I trusted my gut.

I did not need chemo or radiation. Currently, I'm waiting on the results of my latest PET scan. If it comes back clear, I have a 95 percent chance of no reoccurrence.

I have since learned that primary care physicians often miss oral cancer in the early stages. I think my story is valuable because this is a diagnosis that is increasing I did not have any of the risk factors.

I want to encourage people, especially women, to trust themselves. If they feel like there's something wrong with them, I want them to believe it.

I feel that the dream I had came from God. I knew that there was something wrong and that if I didn't see a physician I was going to die—I was right.

My very good friend is a nurse and she put me in touch with a friend of hers who went through the same thing. He had most of his tongue removed because it was too late.

People need to hear about this type of cancer. I didn't smoke and never chewed tobacco, so it was a shock.

Loni Johnston, MSN, Director Clinical Documentation, is a 56-year-old nurse. She has been a cancer survivor for a year.

All views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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