Hi all, my partner (29m) has been struggling with a hoarse voice, excess phlegm and has a swollen throat. He got an endoscopy through the NHS in the summer which showed clear and he was diagnosed with silent reflux and given medication.
Nothing worked and although his voice did get slightly better before Christmas it got a lot worse recently. I pushed him to go to a private doctor as we have the privilege to do so since we both work.
He had his appointment today and they could see a mass on his right vocal chord. They have told him it could be cancer but it also could be something else. He will get a scan and biopsy soon but I am so extremely terrified.
He is young fit and healthy otherwise and has no underlying conditions and has never smoked. He drinks a regular amount but not weekly or in excess.
Basically this is why I am here as I just don't know what to do and can't see how I will cope with the next few weeks of waiting.
Thank you for reading
They essentially fast tracked the biopsy and we got the results the next day. As we were about to leave the hospital we were asked to wait by the same nurse who took us into a room and told us the biopsy results had came back as a squamous cell cancer and he needs a full laryngectomy as well as follow up radio and chemo therapy. This was quite devastating as I mentioned in my first post he is only 29 and this is life changing. He has been reassured by information he has been given but is still terrified for many reasons.
Hi Midna. That’s really not what you wanted to hear. So sorry.
A laryngectomy is a life changing operation and it means that your partner will breathe through a stoma in his neck. He will not be without a voice though as the doctors have a way round that with a voice valve.
As you say he is young and healthy and because he won’t have had any radiation he will heal well.
As I mentioned before, my first husband coped really well and he was 47 when he had surgery.
You might have a look at www.laryngectomy.org.U.K. Which is the National Society of Laryngectomee clubs. There’s useful information there.
Both our other community champs MikeO and chris2012 are laryngectomees and I’m sure one of them will pop on with some advice.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
Good evening Midna, sorry to be reading this update about your partner having to have a laryngectomy, i had my larynx removed in 2010 when i was 50 and made a full recovery. You are spot on with your partner being young and fit as the younger and fitter we are the quicker we can recover. Like your partner, i had an excellent team behind me who i trusted and who gave me the confidence to go ahead with the operation, it is a long operation but on the whole i never had any issues or regrets in going ahead with it. The first two weeks are the most uncomfortable as it will all be new becoming a neck breather and adapting to having a tracheostomy (hole in the neck)and a tracheostomy tube fitted (trachy) The tube is in for about two weeks to keep the hole in the neck ( stoma) open or until the area has settled down, its also used for suctioning as you get a build-up of mucus, this is done by the nurse. Once this two-week period (appro) is over it does become a lot more comfortable as the trachy can be removed. Please feel free to contact me if you need further advice or click on my name where you will see my profile where i have written a small bit about my dealings with cancer. It all sounds scary at the moment but by taking things a day at a time it will all come together, of course he will have good and bad days but they are all manageable. I wish you and your partner all the best for his operation in two weeks time. Take care.
Chris x
Its sometimes not easy but its worth it !
Hi Lauren. At least things are moving apace. Your partner has the right attitude and you sound so level headed, he's lucky to have you. I hope the op and recovery go as smoothly as possible. My first husband made a good recovery despite being older and previously irradiated and life was good again. Hugs
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
Hi
Did your previous husband have radio/chemo after. My partner has 6 weeks of it 2 months after the op.
Hi Lauren. He had six weeks radiotherapy to try to cure the cancer. It recurred within six months so the only option was surgery. His surgeon was remarkable. He had to operate on tissue that was already damaged. He did a brilliant job.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
These guys know what they are doing. My first husbands op was 36 years ago. Things have moved on since then.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
