Hi Sporty,

Been away a while from the site but so pleased to read of your mother's response to her operation. Radiotherapy is tiring but otherwise not uncomfortable. Is your Mum under the guidance of a speech therapist to assist her with learning oseophagal speech? I had three months such therapy and initially had like a grommit iwth a valve fitted within my Stoma connecting it to my foodpipe to assist getting air in there to produce sound. However with time I became accomplished at drawing air down into the oseophgus from my mouth to the extent now I don't even think about it, but my op was back in May 1995 almost 11 years to the day. Fortunately I never had to use suction I could naturally keep my stoma clear with coughing. It can be embarassing at times in company, but I simply turn away from people lift my foam protector and clear my stoma with a couple of coughs into a hankie. Of course using my food pipe as my means of communication does mean that I cannot eat and talk simultanoeusly but that is no great problem. What I have found a real problem is communicating in a public places such as a pub or dance venue where the background noise is high. Communication is hard enough for folks with larynxes in such situations but impossible for larygectomees. In such situations I rely on folk lip reading or very basic sign language. It is a handicap to the overall enjoyment of the function I find but it should not put your Mum off going out.

Over time between the Consultant and Speech Therapist your Mum will find a means of effective communication, I recall soon after my op attending a self help group in which a lady had oesophagal speech off to a tee, so much so that I thought she was one of the voluntary helpers and not a laryngectomee at all, so you can go from that to the need for mechanical assistance but the issue is regaining communication that is comfortable to the laryngectomee and that will come with time.

There is another issue especially for the ladies and that is the sense of smell. I have learned to draw in air again through my nose whenever I wish so that I can still enjoy the sense of smell,I think my desire to smell was greater than my handicap so let your Mum know that she may be able to recover that sense with time and patience too.

It was great that your Mum healed so relatively quickly so she was discharged after a week I was out 7 days after my op too, but others were not so lucky. I always have plenty to drink when I eat. Initially I would take a pint of water with each meal, it makes it so much easier to swallow, I have occasionally but what in elevn years no more than on three or four occassions panicked when food got lodged and would not go down or up, but with back slapping and coughing I eventually got the problem resolved, I ensure that I chew well and avoid large chunks of anything particularly dry like bread or rolls.

Well done to you your family and of course you Mum, I am so pleased for you all, Take care.