To the family on the Laryngectomees forum who provided mes upport thoughout my mother's diagnosis. I came to the board on February 3, 2006 requesting assistance and guidance from the family to help me and my family understand my mother's throat cancer. It brings me great pleasure to let every one know that my mother is recoverying great. We have not had any Complications with mother's health and she has learned to live with her new life style. My mother lives alone in her own house where we had installed the "Alert system" in case something happens to her and we can't get to her in time. On numberous occassion I have requested that mommie come live with me but she's so strong and independent, she want has stated, god has giving her a chance to live and she's not afraid to live.

At the beginning, being unable to talk caused a lot of frustration on her part because as she stated, she had a lot on her mind she want to get off and couldn't. We all became very patience and waited and had a listening ear to make out what she was say with her servox.

Jennifer your guidance on the plastic device to keep the hole open and "Laryngectomee Bib" was a plus. My mother look so cute with her bibs (of mulitple colors) under her clothes. She did lose a lot of weight but one hand fed the other. The weight lost cause her high blood pressure to go down and her diabetic also. Now my family have my mother set up on the internet where we "instant messenger" each other everyday and talk back and forward. This was a task because my mother is old school and was scared of computers. It works and we have another means of communication with her and if she needs something and I'm in Maryland and my brother is in Atlanta she write and let use know.

Oh one thing I have noticed is that my mother does drink a lot of water with her food to help dissolved the food and make it easier for her to swallow. ASll in all she's still a strong woman with that will to live and moving on. Thanks for your support and I want wait another year to keep you posted.

I would like to her back from the group just to see how everyone is doing?

Welcome back Sporty,

I am a laryngectomee since 1995 and working, other than the hole in my neck touch wood I have been back to "my" mormal for a very long time. Compared to some of the cancers we can read about on this site I must say that carcinoma of the larynx is probably the least disfiguring or lifestyle changing, or should I say that is my personal experience.

I wish your mother well and the knock on effects from lost weight just prove the proverb that every cloud has a silver lining.

Alan

Hi Alan,
Your buddy here - when I was diagnosed with the cancer the doctors exact were " You are a lucky guy Ananth as you have contracted what we term as alucky cancer". I had never heard of a cancer being lucky!!! Cancer is cancer - there ar no lucky cancers nor unlucky cancers - all are the same.
Even in my case the cancer was not disfiguring and even if there was I worked out really hard by spending hours running about 4/5 km every morning - winter or summer and then working out with a personal trainer at the gym every ( never missed a day) working out keeping my doctors on their toes! I then worked on my voice and started talking with the help of what I call the "orator". My speech got better with each betterment of the 'orator' and people are surprised whn told I for all purposes have no voice, They only believe me when I turn down my high neck and show them the stoma.
Everything that happens as you would know happens for the best and there has to be a reason to be alive.
Sporty, this one is for you - I truly hope your mum is recovering and recovering fast enough never to remember this ordeal. I wish her all my very best in recouping as fast as possible.

With warm regards,
Ananth