Little pimples(?) pop up back of tongue

Hi, sorry I don't know what possibly the tiny "lumps" could be ... but re your wondering about flu vs covid, where I live in Canada the local pharmacies have been given out rapid covid tests, five in a box, which are easy to use... would there be somewhere you could get rapid self-test at no cost? When all this first started my daughter was visiting U.S.A. and bought some test kits that were very expesive, drove home from airport here and accidentally left them in trunk of car... later we found out they are not to be frozen, so had to dispose of,.. just mentioning this in case anyone is freezing them for future use! Best of luck with the ENT - hope you don't have to wait a long time as we do where I live... up to a year now for non-urgent!

Hi @cindiwass, I think your decision to see an ENT doctor is a good one since there are a lot of different things that can cause bumps on the tongue. Here's some information on the topic.

-- Tongue Bumps: Potential Causes and Treatments:
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/tongue-bumps

Can you let us know what you find out from the ENT doc after your appointment?

Yes, thanks, I complained to my primary care doctor that I was annoyed it took two days for the ENT office to get back to me. He kind of laughed and said, "things are tough these days...". I thought, wow they sure are. And made a comment about people trying to save the animals instead of humans. As soon as I left the office I tried calling back because I forgot to get the next covid shot but they said they were closed for a week!! Almost the medical system is a joke. (I can go to pharmacy though to get the next shot.) Thanks for reminding me. I'll call ENT doctor today, hope he's not on vacation now. Not that he doesn't deserve one but....

...times have changed since the family doctor who basically was on call 24 hours a day; at his/her rounds seeing his/her patients at the hospital, then to his or her, but mainly men back then office paperwork etc, then lunch maybe and then afternoon practice ; and where I lived, 2 hours in evening drop in. Then of course visits to those at home who could not make it to see the doctor; and of course being called out in the middle of the night or weekend for baby deliveries! The wife/partner of a Doctor often didn't see them a lot... but it was a self chosen profession; well paid; well respected in most cases. Also a relationship was formed with the patient and often the patient's family through a generation or two! Now it is make an appointment, the appointment, as was my last GP in 2019,was one issue, ten minutes. Prescribed medications swiftly and left it up to pharmacist to explain who did not have time so we read the inserts or went on Internet. Now many Drs. now only work Monday to Thursday; when go on vacation do not, as they used to, set up another doctor to see patients while away; get their staff or even the patient to do follow up calls to specialists etc. Not a criticism, many things have changed over the years but for someone my age , 79, I must admit I did get used to the way things were. My new nurse practitioner says she will make a referral to specialist, I wait a few months, phone the specialist and either am told no referral was made or, as happened this week, the secretary or ? said, oh we can't tell you if your referral was received; we get hundreds a week and are prioritized..... when yours is reviewed if an appointment to be made , we will let you know. Once I waited 2 months, phoned, and was told the specialist didn't accept my referral.. no one let me or the referring doctor know... so while things have changed, not all is for the better, and I do understand the current pressure on the health system re covid etc., but is it so very hard to at least let patient know where their situation stands , time wise, and be given some type of time frame and maybe, just maybe, more than ten minutes sometimes? Is that possible these days?
Bless all medical people and bless those people waiting in pain and ill health with not even a date to look forward to... not knowing if it will be a month or a year before they get help, even in serious situations... please let it get better...!

I, too, am 79 years old! or young -- however you want to look at it. I wish I FELT young, however. I believe one day I will feel young. But now we have to live with the way things are.
I remember when I was in H.S. and my mother was concerned about my health and the family doctor came by. He more or less was a family friend (my uncle was a doctor) and I was studying voice and my mother asked me to sing for the doctor. 🙂 I loved to sing so had no compunctions about it at all. I sat at the piano and sang my heart away while I accompanied myself for a few minutes. 🙂 He was a kindly person and seemed to enjoy it. 🙂

Ah well i felt young for ny age and people thought i was younger - being short hekped. but for 3 yrs and a list of medical issues and now stay in my house a lot i feel ten years older! Fortunately your relative was also a docor maybe... and the doctor as a family friend... nice memories for you but i have neighbour waiting 2 yrs for ophthalmologist where we live, i waited for a year where we live for ent to phone me and then he yelled at me about his problems... now waiting 5 months to see dermatologist while face feels like on fire, am not only one... yes time have changed and lucky were/are those who have a medical person in their family or social circle :- ) ps I wish i had learned to play a musical instrument - anything ! J.

Thyroplasty is my last resort after trying one or two more injections. There is something newer that is consider an injectable implant & semi permanent called Silk Voice by Sofrogen. It is what my laryngologist in Connecticut is recommending.

Thank you for your response.