Is this something I should be VERY worried about? Please help!?

There is absolutely a correlation and nothing to worry about. The lump is a lymph node and lymph nodes swell when you get an infection. The lymph node is simply reacting to the sore throat you have. When an infection hits, the white blood cells are activated to fight the infection. And where might these white blood cells be? The lymph nodes. Anything that causes the amount of white blood cells to increase, will cause the lymph nodes to swell. I wish your doctor had explained this to you. I hope this makes you feel better because them swelling just means the body is doing its job. Nothing wrong.