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 ,

Thanks very much for your reply it was most helpful. I hope you don't mind me asking but how long was it from when they found displacia to you being diagnosed with laryngeal cancer? As this is what I think may be happening to me. They said inicially It could be treated with laser alone and after my last laser treatment yesterday that the return was on the surface only and did not warrant rdiotherapy at the moment and he had done deeper biopsys which he says hes sure arn't cancerous. This has as you know been a very difficult time for me as i'm so scared of loosing my voice or having to have a laryngectomy which I've been told is unlikely. i'm reassured to know that after your treatment your voice is now good. Thank you again and I hope you continue to do well. Andy

p,s gave up smoking 5 years ago and after this will never go back to it!

Hi Andrea

Just a quick line as I only have my lunch break to log on as my computer at home takes an eternity to load up.  Just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten everyone and hope that the results on the 22nd are good.  What a terrible wait for you and your husband to endure.

I posted last week and for some reason I kept getting an error message so I gave up.  I must have broken the rules somehow!

I'll keep on checking your posts even if I don't get a chance to join in.

Take care,

Love Marion x

Hi Andy

Sorry I haven't been in touch, as I just said to Andrea (Luckyus) I kept getting an error message when I tried to reply to you both and I only have my lunch break to log onto this site until I get a new computer (hoping Santa might get me one)!

How's it going with the RT?  I can't remember exactly when I started to feel the side affects but it was probably after 15 sessions (which was the end of my first week as I had it 3 times a day).  It all seems like a bad dream now thinking back of lying under that mask.

I have to get back to work now but will be in touch.

Keep us updated and hope you stay well for as long as possible.

Love Marion x

Hi Marion.

I see we havent heard from you for a while, how are you keeping, we have our own club on here with all the people talking to each other and asking for advice on there problems, this cancer site is getting a mine of infomation for people to ask about we ( all of us ) hope that it is a help to people who are going nad have had treatment. I myself are keeping well at the moment but a few are having radio ETC. I like you wish them all the best, look after your self hear from you soon.

michael.

Hi Marion,

The RT is going ok, had my 7th session today and don't really feel much different but have been told side effects will kick in soon so i'm making the most of the calm before storm! Yes it is a bit weird lying under that mask and some days it seems to be tighter than others, got a cold at the moment too but guess its better to get one now than further down the line.

I think its going to be a very quiet christmas for me as I havent really been arranging things as I don't know how i'm going to feel , to be honest couldn't give a damn about christmas this year just want to get my head down and get this treatment over so I can start next year in a better place, so to speak.

Hope all is good with you and the snow isn't too bad where you are, its ok in central london just had a light dusting, lets hope it stays that way!

Thanks for your good wishes

Love Andy

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your good wishes. Looks like your doing a grand job on here offering advice and help, its good to know something good is coming out of this. you sound like a very positive person which I guess is why you are doing well after your surgery. I think being positive is the half the battle fought!

Keep up the gppd work mate

Take care

Andy

Hi Andy.

I see you have started the radio, its not as bad as they say, like I said you get tired near the end, and I found I couldnt swallow and I got a bit red, my throat got dry but I was told by someone to get artificial siliva spray off the doctor ,it worked a treat also I had a diatician who gave my drinks to take to build me up they were not bad to take.

When I went for my mask fitting there was a couple of people that couldnt stand getting one made I understand what they thought, I have got mine in the loft. how are you coping with it all. well talk to you again all the best hope you feel better.

michael.

Hi Michael

Sorry to have left you out the other day but I ran out of lunch break!  Glad to hear you're still doing well.  You made me laugh when you told Andy you have your mask in the loft :-)  I was going to take mine home and jump on it at the end of the treatment but changed my mind as I was sick of the sight of it by the end!

Hope you keep well and keep posting.

Take care

Love Marion x

Hi Andy

Glad to hear you're still okay and focussing on your treatment.  You are wise not to plan ahead too much as you don't know how you will feel at Christmas especially as you will be more than half way through your treatment.  It's rotten that you have to go through it at Christmas though.  This time last year my son was going through chemo for testicular cancer and by Christmas Eve his lovely blonde spikey hair was falling out in clumps so he got a friend round to shave it all off.  It was heartbreaking watching him go through all that especially when all his mates were going out and celebrating.

