I am very happy to find this website, I have been losing my mind for weeks. I didn't have much except the books they give you at the clinic to go on. I finished treatment 1 week ago and I didn,t miss 1 day of work. I can't talk to save my life but I'm getting stronger every day. The sore throat is something I just expected but I'm not taking any pain meds, nothing. I can taste everything and after reading some of your postings I have little to complain about. My burnt skin is just about healed, so I,m very lucky. I just wanted to talk to someone anyone about what I have been going through. I don't have much of a support system. Thanks Tony

Tony,

Welcome, tell us more. What was your dignosis, what kind of treatment, do you have any side effects etc...

It sound as though you are doing well. I'm impressed that you are kept working, what do you do?

Hi Stoj, Well I was diagosed with squammish Cell Carsinomma of the True Vocal chord on the right side, thats why they found it so fast(stage I). I couldn't talk and I went to the ER 3 times and they never found it. Finally they gave me the name of an ENT doctor and he found it in 2 minutes with a scope.So , I had surgery and I missed 2 days of work for that. Then he sent me to an Oncologist and he put me on 28 treatments. You see I am a contractor for a big company. I work as a Electronic Technician in NC but I live in upstate NY. Also part of my emotional mess is that I make too much money (ha ha!)and have no medical insurance. Which means I have to pay for every penny of every bill, and there are about 8 different offices. So that is why I didn't miss work. It's just talking about it that makes me feel so much better. I pulled my car over after work the other day and just wept. Then I went home to the room that I rent and watched TV. Got up and did it again, over and over. Pretty depressing huh?

Stoj,Thanks for listening, I'll check back in when I get home from work.

Tony,

We all go through depression, especially after treatment ends. When you are going through treatment you are actively engaged in the fight. When it's over you are kind of left with now what am I supposed to do.

I have had several bouts with depression. I just started back to work on Monday and am feeling good about that. I still get tired/fatigued in the afternoons though.

You will find plenty of folks to talk to here and if you want you can send me a private message or e-mail anytime you like.

Sorry this demon caught you with out insurance. I'm in the Air Force so I have health insurance, I would hate to venture into how much this treatment cost and paying for it?

Hang in there
Stoj

Tony, Hi! Just wanted to say Hi, and share that I also got depressed after my treatment was finished. I didn't get down the whole time during, but after it ended I just cried at everything.. It passed for me after about a month, and I am moving right along. This whole ordeal is so emotionally, and physically challenging for all of us. I couldn't even imagine paying for all the doctor's and treatment bills, whew...what a load for you to carry. I am so thankful I have insurance from work. Take care of yourself and don't over do it. Keep us posted on how you are doing. Linda

Thank you for your replies. I appreciate it. I know I will make it, I always do. It just gets a little difficult at times. I should have gotten married when I had the chance! That way I'd have someone to slap me around when I get depressed. As far as the bills, I have gotten to the point where its like buying a car-one I can't drive but I'm alive.It's not that bad, I realize. When I was reading some of the others posts I almost didn't write anything because I'm so lucky. For anyone reading this my heart goes out to you and you have my prayers. I feel like helping other people so much, especially older folks that don't have anyone with them through all of this. I am 45 but feel and look much younger and I don't want to whine. Merry Christmas!

Tony, You sound like a strong person with lots of determination. I'll bet you will make it too. I do have a suggestion. It might be worth a shot to sit down and talk to each of the Docs and the hospital about reviewing the charges for your treatment. If you can talk face to face with a patient ombudsman and explain that paying the "full tilt" prices charged will put you in financial jeopardy, you might get these bills reduced. {remember, Ins. companies do not pay at those rates] It is the experience of several of us that you can, in fact, negotiate the cost of many of these charges. I wish you best luck in moving forward with your life. Amy

Thanks for the advice. I have done just that. so far its helping. You have gone through alot yourself. I dont know what the acronyms mean but it seems like alot. I had a stoke back in 2001 and that was pretty bad and again I fell through the cracks of normal patient care. The stroke hit me in Alabama at work. I was in intensive care for 9 days then they put me on a plane home. I was all alone so I drove to the doctor in Connecticut as soon as I was released from the hospital in Alabama. Then he sent me for physical Thareapy and they asked me about 6 weeks into it how I got there. I told them I was driving and they freaked out! So long story short, they havn't killed me yet! But I don't know what is next and cancer is bad but the way it's going I don't want to know! Tony

