Hi Zarker

I had severe displacia of the vocal chords around 5 years ago and was told that I needed laser treatment immediately as it "was very close to cancer". I had laser treatment a few times and had to have biopsies done around every 2 - 3 months but in my case it had gone too deep so they could only laser the surface and it kept coming back. If you are a smoker you should give it up immediately as my consultant told me to avoid smoke at all costs.

I went on to have larygneal cancer but I was stage T2-3 when I was eventually diagnosed. I was successfully treated with radiotherapy 28 months ago and touch wood everything is fine and my voice is better than it's been for years.

On a positive note they are closely monitoring you and as you are at a very early stage hopefully they will be able to get rid of it with laser treatment alone.

I wish you well and hope that the next laser treatment will be the end of it.

Marion x

Hi Marion,

Hope all is well with you and you have had a good summer. Just thought i'd drop you a line to touch base. Had my last check up in aug which revealed that the left side of the vocal chord is still inflamed and slightly swollen and although he examined me via the endoscope he could not see well enough to make a proper judgement as it always makes me choke, sure you know the feeling! Hence he wants to have a closer look at it while i'm out under a general, while he says he doesn't think the cancer has returned he thinks it could be scarring from the lasering or just badly strained from incorrect use of the voice for so long.

The quality of my voice varies from it being slightly hoarse in a quiet room to being almost inaudible in a noisy place or out side as there is no volume in it and i just can't make my self heard when lots of people are talking which is so frustrating as I sure you know. My consultant assures me it will improve but i'm beginning to think that perhaps he is just saying this as its been like this for so long, although it did improve dramatically after the last op in dec 09 but has been steadily deteriorating since Apr. I have a feeling that my vocal chord has been scarred from the lasering and this has done lasting damage as I have read that the voice never recovers if the vocal chord is scarred and there is no cosmetic treatment available to improve it, and if the cancer has returned I will need more lasering which will make the problem worse, so i don't know what to think.

I just wondered if you mind me asking how long was your voice hoarse and did you have any scarring and how long did it take to get back to normal? I know every case is different but I just want to know if there is some light at the end of the tunnel and that its not just a false hope thinking that one day it may return. I miss it so much, and am finding that my confidence is low when i talk to people, especially when I meet people for the first time, and I have been avoiding certain social situations and dread making phone calls, guess this is all familiar territory to you. Sorry this is so long and rambling just having a bad day.

Hope all your check ups are continuing to go well.

Best Wishes

Andy

Hi Zacker.

I have been reading your letter, you seen to be up and down, is the sore throat through the radio, has it inflamed your vocal cords. I had the same things wrong with me my voice never got better, I wont go into what happened after. my voice got weaker after the radio and it is hard not to be able to speak when and how you want to. I hope that you get better my thoughts are with you and all the people that have the same complaint, als I hope Marion is feeling better.

Thinking of you both.

Michael.

Hi Zacker.

I have been reading your letter, you seen to be up and down, is the sore throat through the radio, has it inflamed your vocal cords. I had the same things wrong with me my voice never got better, I wont go into what happened after. my voice got weaker after the radio and it is hard not to be able to speak when and how you want to. I hope that you get better my thoughts are with you and all the people that have the same complaint, als I hope Marion is feeling better.

Thinking of you both.

Michael.