Sorry to be long in getting back with you! My story is a bit unusual in my ENT here told me I had parotid cancer (which i did) but after surgery told me he "got it" and it was benign. So I continued to see him for about 16 more months till my symptoms got worse. It was then I realized that he had likely made an error but I didn't know what it was. So I went to a great NY hospital and had a biopsy then went to Mayo for another opinion. The NY hospital called me the morning I was to see my 1st doctor at mayo with my biopsy diagnosis of adenoid cystic cancer in my parotid -(very rare type of cancer, travels through my facial nerve rather than lymph nodes).
I was shocked to be told that I DID have cancer and my doctor didn't touch my parotid gland, let alone remove any of it - he lied.
I decided to have my surgery and radiation (my cancer doesn't respond to chemo) at the Mayo primarily due to the variety of physicians that did my surgery (needed 14 hours and 5 specialists). They expected less cancer spread than they found therefore the longer surgery - and the surgery and radiation stopped my cancer from progressing that was about to spread to my brain.
It really doesn't matter what my diagnosis is compared to anyone else's - if you have "horrible symptoms" for 1.5 years after what you think was an incorrect diagnosis, you should get at least one or two other opinions.
The Mayo is #1 in head and neck and for me - It's a BIG #1 - Without the initial care I received and the follow up care I've been given over the past EIGHT YEARS - (going to Minnesota from Kentucky tons of time) I would have left this earth a long time ago.
You asked my thought as a patient and I think you know it from reading all this...get an appointment at the Mayo ASAP
All the Best 🙂