By the way, I was wondering about something. The vacine for HPV-16 that prevents cervical cancer. They have found that a large portion of tumor cells are positive for HPV-16. So why do they say that you don't catch cancer? I believe that my drinking and smoking played the majority but I still think the damn virus played some role. I admit that I have been not been as careful in my relationships as I should have been. This scares me, I may have it and give it to someone. What do you think? If this is off topic let me know. Tony

Tony,
Welcome and congratulations! I admire anyone who came through treatment like you have.

Thankfully, I have an amazing wife and family, with lots of support. I can't imagine not having that network...I'm not sure I would have come through this as well, or at all.

I had SCC in my left jaw, which they removed and reconstructed using bone from my left and tissue from my arm, then 30 radiation treatments. Yesterday marked 6 months post surgery, and I haven't returned to work full time yet, and likely won't for several more months. Depression is really common after treatment ends, and you don't need to suffer from it. Talk to your doctor and take medication for it. Don't let it get too bad.
All the best
Wayne

Tony, how old are you? [I'm asking because of the stroke you had-I had one too, but I was 63 when it happened] Do you have any residual effects from it? I think you can get tested for the HPV-16 virus if you ask [and you want to know if that has played a part in your cancer.]Since it doesn't sound like you have lived a monogamous life style, it would be good to check this out. If depression is a serious issue for you, then get some help for that-the sooner the better. Amy

THanks JAM, Good avise. By the way, I had my stroke when I was 40 and now I'm 45. Long road ahead but I will make it. Tony

Dragan, My heart goes out to you! That sounds just awful. But you sound pretty upbeat. I have to get a root canal done on a tooth and I was wondering if that has anything to do with my getting cancer. One day this past summer, it just went crazy when I drank something cold so I went to the dentist and she said she couldn't find anything wrong with the filling or the tooth. She had me start using that sensodyn toothpaste.If that is all that I can think of to worry about, I am very lucky. Well, hang in there man and treat your family like gold because I would!!!

Tony, you sound like you have a great sense of humor, I could tell you were a ladies man the second Amy asked about your age. Smoking, Drinking, and kissing women leads to cancer, well now I know why I've survived so long. Wishing you the best you won't fall thru the cracks here.
Mark D.

Mark,

Now I know how I got it, thanks. And you said I was ugly.

Tim Stoj

Hey Tony, and welcome to the site. You sound like you are doing just fine, actually you sound damn lucky!!! Keep the great spirits up and you will come through this with flying colors, as far as the depression, maybe you just needed to talk to someone that has been through what you just went through, cause i dont care what anyone says...its scarier than hell!!! The worst part, is the "not knowing and the waiting". But its all over and now you can take a deep breath and move your life forward! As far as your "guy thing" best advice i have for you (being a woman) is keep that puppy in tact and be more careful, haha hell your old enough to know better!!! Your like a cat with 9 lives, a stroke and now this...wow, someone up there loves you!!! Take care and keep talking, its the best medicine

Oh and P.S. your title listing..."Hello Everyone", thats how i found you, cause that was mine too, i got excited that Tim was writing to me, haha. Long time Tim, how have you been?

Linda you sound like a real doll! I can't believe I have found so much info and good karma here! As far as my guy thing, its called a tongue! and I thought I was doing everything fine! I am not that wild (I wish!). I was poking around on this website and I found out that they are doing research on the HPV vacine for men and throat cancer patients that are cancer free after treatment. I want to get involved, I think that is why and how I got here! By the way I not really shy!

By the way, I am driving up to Washington to see a Redskin game this weekend! The driving is a pain but there is no to talk to so my voice heals! I can't cheer them on but I am a true fan! Season ticket holder. I found out that I was eligable after 21 yrs on the waiting list. They told me I had cancer about a week later. So I said screw it, I will go to a game before IT takes me away! Well, this is my fourth game! I'm still alive so I'm going to keep going! Hail Redskins!

Linda,

I'm hanging in there. I had an ENT check up yesterday and everything went well. I'm still struggling with the usual sise effects, taste, neck pain and swallowing isn't great. And you...

