KATIE: Good evening everyone, and welcome to this week's edition of One on One with Katie. I am your host, Katie.

Many of you may know that this week is Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week. All of the guests on tonight's show will be head & neck cancer survivors.

Our first guest is Barbara Smith. Barbara is a laryngeal cancer survivor.

Good evening, Barbara, so glad to have you on the show.

Barb: Thank you, it is such a pleasure to be here. It is so great that you are dedicating a show totally to Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Week!

KATIE: Well, Barbara, it is a big problem, and many of the cancers that affect the head and neck are preventable.

Barb: Yes, they sure are, Katie.

KATIE: Barb, how did you develop laryngeal cancer?

Barb: Well, my laryngeal cancer resulted from the lifestyle I led. I was a heavy smoker and drinker (The Voice Center, n.d.). I started smoking when I was 14 and drinking at 16. I thought it was so cool. All that smoking and drinking took a toll on my larynx.

KATIE: Barbara, what was like when you realized you had laryngeal cancer?

Barb: Well, when I first found out I had laryngeal cancer I thought, “How could this be happening to ME? How could I have laryngeal cancer?” I was terrified, embarassed, shocked, and even mad. I still remember the day that I went into Dr. Jones’ office. I could tell by his expressionless face that the news was not good. That’s when he told me. I can still hear his voice in my head, saying, “Mrs. Smith, you have laryngeal cancer”. I must have went into a trance or something because everything became a blurr. I remember he was still talking to me, but I could not understand the words. To me, his voice sounded like the voices of the adults’ on Charlie Brown. I spent the next few days secluded from my friends and family. I just wanted to be alone and think things through. I was only 47 years old-- too young to die. I remember blaming myself. It is hard enough to deal with cancer, but I brought on my cancer- it was all my fault!

KATIE: What kind of treatment did you undergo?

Barb: Well there are different types of treatment for laryngeal cancer, depending on the severity. Because the cancer involved a pretty large portion of my larynx, my doctor suggested a total laryngectomy.