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 Andy,

That is fantastic news matey....have you celebrated yet?

I hope that doesn't mean you will not come on here again and will keep in touch with your fans.

Glad it was good news and looking forward to that 5 year window!

All the very best

Tony

Hi Andy

That's FANTASTIC news!!   I know exactly how you feel, it's a huge relief and I'm so happy for you.

I'm sure they told you that it's monthly visits for the first year, 2 monthly the 2nd year, 3 monthly for the 3rd year and then it goes up to 6 months.  I'm now on 6 monthly visits but I quite liked the reassurance every 3 months as I worry every time my voice is a bit hoarse (mainly caused by my constant chatting)!

Now we really must crack open that bottle of champagne soon!

I'm so happy for you Andy and I know your voice will just keep getting better.

Love Marion xx

How lovely to hear good news.May this big step in the right direction be the first of many.

Thanks so much for your message, did have a nice glass of champers at the w/w to celebrate. Have to go back for next check up in 3 months so I guess they must be pleased with me. So glad to hrar all is going well with your husband and hope he continues to make good progress, i'm sure he will.

Will be in touch soon.

Andy

Hi Grumpy,

Thanks so much for your message, it was very kind of you. It has been a great support to know that there people I don't even know that are looking out for me, hopefully we will get to know each other better, thank god for this site!

Andy

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your message. Had a large glass of champers at the w/e, which went down a treat and thank you for your good wishes. I will definately still be on here and hope I can help others as you have all helped me.

Best to you too.

Andy

Hi All

Just a quick up date:- My husband had a check up again last week and got the all clear yet again ( feels good to type that) they have sent him for a chest  xray for a cough but i think it is just nerves as his appointment gets closer i am sure this started and its fear coming out in a cough (well fingers crosssed).

How is every one else doing fingers crossed you are all ok

Luckyus

Hi Luckyus

That's really good news - you must both be so relieved!  I have been thinking of you although I haven't been on this thread for a while.

I¿m meeting up with Andy (Zarker) and Chris (Chris 77) tonight so I¿m really looking forward to seeing them in person!  It¿s great that what started off as a post from Andy, has led us to all meeting up.

Keep posting as I do check every few days.

Take care.

Love Marion x

Hi luckyus

I just wanted to say i happy i am you got a clear scan and i hope everything goes ok with the xray.There are some nasty summer colds doing the rounds.It is difficult not to worry abourt every ache,my sillyest one was when i first wore my wig and my head began to really ache in an odd way and i wandered round this beautiful summer fair with my family thinking Oh good it has gone to the brain.It took me a good couple of hour to realise that the stupid wig was to tight.

Hi Marion

I also keep an eye on this thread and read all the catch ups i hope you had a good night meeting up with andy and chris. we have heard nothing about the Xrays so i am just assuming it is good news we are back in a few weeks again but after his xrays my husbands cough stopped i am convinced it was nerves about his appointment bless him.

So nice to hear from you

Luckyus

Hi Marion

I also keep an eye on this thread and read all the catch ups i hope you had a good night meeting up with andy and chris. we have heard nothing about the Xrays so i am just assuming it is good news we are back in a few weeks again but after his xrays my husbands cough stopped i am convinced it was nerves about his appointment bless him.

So nice to hear from you

Luckyus

Hi Luckyus

I've just realised that I didn't reply to you - sorry!

Hope the x-ray came back all clear - hopefully no news is good news and they would normally be in touch quite quickly.  Let us know how he gets on.

It's my next appointment on Wednesday and I'm not really looking forward to it as I have been hoarse for weeks now but have resisted bringing forward my appointment as I normally do.  Hopefully I will get the same result as I have done in the past nearly 4 years - that all is OK.

Take care.

Marion x

Hi Marion

Got a letter this week to say Xrays were clear ( thank goodness)

I really hope your appointment went ok and you got good results. I hope your voice has returned and you are feeling better. My fingers and toes are crossed for you

Luckyus x

Hi Luckyus

I'm so glad your husband's X-Ray results were clear - another weight off your minds.

My appointment was fine thanks (phew).  My consultant wants me to go to cancer survivor (head and neck) group therpy once a month as I'm finding it hard to move on.  He said he wants to discharge me next year at my 5 year appointment but he knows I will keep coming back for reassurance!  I constantly worry about the cancer coming back and I obviously want to be happy in life without this dark cloud looming over my head and this worry everytime my voice is hoarse.  He said my voice will probably get worse as I get older bearing in mind wear and tear and the damage already caused by radiotherapy.  I just need to look after it more and stop raising my voice over background noise - which is very hard when you're in a noisy environment.