Anthony,

You are right, good karma here. Enjoy the Redskin game.

Tim

Tony, have a great time at that game! That is another source of good medicine, doing the things we love! Go Redskins??? What are they??? I know they cant be anything like..."The Texans", Yehaw, Hail to the real football team !!! Enjoy yourself

Tony
Have a blast at the game. Being up in the great frozen North (A.K.A. Canada) our football season ends in late November.

I'm also following the HPV-16 connection closely. Part of me wonders if I'm still looking for something to blame, but another part needs a definitive reason for the cancer, if there's one out there. I too smoked for a lot of years, and quit the day I had surgery. Since I had a bunch of "hiccups" post surgery ( respiratory failure, led to a heart attack) they kept me asleep for 5 days.

By the time I woke up, I already had 6 non-smoking days in so I had no trouble with staying off of the cigarettes at all. I'm sure the tobacco contributed, but I also think there's a lot to learn about the HPV-16 connection.

Here's hoping we hear someday soon that we're among the last oral cancer patients to be treated with surgery, chemo and radiation. I'd be so thrilled to hear that a vaccine would prevent anyone else from going through this nightmare.
Wayne

Hey everyone! Glad to hear from you. I had a great weekend, the skins lost but I really started to get alot of my voice back. I will officially be 2 weeks since my last treatment. It has been tough but I made it. I have been using chloraseptic alot. I don't know if thats a good idea but it stops the pain instantly when I'm attempting to talk. So does anyone know if phenol is known to affect healing, I'm so paranoid about everything. By the way I had a few drinks last night and I know that alot of alcohol is bad but do they know the cutoff or what? Let me know if you've got the time, thanks Tony

Tony, I want to welcome you personally to the site and to ask forgiveness for being the brunt of my Ladies man posts. I think it is great for you and David to have a few beers and celebrate. Drinking beers was something I was very good at prior to my cancer dx. and Quitting drinking is my proudest accomplishment as well as quitting smoking. For me being Drunk and depressed was not a good combination. I guess this is where you often will hear "My cancer was a Blessing". Cancer helped me realize there are somethings that I can beat and things like drinking and smoking that I can't beat.I choose to not drink because when they say you need to enjoy every minute of your life I buy into that and I'm not going to do anything that takes a minute away from those I love. P.S. also I have only been in 2 fights with my wife in 7 yrs, lost those 2 battles. I am so happy without it and forgive me for being so Prudish but my friend David is the CPA so I defer to Him and say the awnser is 3.

Hello Everyone, well I am stumped by what you wrote MD50. What do you mean when you say that your friend David is the cpa and defer to Him and say the answer is 3. If this is cryptic religious talk forgive my ignorance. I'm a recovering catholic and now my true belife is in Karma. You can call it whatever you like but it makes me happy to do good and miserable when I'm selfish or down right bad.I believe you when you say what you say, but it seems to me you beat them both. That is not where I am right now. I don't think I am fortunate to get cancer, I wanted to quit smoking but I didn't want it to be life or death! But they are gone now and so is sitting in a bar smoking and drinking. I will miss that but I really did it to meet women. I like women that go to bars and that probably won't change. Bummer!

Anthony,

I'm glad you asked that question. Being the CPA I was afraid to ask what #3 meant.

I think Mark was attempting to answer the question Tony asked about a drink cutoff, 3 drinks is the way I took his reply.

Tim

Tony, sorry for the misunderstanding. David being an accountant is better at numbers than me and he stated that he had 3 beers the other night to celebrate, No one is fortunate to have cancer but it forced me to make decisions about lifestyle habits (smoking and drinking) that if I was to live I would need to change. I am the type of person that won't stop after a couple. So in my minds way of thinking someone that can have one or two and walk away can beat alcohol and then you have someone like me who will always lose the battle with alcohol. I just think it's important two know yourself. Sorry for the misunderstanding and wish you all the luck in the world.

