Many folks don't understand the changes to the throat anatomy that are a result of a laryngectomy.
My stoma(throat hole) is a direct line to my lungs. My lungs are no longer connected to my mouth and nose. I eat through my mouth. I breathe through my neck.
I speak by plugging my stoma with my finger and forcing air from my trachea(windpipe) through a tiny bit of plastic(vocal prosthesis) into my esophagus(food pipe). It does not hurt to speak. I can talk almost as much as I could before the surgery.
My vocal cords(larynx) are completely gone. They will not grow back. They were removed due to a recurrence of throat cancer. My condition is permanent. It is not contagious. It is not cool to imitate how I speak.
It is extremely hard to make proper inflections or intonations when I speak, which can cause misunderstandings. My voice is much deeper and a bit raspy now, which some have said sounds angry until they realize that is just how i vocalize.. I cannot pronounce the letter 'H' anymore. My "B"s & "P"s sound the same which makes it hard to tell folks my name or the names of my two goats, Pan & Puck. I can no longer shout or yell so I've adapted by using a loud clicking noise with my tongue or clap my hands to get others attention when at a distance or outside.
It has surprised me that some would demonize me due to the laryngectomy. In reality, I am like a unicorn--something so rare most will only encounter me and none other like me. Some think it is okay to discriminate against me as I am vocally disabled. Or to mock the way I sound by crude imitations of my speech. This has happened with people I thought open-minded, "woke" or otherwise decent and kind. I know I am different than others. I have overcome my difficulty with vocalization, and I wish others could overcome their prejudice as well.
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