hi Jaqueline,

welcome to the OCF.

i know MaryAnne who had a total laryngectomy 16 yrs ago... she was a middle aged then. she is married and has a wonderful life with her husband. MaryAnne has a beautiful smile and loves to talk. She can really be the life of a party.

So let me say that it is entirely possible to have friends and a good life. I believe that you can do it too.

cu,
larryb

Hi Jaqueline,
I apologize. I did not read your first post as carefully as I should had and did not realize that you could not speak.

The technique of swallowing air and 'burping it back up' to make speech is called 'esaphageal speech' in English. It is difficult to learn even with a tongue, however I have met many people who speak it so well that you would never know they are missing a voice box. One guy even managed to retain his English accent.

I do not know if it is possible for you to make this type of speech without a tongue. Are you seeing a speech therapist? You would need a speech specialist to train you in this type of speech, especially since you have had a glossectomy. I would like to learn it for emergency situations or when my TEP becomes blocked but haven't taken the time.

Also, your speech therapist may be able to connect you to some other young people who have lost their ability to speak, but are not necessarily cancer patients. Regardless of why you can't speak, the problems of coping without the ability to comunicate verbally at your your age should be similar. What is your prognosis in this area? Do they think you will be able to learn the 'esaphageal speech'?

As to eating, I assume you are like me with a passage that goes from the mouth to the stomach with no connection to the passage that goes from the neck to the lungs and therefore there is no chance of choking. Liquids are harder to swallow than semi soft foods. There is a powder called 'Thick it' that we can buy is the US to add to liquids for people that have difficulty swallowing liquids. You might try swallowing something less liquid like yogurt or cream of wheat cereal.

Have they done a swallow test on you to see why you are having this problem? Have they given any exercises to help improve your ability to swallow? Part of the problem is when muscles are not used, including the esaphagus, they lose their ability to function properly. Your swallowing problem may also be affecting your ability to make proper speech sounds. What are your doctors/therapist doing to help your ability to eat?

You are a very brave young lady and I hope you keep your positive attitude. Have a very Happy and healthy New Year.

Take care,
Eileen

First of all: A happy new year to everybody!!! and that 2005 may bring everybody as much health as possible.

Hi eileen,

No need to appologize about that speechthing, there is no harm done. Yes I have been seeiing a speechtherapist, but there really isn't much that they can do for me to make a verbal communication possible. Just some vague sounds I can produce like a littlle burb unfortunately.
And I have seen others who are not able to speak and that does help a lot, but beacuase of the lack of communication, my social life is a bit smaller now, so I thought to make it bigger again by finding peoplle on the net with a more or less same litlle problem like me...and it seems it works
And for the eating (they test a lot indeed), I am still learning to get something threw my mouth into my stomach, but it is really hard, cause wtihout a thongue I just can't get food or drinks swallowed. But maybe that will improve in the future...
My prognoses for the future are in the first place possitive. That is: My cancer have been gone for 6 months now, but it is off course to soon to say I helaed fully. As for the speeking and eating, there is the problem. I have accepted that the chances are big that I won't be able to talk anymore, but that I won't be able to eat anymore: I hate it. I always liked to go out to dinner with friends and family. And not beiing able to taste and eat is something that really bugs me. But I must focus on the fact that I am still alive, but yes...sometimes its hard. especially now with the hollidays: To see my family and friends eat till they blow and I am sitting there with a tube in my nose with some stuff which doesn't even look like a meal.

Hope to wright soon again,

hugs Jaqueline

First of all: A happy new year to everybody!!! and that 2005 may bring everybody as much health as possible.

Hi eileen,

No need to appologize about that speechthing, there is no harm done. Yes I have been seeiing a speechtherapist, but there really isn't much that they can do for me to make a verbal communication possible. Just some vague sounds I can produce like a littlle burb unfortunately.
And I have seen others who are not able to speak and that does help a lot, but beacuase of the lack of communication, my social life is a bit smaller now, so I thought to make it bigger again by finding peoplle on the net with a more or less same litlle problem like me...and it seems it works
And for the eating (they test a lot indeed), I am still learning to get something threw my mouth into my stomach, but it is really hard, cause wtihout a thongue I just can't get food or drinks swallowed. But maybe that will improve in the future...
My prognoses for the future are in the first place possitive. That is: My cancer have been gone for 6 months now, but it is off course to soon to say I helaed fully. As for the speeking and eating, there is the problem. I have accepted that the chances are big that I won't be able to talk anymore, but that I won't be able to eat anymore: I hate it. I always liked to go out to dinner with friends and family. And not beiing able to taste and eat is something that really bugs me. But I must focus on the fact that I am still alive, but yes...sometimes its hard. especially now with the hollidays: To see my family and friends eat till they blow and I am sitting there with a tube in my nose with some stuff which doesn't even look like a meal.

Hope to wright soon again,

hugs Jaqueline