MD50, Cool that all I wanted to know. I know what that all about. Now getting back to questions about cancer and treatment and how it is affecting all of us, I have some really serious ones. Number one would be what can (your oppinion) I use on my throat to stop the pain. I choose not to use Pharm. just me. Number two, My voice doesn't seem to want to return and that freaks me out! Does anyone have any advise? Number three would be: Is it 3 or 2 or wine or beer or nothing? This goes back to number two, I freaking out alittle and I want to know if I can have a drink to calm me down. I go to the doctor this coming Wednsday (ENT) and Thursday (oncologist. Thanks form all of your input and it is not taken lightly! Tony

Tony, Here's a question that popped in my head while reading your question about alcoholic beverages. Are you taking any pain medication at all? Mixing drugs and alcohol isn't a good idea. But if you were a beer or wine drinker pre cancer [and not an abuser] then I would guess you could tolerate a couple a day--BUT-- if your throat already hurts, the alcohol is going to exaserbate that.
As to non prescription pain relief for your throat, you might give strong tea a try. Use it warm or cold-your preference, swish around your mouth, gargle and swallow or spit it out. Another product found over the counter is Rincinol P.R.N., It is to be "swished" and spit.
Keep trucking, Tony. Amy

Tony, Try not to freak about losing your voice. I lost mine for weeks, then it would come back, then I would lose it again. I'm 4 mos.post tx and my voice has been back for a couple mos. now. It's raspier then it was, but I can talk!! Even started to sing a little. (not well though) As for the drinking, I guess that is each persons choice. I went to a concert the other night, didn't have one drink, but still enjoyed myself. Yes, I did drink before, just a couple a week, even had a glass of wine after tx. So I'm not anti-alcohol. I know this whole ordeal is hard to deal with, seems like it would be easier to handle with some help from alcohol, but would it really change anything? Take care of yourself. Linda

Tony, I think you are so anxious to heal, but seriously, you need to just slow down and take one day at a time, after all, you have just completed tx. less than 3 weeks ago! I dont know why you are assuming that you and your life should be back to normal, but its going to take time...you just completed something that not all people could do, the wear and tear on your body with the treatments, the voice thing...I think that is pretty normal too, when you go to the docs office you need to ask them questions cause i think you will find out, that you are doing great for the short amount of time you have been done with tx. hell, i would have been elated with your progress of over coming this ordeal. Sit back, and smell the roses for awhile, all,the norm will come back soon enough. Remember, your the cat with 9 lives, live each one more slowly and enjoy it, dont let it just pass you by!!! Happy Holidays

Linda and Linroth and JAM, Again I am insired! Thanks for all the responses and advise. You are right about life and being "normal". I am faced with news good or bad and the holidays. Its just kind of building up and I don't know how to do this. I am boycotting Christmas (buying presents). This is the first time I have done this and I don't know if I can pull it off. The bills are just too much and the job future is in question. This morning my voice was completely gone. Really frustrating! But there are people dealing with much worse! Merry Christmas to all of you out there with Chemo and radiation treatments and surgery. We will all make it!

Hello everyone! Well it's finally here, the ENT checkup. I am freaking out! I don't know if I can sleep but I'm taking ambien so I think I will probably fall asleep sometime. I have been eating and yes I have had a few beers and I feel great. My voice is terrible and that is how I found out I had cancer. So I really don't know if they got it. Well they say 80-90% cure rate so I've got nothing to worry about, right? Yeah, right! Why am I always waiting for something else? Oh well, thanks for reading this out there. I will let you know what the doc says, see ya! Tony

Hello Everyone, I guess nobody read my last message but I had my 3 week checkup w/scope and he said I was cancer free! He also said my throat was raw from trying to talk. He said not to and not to be around 2nd hand smoke or anything that will agravate my throat. I also saw the pictures of my cancer , before and after. It was intense and I really enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing it. It was alot different than I thought it would be. There wasn't anything gross about it. The after pictures looked like brand new vocal chords. Now that I have been through radiation treatment, I'm sure they don't look too good! Oh well, bottom line is, I don't have cancer for Christmas! Thank you, who ever you are!

Anthony,

Congrats on another sucess story.

Anthony, What great news!! I am so happy for you. A good outcome for one is a good outcome for all of us. Now you can stop the freaking out and try to relax and enjoy yourself. Give your voice some time to heal, you have been through alot. Wishing you a great holiday.

