#55238 07-28-2004 11:08 AM | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,140 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | OP  Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,140 Likes: 1 | We should probably have a subcategory for non-serious issues such as this. The question is: I have sung all my life, probably with more enthusiasm than talent, but at 2 years out from end of treatment, still am missing all the high notes. Is this common? The only singing I do these days is with the top down, the car full of friends, on the way to the beach with a 60's station blasting, so you know this is NOT a problem. I am just curious. I have other changed things about me which bother me not a bit, but this one still rankles just a tad. | | |
#55239 07-28-2004 11:14 AM | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | Hi Joanna,
It took four years before I could actually sing again. I was just starting to enjoy being able to sing to the radio on my drives back and forth to the beach, when I got cancer the second time around, this time in the larynx. I will never sing again and cannot even listen to Christmas carols it breaks my heart so.
So take it easy. It does come back. Think of all the people on this board that are in bands and are able to sing again. Guess it depends on how much rads we had to the voice box.
Eileen
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Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III
mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad
Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND
June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer
June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
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#55240 07-28-2004 11:15 AM | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 3,552 | I have lost about 1/2 octave as well - I either have to dump a lot of the tunes I have sung for years or lower the key. I thought it would improve the more singing I did but it has not. At least I am not quit as "froggy" in the morning anymore.
Gary Allsebrook
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Dx 11/22/02, SCC, 6 x 3 cm Polypoid tumor, rt tonsil, Stage III/IVA, T3N0M0 G1/2
Tx 1/28/03 - 3/19/03, Cisplatin ct x2, IMRT, bilateral, with boost, x35(69.96Gy)
________________________________________________________
"You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14 NIV)
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#55241 07-28-2004 11:47 AM | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,606 Likes: 2 | I really get into whistling tunes sometimes and I have noticed the same thing with whistling on both the highs and lows. It gets so frustrating sometimes. I can't tell if it is from being dry or the tongue not working right.
Ed
SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023
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#55242 07-28-2004 12:02 PM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 837 "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 837 | I found it to be a long, sometimes frustrating, process when I tried to get back to the kind of singing I used to do (I was a first soprano in various choirs and small singing groups). Most of the difficulty was because of dry mouth problems. However, I've seen some real progress in the past few years as I've gotten better control over dry mouth with a combination of Salagen, Biotene and the ever-reliable water bottle. Between that and being in a group that does some fairly rigorous warm-up exercises before singing, I'm almost back to the range I used to have. (I discovered that on a good day I can make it to a high C!) I just have to focus more on enunciation because of my lopsided tongue.
Cathy
Tongue SCC (T2M0N0), poorly differentiated, diagnosed 3/89, partial glossectomy and neck dissection 4/89, radiation from early June to late August 1989
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#55243 07-28-2004 03:09 PM | Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 458 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2002 Posts: 458 | Ed, if you've had neck dissection it's probably because the nerve/muscles that control your lips were affected. I can't whistle at all anymore for some reason.
Bob
SCC Tongue, stage IV diagnosed Sept, 2002, 1st radical neck dissection left side in Sept, followed by RAD/Chemo. Discovered spread to right side nodes March 2003, second radical neck dissection April, followed by more RAD/Chemo.
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#55244 07-28-2004 03:43 PM | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,140 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | OP Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,140 Likes: 1 | Thank you, friends. It is nice to have you to bounce this stuff off of. With regard to whistling, I was without bottom teeth for nearly a year and in addition to drooling (SO ladylike) I could not whistle, which is a problem when one has dogs. Now that I have some snazzy temporary lowers, the first thing I did was whistle, and get all excited about it, which caused the dental staff to take two or three steps back, but that's another story... | | |
#55245 07-29-2004 08:32 AM | Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 Gold Member (100+ posts) | | Gold Member (100+ posts)
Joined: Apr 2004 Posts: 156 | I'm not as far out from radiation as you guys, but I'm definitely Kermit the Frog in the AM. I'm assuming this is b/c the voicebox is so dry from lack of moisture during the night.
Can this damage our voicebox permanently? It was a question I'd planned to ask Dr. B at my next appointment, but since we're on the voice topic.....
Sabrina | | |
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