Hey, All! I will be more than happy to answer any and all questions about my surgery and singing. I am likely more of an amateur than Gayle is, but music and singing are my chief pleasures in life, and when I had this surgery, that was my first question. It seems ironic that I had worked for a full year organizing an audition-only 40-voice choral group in my city, and after our first concert, I was dx'd with OC. I missed one concert.....Then I had to sing alto instead of soprano in the Mozart Requiem, since I knew both parts already....and haven't missed another concert since, singing soprano as always. I don't sing as well as before, but part of that reason is that my laryngeal nerve was insulted during my neck dissection, and my vocal cords didn't function properly for a while. I still don't feel like my voice is quite the same as before, but maybe I just got older without noticing! My enunciation is not quite perfect sometimes, but at others it's fine, depending on how tired I am.

It's not the end of the world, though for a singer, it's more disappointing to have this surgery than for one for whom that's not a consideration.

You WILL continue to sing. There's no doubt about that! and there is no reason that the obturator should compromise your voice, especially if the soft palate isn't involved. Your oral cavity will be changed somewhat, by the presence of the obturator, so you'll have to train to accommodate for that change.

I think that you can proceed with confidence that you will NOT have to give up your music. You might have to change your technique a bit....and you might find that you do better with some types of music than others. The problem with an obturator is getting it to fit well enough that air doesn't escape and cause nasality. It just takes time, and trial and error.

I still do sing some solos...not like before, but I'm still "out there." I cantor at church and get compliments...and I feel that I am a significant contributor in the Chorale.

I would certainly get more opinions. I don't know why the surgeon will take bony tissue if the tumor is in the salivary gland......Perhaps he meant the soft palate? did he say anything about removing part of the maxilla and a tooth or two? Yes, I would certainly ask HIM for more explanation, and I would tell him that, since you need to do everything you can to preserve your singing voice, you plan to get another opinion. Most dr.s understand, and if he doesn't, then maybe he's not the right one for you anyway. As long as you are going to the trouble for a second opinion, I sure would go to a cancer center with lots of OC experience.

Please don't hesitate to post questions here or send me a personal email. My son is getting married soon, and I don't come to the forum every day, so perhaps a personal email would get quicker attention. Jerry alerted me to the fact that you had posted with questions that I could maybe help with. I hope I can!

XO--Colleen