GREAT NEWS!!! Yipee for you Tony now do yourself a favor, relax, dont worry, and now Tony, its time to smell those roses...This is the time of year, that you need to reflect on yourself, and understand how you became you and what you will do about it! (sounds deep, huh?) Remember what we are fixing to celebrate..."Christmas", and most of all, what it stands for. This dr. appt. might be the best present you ever got, so enjoy it and life too. Merry Christmas Tony!!!

Thanks everyone, Today I go to the oncologist! Then tommorrow I fly home. When I got the news it was like a 1000 lbs weight was lifted off my chest! Merry Christmas to all! Tony

Tony, Great news. Hope you have a wonderful holiday. Tony I remember you said it was difficult going home to an empty apt. at night. Do you have family nearby. You need to celebrate your good news. Keep us posted . This will be your first xmas as a survivor. One of many to come Tony!!!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a good Christmas! I just wanted to report in. I had a very good time and spent alot less than I expected! Gift cards are great!I just got back from getting a root canal! The pain was getting to me and it has been about 6 months since it started hurting so I had to do something and as it turned out, I needed it. Today was a karma day absolutely! I had breakfast with a friend then drove an hour to this place called Tupper Lake and I met two people that used to work for me and they were the greatest people ever! Then I went to the dentist and they didn't have an appointment(I screwed up and made an appointment with the wrong dr.) and they got me in and did the root canal anyway! Extremely good karma today! I have been reading alot about zen and it really works! Enough said! I read David's post and he talks about his 4 month mark and I know I will make it and I congradulate him on his! Oh well, that is my check in, NY is still my home and I didn't think I would miss it!But I do and I may stay a while. Tony

Hey Tony! Merry Christmas to you too! Glad to hear you're doing well. Man, isn't that a slice?? You're happy about having a root canal done, and I'm happy for you...boy, us oral cancer survivors are sick puppies!

That attitude you've got??? Keep it up, it's working fine!
Wayne

Hi Tony,
That must have been one painful tooth if a root canal hurts less than the tooth did.

I just noticed you are from Saratoga Springs, NY, no wonder you miss it. Lovely town. We come up to play the ponies and eat the fine food for a week every August.

Keep the good Karma going and have a Happy New Year!

Take care,
Eileen

Hi Tony,

Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas and you're on a roll for New Year's. I agree with you about the importance of good karma, may it continue. I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Eileen is right that Saratoga Springs is a lovely area. My sister lives in Clifton Park and she drags me to the races every summer. I particularly love the "it's not a casino" slot machines.

Happy New Year,
Regards JoAnne

Tony, Next Christmas I am going to send you my Christmas list to take care of for me. Have a great year! Amy

Hello Everyone, Well, I have had the worst cold of my life for about 2 weeks. I didn't know you could be that sick from a cold. Now my ears are killing me and that has me worried because one of the causes is irration of the throat. My voice hasn't come back yet either. When I talk it sounds painful and it is. I don't know who to go to, my doctor isn't really an ENT. But I think she would give me antibiotics. If anyone has advice, I'm listening. Thanks, Tony

Tony,

I was just 3 weeks out of Tx and really starting to feel human again and eating more and more different types of solid foods when My wife came down with a cold. As hard as I tried I wasn't able to NOT get her cold. It made me feel like I was pushed back 3 weeks in my recovery. I mean all the typical side effects of a cold are exactly what I was dealing with right after my Tx was completed.

I went to see my ENT because he would see me the next day. After the normal 12 hour wait in the waiting room to see his hiness (and he's a friend of mine) he examined me and said I was fine by ENT's standards and I probably just had a cold. I said I KNOW THAT SO HELP ME. He said I needed to go see a "front line doctor" that's what they do!!

I went home and just lasted it out for a week or so and it went away and my healing continued unabated.

Moral of my story?? Get yourself to a "front line doc" first. If recommended you can always get bumped up to the castle.

Good luck.

Hmmmm- what body parts do colds usually affect the most?? E ar-N ose-T hroat, I think. David, your ENT needs to go back to school
Tony, a good remedy for a cold is HOMEMade chicken noodle soup made from a fat hen and lots of carrots, onions, celery, eng. peas, etc. in the broth. If you are having trouble swallowing- just puree it. A humidifier by your bed, Vics Vapor rub on your chest, a hot "toddy" to help you sleep. This, too, will pass. Amy

Amy,

Soup sounds great....just mail me some.