I work in Mayfair so it's great to see clear pavements after slipping and sliding my way down a steep hill to the station this morning and very attractive in my wellies!  It's amazing when you just go a few miles outside London and it's like a winter wonderland.  Whereabouts do you work?

Must go now but keep in touch.

Love Marion x

Hi Marion.

Yes I kept my mask in the loft thought I might face paint it some time, how are you keeping, I just get on with life at the moment. I am talking to a few friends about there cancers simular to mine and passing on what I went through and letting them know how my day goes, it helps I hope for them to see how my cancer is manageable from day to day after the op. I went to the hospital the other day to talk to radiotherapy doctors to give our point of view about how treatment was, what I should have been told, thinking that we should be shown the radio machine before treatment, ETC. they asked if I and a women who had a different cancer could give a talk, they said it helped them alot to understand how we felt.

How is the family are they keeping well, cancer affects everbody else as well at home.

well that is enough of me moaning look after your self.

michael.

Hi Michael

Need a bit of help again!

my husbands anger is getting really really quick and oh so vocal (for someone who is struggling to talk) as i am driving in the snow everything i do is wrong his road rage is apawling  last night the boiler packed up and yup it was all my fault i turned the heating off two days ago arghhhhhhh please tell me this is normal.  did you go through this stage.

Luckyus

Hi Michael

Need a bit of help again!

my husbands anger is getting really really quick and oh so vocal (for someone who is struggling to talk) as i am driving in the snow everything i do is wrong his road rage is apawling  last night the boiler packed up and yup it was all my fault i turned the heating off two days ago arghhhhhhh please tell me this is normal.  did you go through this stage.

Luckyus

Hi Luckyus.

Just got back from blackpool , I think I know what you mean, why is he like this is it because of the treatment he has or will be having. funny thing  the wife and I was talking about the same thing. she says I get bad tempered and shout,( you know what I mean ) its because I get frutrated when I cant get over what I want to say, but as blaming you for everything it is not normal. ask him what is a matter and why it is your fault. my daughters said they had to tell me off for shouting at the wife, and I was bad tempered to her. not being in our position maybe it is hard to see it from our point of view.

Maybe there is another reason for him being bad tempered, all I can say is ask him why he is like this and tell you what is wrong so you can help, also tell him it is hurting you with what he is saying.

if he wont say what is wrong how does he expect for you to help and love him, you can only help if you come to a aggrement to sort it out, and it is not helping your marrage if you dont talk about it.

Let me know how you get on. I know cancer takes people different ways but being in a bad mood isnt helping him to get better.

michael.

Hi Michael

I knew you would have good advice we are still talking through his fears i have tried to tell him im on his side but the anger blows like a bomb and then 5 mins its over. boiler broke down 2 days ago all my fault as i had the shower now its mended it was the excess cold. i think you are right "walk a mile in my shoes", i cannot begin to know what truely goes through his mind only what he tells me.

Thanks for the help and another perspective.

Luckyus

Hi Luckyus.

Remind me what he has had latley, has he had just radio, or a biposy ETC. or is he still waiting for results, I ask this as I talk to a few friends about cancer I dont want to get them mixed up. like I said he may be worrying about his cancer outcome in the future and doesnt want to talk to you about it, I was the same I didnt talk to the wife about it, but that is how I am.

Is there something that is worrying him that you might need to ask his doctor about, something that he has been told and didnt want to talk to you about. thinking back I didnt think I would have had a major op. like I had, but being better and being able to talk helps a lot.

let me know how it goes, we all dont want this but there is not a lot we can do, getting help from family needs to be allowed.

michael.

Hi Michael

he has just had lases treatment on his vocal cord (nov 10th) and get results 22 dec so i know he is worring. and he has just given up smoking. now i think about it have not praised him for that, i was just so angry that he ever smoked as i haven't and hated it. mabe i am just expecting to much from him to soon. he says he is confident the cancer has gone and this is the end of it. But deep down i know he is afraid he asks me questions all the time as he would never dream of looking things up he burries head in the sand a bit.

Thanks once again

Luckyus

Hi Luckyus.

When he had laser on his vocal cords what did they say it was at. was it T1-T4. I had 6 weeks of laser, I will not go into what happened after. Like I said I never smoked but still got throat cancer, the specialist asked at the first diagnosis how long I had smoked for they seem to ask this straight away when you got to see them as a few of the people I have talked to get asked by them.