Anyway, I'm relieved for now and I start my group therapy on 12 July.

Hope your husband continues to be healthy and will keep an eye out for your posts.

Love Marion x

Hi Marion

I am so pleased you got the all clear again (it has been hard these past few days eating and walking with my fingers and toes crossed xx). I think unless you have truely been affected by Cancer you can understand the fear that every appointment, cough,or sore throat brings.  Good luck with your therepy but i think time will be the only cure, remember im always at the end of a computer (well not always but often).

Such good news so pleased for you

Luckyus

Hi Marion,

Great news on your last appointment and I think the fact your ocnsultant wants to release you next year must mean he's very confident your near being cured. I think the group therapy is a great idea it will help you put things into perspective and help manage your worry as I know exactly where your coming from, the worry never really goes away but I do think now your in year 4 post treatment you can start to let your self off the hook a bit!! as far as worrying goes

I had my check up with Rt consultant today and he had a look down and its all clear which was a relief although on this occasion I felt quite relaxed about it, don't ask me why??

He says theres still swelling there and that the edges of the vocal chords are slightly rough from the treatment and lasering and that in time they should heal and get smoother which will improve my voice, this could take another 18 months. However i'm inclined to think this is as good as its going to get and they are perhaps being a bit optimistic, but hey I can live with it and most days am able to communicate ok which was my main worry and off course getting rid of the cancer.

We must get together again soon, havent contacted chris as I didnt want to bother him but guess he will get in touch if he has any news.

Anyway good luck with the group therapy and let me know how you get on and try not to worry, your almost there!!

Speak soon.

Andy x

Hi Lucky Us,

Great news on your husbands results, you must be relieved. Sounds like he's doing really well and so good that he hasn't had to have RT or any more lasering, they must have got it v early. Hopefully things will stay this way. Well done!!

Andy x

hi zarker i can see from your posts that you had t 1 cancer of the vocal chord and had laser for it etc my husband had laser on his t1 about 2 months ago and we went back for a check up last week and they found a lesion on it  so we now need to go back in for more laser and a biopsy just in case its cancer my husband and my self are scared in case its back! how many times did you have laser before they decided on rt?

Hi just bumping you back up to the top i see Zarker has not been on for a little while but hopefully he will see your question soon

Luckyus

thanks lucky us hope all ok xx

Hi there.

Sorry to hear about your husband. As you will have read from my posts I was diognosed wirh t1 on the left vocal chord in aug 2009, a week later they lasered it and when I had my next check up after this they told me it was all clear and the lasering had done the trick. I was  obviously relieved and my voice improved and I assumed that was end of the problem.

When I had my next check up a month later the consultant said it looked red and inflamed and he was not happy with how it looked and would keep an eye on it for another few months. The next month I went back and it was still the same so I was taken in for more laser and biopsys ( nov 09 ) which revealed it was still there so they did more lasering. Again for a few months all was fine until the following apr 2010 when he said it looked inflammed again and if it didnt improve he would need to laser again and do more biopsys, during this time my voice got worse so I suspected it had come back.

In sept 2010 I had more laser and biopsys which revealed it had come back and it was t2 although still very early and only on the surface. This was when I was told that more lasering would permantly damage my vocal chord and that radiotherapy would be needed to clear it once and for all. I had the radiotherapy in nov 09 and completed it in jan 11 and while it was unpleasant it seems to have cleared it up and each monthly exam i've had since looked clear and normal. My voice varys a lot some days its good others bad, I think this is the effect of the RT and lasering but I have been told this will improve over time.

This is my story but remember we are all different and you may find that your husband only needs 1 or 2 laser procedures and that may do the trick as it has with lucky us ( aptly named) and it may not have even come back so try not to get too worried ( easier said than done!) until you know more. The good thing for you is that it is only t1 which is very early and called cancer in situ which is when the cells are just changing, so this will be able to be sorted its just it can be more complicated as you can see from my story. Hope this is of some help and if you need any more help just ask. Have a read through the posts if they are not too boring!! As all our storys and details are there. Good luck for your husband and his results.

Best Wishes Andy (zarker)