Chicken soup easy to make: Throw a whole small chicken in a pot, add big chunks of celery and onion and water to barely cover. Cook it to death until chicken falls off the bone and strain the whole mess through a big sieve (the thing with holes in it). Throw out the bones and anything yucky looking (skin,etc.) put the nice pieces of chicken back in the broth. Put the big chunks of celery and onion through food chopper or blender and back into the broth. I blend a can of stewed tomatoes and add that to the broth mixture but don't do it if you cannot tolerate tomatoes. Add fat noodles and cook until tender. At this point, I taste it and if it does not taste "chickeny" enough I add some chicken bouillon granules. Options to add: peas, carrots, 1/2 of blended, peeled cucumber (gives a nice outsoorsey taste). Variation to noodles is rice if you are not worried about the rice getting lost in your mouth like my son is.

Thanks for the recipe, you are probably right, but for right now I'm suffering. Tony

Anne-Marie,

Thanks for the recipe but I think you missed the point of my Post, LOL.

Hello everyone, Well I have self medicated. I found some antibiotics that were prescribed to me before surgery and it is helping. My ears don't hurt and I can breathe, but I still can not talk. My voice is not there, I can not speak. Does anyone know if this is normal. I saw the pictures of my vocal chords before radiation and they were perfect. I could talk just fine before TX. It is killing me, help! Tony

Do you still have the cold? And what are you self-medicating with, Tony? You might just have laryngitis AMY

Hello Everyone, No I don't have the cold any more the antibiotic worked pretty well, also I started taking prednisone 6pills the first day 5 the second day. It is the second day and it seems to not hurt as much but still no voice. My ent scheduled me for an appointment the seventh of Feb. but I might not be able to go, its in North Carolina and I am in NY. Also I am currently unemployed and he wants $400 to scope my throat. I would do it myself if I could!
I just want to know out of the thousands of people who went through this kind of treatment had this problem and if so how long does it last. Everyone I know says to not talk because it sounds so bad and this just angers me. It infuriates me. It upsets me. It drives me crazy. do I gat my point across?!!! I can't look for a job with my voice the way it is. My contract with my old company is up for now but I don't know about the future. JAM, please help me out! I have got to know if I will talk like this the rest of my life. I thought it was only if they removed the whole thing that this would happen. Thanks, Tony

Hi, Tony. In my very limited "medical expertise", it comes to mind that antibiotics do NOT cure colds. So if what you had was cured by the antibiotic, it might well have been an infection of some sort - and it might have affected your voice. When you say you have no voice-does that mean you can't make sounds? Or that your voice sounds gravelly? If there is a speech therapist in your area that has any experience with Head and Neck cancer, you could get an evaluation before you go back to the ENT. By the way, the more tense you get about this, the harder it is going to be for you to recover. What kind of job are you looking for? Amy

Well I guess I' m froggy voice. I haven't been able to get a straight answer about my voice yet. I guess I'm not serious enough to get the answers I need. This is too bad , I know everyone is trying to helpful by playing around when things get too serious. But I don't know how long I can make it not knowing if my voice will ever come back. I certainly can't work like this.Please could someone give me some answers.

Tony, Just like I said in my e-mail to you- we are NOT doctors and while we can offer short term remedies and suggestions, no one here can diagnose your voice problem. You started off with a great attitude for beating this -where has it disappeared to ? You gotta stay tough. And by the way- I know of some very sexy gravelly voices. Amy