I have been talking to a lit of people who find it helps to talk about what to expect as in my case, EG. what happened as I went along, as I said my problem got worse the more I went for bipseys I was in hospital for 3 of them and my cancer had moved from one vocal cord to the other side in a matter of 6 months.

Doctors dont tell you much, have you asked him what he thinks if the news is not what he expects, does he use a computer, when I found out about my news I was on the computer to see what I could find out about the stage of my cancer and what may happen in the future, some people get frightened to look but I then had it in my mind what may happen and it helped me to understand what may happen in the future. get back to me and let me know how you get on, I can see not knowing isnt helping but what might happen in the future can upset him try and get him to talk about it, I get a lot of people emailing me to talk about it and I hope I can help with going through it

michael.

Hi Lucky us,

been reading your threads. I honestly think if they had found something that concerned them they would have had your husband straight back in to do more surgery or at least tell you whats going on so it could be a case of no news is good news. When they first saw your husband they would know just by looking if there was anything that needed immediate attention and the delay is probably just for healing. When I had my first laser they told me a week later it was T1 and that they would be doing more laser then keeping an eye on it. I expect they will have a look at it with the endo scope on 22nd to see how it looks after the surgey and if it looks ok they will leave it for the monthly observation. Thats what happened after I had the second laser they just said as far as they could see it looked fine and just told me to come back in a month, of course subsequently I have had more problems but everyone is different perhaps your husband will be lucky and the laser will be enough. Try not to worry and avoid looking at articles on the internet they are not representative and in my experience cause panic and are not helpful although I'm sure michael means well by suggesting it.

I'm doing ok have got a nasty chest infection which is making the RT more difficult, bad timing I guess. Good luck for 22nd keeping everything crossed. :-)

Take care

Andy

Hi Michael

he has T1 stage cancer he has never been the type to read up on things where as i am he has never looked on this site just asks every now and again what it says. thanks for your continued support and will be back on after the 22 to let you know what happens

Thanks

Luckyus

Hi Andy

I agree with the "no news is good news" theory, So sorry you are going through the mill at the moment RT sounds hard enough without the chest infection. On the whole i am not a worrier but my husband is. Every day i am gratfull we caught it so early.

Thank you for your continued help

Luckyus

Hi Andrea

I'm sorry to hear that you've been bearing the brunt of your husband's frustration.  He must be so worried and unfortunately he is taking it out on his nearest and dearest (we always hurt the ones we love etc).

He's obviously not coping very well at the moment and I can vouch for the fear and worry of the unknown whilst waiting for results and he has had to ensure a long wait so it is taking its toll on him.

After my RT finished I had to wait 8 weeks before I could have an MRI scan to see if the treatment had worked and a further week for the results of the scan.  I was told that if the treatment had been unsuccessful the only option would have been to have a full laryngectomy. During that long wait I just went to pieces and would burst into tears for no apparent reason, I couldn't sleep, I didn't wait to see anyone and was a nightmare to live with.  The only way I could decribe it was in the depths of dispair.  My doctor put me in anti-depressants and sleeping tablets to get me through until the results.  I also saw a counsellor once a week.  Once I got the results and was told everything was good, my mood lifted instantly and I gradually returned to my normal self.

Sorry, not meaning to harp on about me, but just letting know that the way your husband is acting could be because he is find it all too hard to cope with.  Roll on next week and everything will be fine and you can have a peaceful Christmas.  I agree with Andy and feel hopeful that the hospital would have been in touch by now if there was anything wrong as they will have had the results for some time already.

As your husband is a worrier I wouldn't recommend he looks on the internet (sorry Michael) as it scared the life out of me.

Keeping everything crossed for the 22nd.

Love Marion x

Hi Marion

Thank you so much for your reply i do believe it is worry and being off work with his ankle has just made it worse as he has had all day to think of it. Thank god i go to work to get out the way for a while. Thank you for sharing you knowledge about yourself this is what i needed to know its normal (maybe not everyone) shall put hammer away again for now. He has not been on the internet once to try and find anything out and laughs at me for needing to know. Still feels so long until next week the closer its getting the less i am sleeping which means my temper is quicker but trying very hard not to take it out on anyone.

Will post how we get on

Thanks

Luckyus