Eerily similar to my experience. Christmas eve I got a severe sore throat and started getting sharp, sometimes throbbing pain on the left side of my head only, kind of behind my ear. Fever, body aches, chills, sweats. My strep test came back positive. Ended up in the ER because I was in so much pain and couldn't eat or drink. Antibiotics cleared up the strep, but I'm STILL experiencing the sore throat and occasional pain after 3 weeks. They can't figure out what's going on.
Get tested for strep and get tested for mono. That's what I was told.
Chicklette, you've got lymph nodes on the back of your head. It's very possible that these are swollen and that's what you're feeling. It would end up leaving you feeling like there's an area that's sore to the touch. Check in back of your ear and under your jaw on the left side, you may find enlarged nodes there, too.
I had the same sensation on the left side of my head, twice in the past year. Did not follow up with dr., Felt sore all the time, couldnt find anything.