I went through two separate proton beam radiation therapies- 35 (2019) and 5 (2021) doses. I had a feeding tube for 15 months in 2019 and most of 2020. August 2021 I had a tracheostomy done by my ENT. I was scheduling it for 4Q 2021, trying to avoid it as long as I could, but was in distress breathing so had it done after an incident when I was "drowning in air." This was an incident to be avoided-it was frightening for me and my family. Traches have plusses and minuses-plusses-I can sleep without a CPAP now and exercise without breathing difficulty so can climb hills and golf-the minuses-I can't swim, boat and have a low gravelly voice. The plusses win. No larengectomy to date.

@rbitcher I wanted to avoid total larjectamy at first because I did not want to lose my voice because I am a pastor. I Had radiation and chemo and the chemo always made me real sick but .I was back to work in 7 months and cancer free.A year later all the damage from radiation started fluids were getting to lungs and could not breath or eat.I had larjectamy in 2022 and it was ruff but know am living life with alot of changes and breath great just from stomach in my neck. I have my thoart dilated every 3 months so I can eat because it closes from radiation damaged. But does not effect my breathing because I breath thur neck. I am going into my 6th yr cancer free