Feeling of kernel/rock in tonsil or throat

[Tonsilissues]

I've had the feeling of a popcorn kernel in what I thought was my tonsil, for over a year. No real pain most of the time, just extremely irritating and makes every swallow throughout the day noticeable and over exaggerated. Sometimes it becomes painful and feels as though there is something sharp, and have an earache and warmth but no fever. About three times it even felt like something was about to come out.

I saw an ENT in the summer of 2016. He looked through my nose into my throat and said my left lower tonsil was inflamed. He prescribed antibiotics, reflux medicine and said I need to do nasal irrigation 1-2 times a day (which I've never had to do in ny life! The antibiotics help temporarily but it came back, and nasal irrigation only slightly helps my symptoms (has me adding antibiotic ointment and an antihistamine to the bottle). Reflux medicine didn't help at all.

He refilled my antibiotic once without seeing me. Then I went and saw him again and without even looking, said my tonsils need to come out. Fast forward to two weeks ago, and that's exactly what he did. I have gone through that hellacious recovery, only to discover the kernel feeling is still there. It actually feels more pronounced as if there is something large in my throat pushing on my tongue, and if I swallow food on my left side it gets caught. I'm almost positive it has to do with my lingual tonsils now and I'm wondering if I ever needed my tonsils out at all. I went back in and told him and my doctor insisted it was a normal par of the healing process but didn't even check or look at my lingual tonsils.

I have no clue what my next step should be. I had a cat scan last summer also that was normal but I'm afraid it's suomething more serious at this point since nothing else has worked. I also have a history of tonsil stones, and I vaguely remember feeling like a piece of food lodged into my throats at one point (was eating meat it didn't feel like a bone as it wasn't sharp.