Hi my name is kim and i had my larynx taken out in 2003 or 4.i was diagnosed with an hpv on my vocal chord and was given the option of having it cut out with full probabilty of having to do this every few years. i chose to leave it and it restricted my airway and i was rushed to hospital where , after my trachy op i was diagnosed with cancer of vocal chords T4 stage. I went from that op to the next op (laryngectomy) and then after healing of wound went on to have radiation, went back for one check up and never bothered to go again. I chose not to have Provox etc and chose also to not undergo speech therapy. I speak from my mouth and not my diaphragm. I seem to communicate fine, there are of course restrictions at times but i believe communication is only 7% verbal or something like that. i don't cover my stoma and i am very active and can pick up heavy things. i even swim by putting my finger in my stoma and can swim about 30 or 40m under water and i can do back dives. i can also swim in the ocean but not too deep.

Before the tracheoctomy i was oblivious to having cancer but had been on a wheat and diary free diet to try improve my "asthma" this was a stroke of luck as after the op i had a lot less mucus than the two other patients in with me.

Before the radiation i took a lot of selenium zinc vit E and lecithin. lecithin can't be taken once radiation treatment starts though. I was unfortunate in that the trachy pipe needed was unavaiable so the dr cut my original one shorter but serrated edges caused bleeding and i coughed up blood. This was not good as i had to begin radiation with this wound inside my stoma. No one was taken me seriously when i complained so i bought a razor blood and took the tube out myself and cut the end smooth. i walked through the hospital and found another oncologist who was kind enough to give me liquid morphine to ease pain as the doxyfene was not helping and swallowing became more difficult.

I took a lot of tissue salts throughout the whole experience and have recovered full sense of smell and taste. i totally accept what i look like and feel as though i have always been like this.

I did feel depressed after but hospice counselled me and gave me excellent after care.

I now run my own garden and landscape business and sms my clients. I am very fortunate to have a mother who also takes phone calls for me.

Just thought i'd put this out there and see what others may have or are going through.
Thanks kim

Hi Kim
You seem to be coping marvelously well with everything you have had to go through.

There is life "after" - as my mother is testimony to.

Hello Kim,

I had my larynx removed due to cancer back in '95 and like you have fully recovered and feel "OK" with myself. I did however take speech therapy and had regular check ups until discharged 5 years on from surgery. I converse happily enough on the phone "hands free" but was motivated to do so as I negotiate contracts for a living, a although a fair amount can be done on the PC it needs face to face ultimately to close any deal.

What amazes me about your experience is your ability to swim, I shower fine but have never had the confidence to try swimming again and it is the one activity which I really miss and feel my condition has robbed me of. How do you manage to dive without filling your lungs with water?? How can you swim single handed - have you ever had "accidents" in the water?? We must never give in to our troubles and you are a prime example to many here. What is this about your wheat and dairy free diet helping your athsma, I have always had a cough, breathlesness and a large volume of mucus production so can't wear anything on my stoma bar the simple foam covering.

I lost my wife to oral cancer last July but am in a new and long term relationship and feeling as happy again as I ever did. My new partner will move in with me on a permanent basis after Easter and I am just over the moon.

Life goes on and life is only what we make it, well done you, I hope that your experience will motivate many others to emulate you,

Kind regards, Alan

Hi ,
i have been a water baby since forever and when i accepted treatment i accepted what they told me i wouldn't be able to do but I am a bit of a nutter anyway... so after my radiation my sister and i went on a road trip at the one resort we were in the pool it was murky so she cased out the steps for me. She swam off i was happily splashing about on the step when all of a sudden the step disappeared.

Instinct kicked in and i just knew i had to breathe out until i got to the surface. As i came up I managed to keep breathing out until i got to the side of the pool.Ha what a fright i got.

All i do when i swim is put my finger into my stoma and when under the water i just don't breathe in and any time it feels like water is going to go in i breathe out still keeping my finger on place.

When i dive the same applies as long as my finger is in and i can breathe out if need be i am cool.

as for the wheat and diary free diet... most drs say it doesn't make a difference but i think it does.I always have mucus but if its clear then all is well and if it changes then i know i have infection and take an antibiotic, although i stopped doing that unless i am really dying! I have developed a sensitivity from sugar cane burning ( i live in Kwazulu natal) so now i sometimes have to take a cortisone tablet to open my chest.

I never used to want anything to do with medicines or drs but yet i smoked and drank so it was a bit of a crock on my part.

Now i have drs and medicine to thank for saving me but i had to make a conscios decision to stop taking medicine again as it became too easy to just pop a pill for any thing.

Tissue salts, i swear by and they also reduce mucus . do you have tissue salts in your country. Also i stay away from people who smoke and smoky environments as that send my mucus levels up.

I live in a sub tropical climate so the humidity is a godsend, winter can be a bit painful as the stoma dries up more. I know i could wear a cravat and keep it moist but can't be bothered.

Good luck with your new relationship thats awesome.

Helo Kimi

Amazing that you have found a way to swim despite having a stoma! I had not known it was possible but it appears that a laryngectomy has not stopped others too from swimming. See: laryngectomees and swinmming.

quote:

Tissue salts, i swear by and they also reduce mucus . do you have tissue salts in your country. Also i stay away from people who smoke and smoky environments as that send my mucus levels up.

Which tissue salt(s) do you use to help with reducing the mucus and how do you use them?

Best wishes
Vinod