Amy, Thanks for the support but I was just hoping that I could hear from some different people regarding thier problems with losing the voice. My situation has gotten pretty grave. The finantial (spelling doesn't look right) front is killing me and I am looking for work but I can't do phone interviews or move forward if I can't talk.I really don't need help finding work, I need help talking to the people at the different places. I am tough but this is killing me. I can't keep racking up the doctor bills. I think I may have to apply for some kind of disability status. This is not my way. My doctor talked with me today and she is willing to do anything to help, but I can't help her help me. She's suggesting voice therapy but I told her to wait. I read one reply from someone saying it was common to lose the voice foor one week after tx. If this is true, I'm screwed.I has been 7 weeks. I will explain what happens to me again. I open my mouth to talk and nothing comes out then I force it and this froggy sound (like a vibrator for the voice box) comes out, with very little sound. Then people wince in pain and tell me not ot talk. Then I want to punch them in the face many times. You see I hate it when people shush me! It angers me to the point of insanity. If it hurt me, I'll deal with it, I don't need anyone to tell me not to talk. I you don't like it, leave. Then I had a friend tell me to get away from him he didn't want to catch my germs. This is ignorance I realize but it doesn't make it any easier. So you see my position. I am angry and disappointed and frustrated with my situation. I feel like like I will snap unless I talk to someone that knows something about vocal chord cancer and what I can expect, if this is it. Thanks

Tony, are you physically fit and able to do the work you want to do? i.e.- is loss of voice your only detriment to doing what you used to do pre-cancer? If you were able to perform your job [voice or no voice] as an employer I would have no problem hiring you. In fact, right now, we have a subcontractor who cannot read well, cannot speak well and is on disability. But he is swamped with work because he is good at what he does. Those people who are "wincing in pain" when
you talk to them either have not been prepared for what you are dealing with or are stupid. And if your friends are shying away, then you need to find new friends. You agotta deal with whatever the "new you' is. I know it is hard stuff- but you are a strong guy-right? Amy

Tony, Feel so bad hearing about your problems. First the voice, why don't you want to go to therapy? Is it about the financial status your in? Second, this cancer can really humble us. I am on disability right now from work. Didn't want to do it, but there was no way I could perform my job while healing. So I thought of my health instead of pride. Glad I did. I'm hoping to go back to work in a month or so depending on upcoming test. This is so unlike me to sit around. So please go out there and get the help that you need. One more question, I think you had the cancer on the vocal chord, did the dr. inform you that your voice may or may not come back? or don't they know? Stay strong!

Thanks for the time, I guess I have to look elsewhere for my answers. Bless all of you, Tony

Thanks for the time, I guess I have to look elsewhere for my answers. Bless all of you, Tony

Tony, Sorry you didn't get a concrete answer, but it is probably because no one KNOWS for sure, and they don't want to mislead or give false hope or false scares. If you do find the answer, please check back in and let us know, because we are all interested, too!

Andrea

Tony,
If I were you, I wouldn't be waiting any 7 weeks to see if my voice came back. In the 5+ years I've been on this board, I don't remember anyone having that problem for more than a few days and msopt did not have it at all.

Voice change is one of the few symptoms that oral cancers sometimes exhibit. That said, I'd get thy butt down to Sloan Kettering for a CT & PET scans and scoping as fast as I could get an appointment. Hoping this problem is going away is not going to solve it and may make it permanent. It's only a couple hours drive.

Take care,
Eileen

Tony,
My father is taking therapy right now to help with his voice and swallowing........check into it, you don't know if it will help or not until you try it. My father was reluctant but he is giving it a shot. Keep your chin up and don't give up hope, Amy is right - I have seen from your previous posts - you are a strong guy! Keep posting so we can try and help.......Kim

Hey Tony??? I havent read anything new on you lately! How is your voice doing? How are you doing? Would love to hear from you, let us know...

Hello Everyone! Well alot has happened since my last post. I went back to work I went to a new ENT and now I am down south and I went on an interview today. My ENT said that my false vocal chords are all swollen and I am still cancer free. He also told me that it could be months for the swelling to go down and he put me on antibiotics and predisone and said I can't talk for 2 weeks. Well, of course thats when I get the call to go back to work. I havent had the chance to stop talking. So my voice is still bad. So I will go back to the ENT and he is going to make me do it. Then I will put a message on my answering machine and voice mail. Then I will try to make it for 2 weeks but it is nearly impossible. Wish me luck, that for the support, Tony

Good news, Tony. If your ENT really makes you quit talking, can I send my 15 yr. old grandson down, I can't get him to be quiet either. Amy in the Ozarks

Great News and good luck with the not talking. Which satate are you working in?

Tony, Good news! I also have been wondering how you were doing. Was glad to hear you are doing better. Take it easy on the vocal chords!!! Take care of yourself.