hi tcsurvivor4, jan. 31, 2023 i had my surgery, couldn't save the right vocal chord, full of cancer. the cancer attached itself to the jugular, thorax and other areas and they had to cut around all of those organs to get it out. the pathology report is suppose to be ready in 10 days. they said the nodule was the size of an orange. i can breathe, thank god. all of my back and neck hurts all the way up to the top of my head. thing is, i am having a hard time talking and when i do its then i want to start coughing. i do drink alot of water and i get up alot during the nite, so again, i am wetting the one and only vocal chord. i said the very same thing trying to eat some oatmeal this morning, it is getting tiresome, i went on another site to see who else is complaining and rightfully so, and actually learned that to lean forward and bend your neck to your chest to swallow. well, good, it sure did help. sometimes you have to go further out of the box to see how some others are handling their situations. my biggest problem now and before the surgery was the coughing, bad enough before surgery, but, afterwards, scary because of tearing sutures and have always heard it was hard on the heart to be coughing so much. i am very tired and have been pushing myself to do this and that which they said i could do everything i done before the surgery, eat whatever i wanted, work around the house. of course, the lifting thing is a no-no after any surgery. i should feel better in a few days, no, its not the way its been going. so i will see the operating crew on the 16 th of feb. so i wish each and everyone of you a better day tomorrow. prayers for all of you as i think all of you are so much braver than i. god bless