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Meet others living with Head & Neck Cancer: Introduce yourself

Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (510)
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@svac1

I am a 73 year old former smoker and was diagnosed with a tumor above my voice box in August of 2023. I chose the option of Cisplatin Chemo 1 time a week and 35 radiation treatments. The last chemo was November 21st and the last radiation was November 22nd. The last 2 weeks of radiation my voice became very hoarse and my swallowing was extremely difficult. I did a very soft diet and used Ensure and Boost protein drinks to help me. I lost approximately 14 pounds. It has been 2 weeks since my treatments ended and I can finally swallow better and my taste is somewhat returning. My voice is still extremely hoarse though and I don't know what to do to help get it back. I am receiving 2 hours of hydration through my port 1 time a week. I am finally able to get up to around 1300 calories a day between liquids and good and am hoping to increase that daily as my taste returns. How long does it take for my voice to return ?

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Replies to "I am a 73 year old former smoker and was diagnosed with a tumor above my..."
William Olsen, Volunteer Mentor | @hrhwilliam | Dec 5, 2023

Hi @svac1 and welcome to this group. I'm actually surprised you didn't lose your voice. The effects of the radiation will take many months to heal (stop changing your internal structures) and even when that is all set to a new normal I think you will find your voice won't be the same. I myself was no longer able to project my voice while trying to conduct training seminars or functions which required a stage voice. It took a bit of adjustment to accept that.
Keep your port for a while if you can and avoid being around any sick folks this winter while you build your systems back up. This is going to take a while, with some issues literally years.
I wish you the best and speed in recovery. If you have questions or need to be pealed off the wall please don't hesitate to reach out.

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Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Dec 8, 2023

Hi @svac1, I add my welcome. You may wish to read and join this related discussion:
- How long after radiation did it take to get your voice back?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-long-after-radiation-did-it-take-to-get-your-voice-back/

Has your cancer team suggested a referral to a speech language therapist?

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