KATIE: What was it like going back into the community after the laryngectomy?

Barb: At first, it was really bad. Everywhere I went people were staring. I stuck out like a sore thumb. I also felt so masculine. I felt like the surgery took away my gender, my femininity. Really, it made me feel like I was not even human. My voice sounded so electronic!

Content:

A Multigenre Research Paper (MRP) is an alternative to an ordinary research paper in which different perspectives are sought on a particular issue. The purpose of an MRP is for the reader and researcher to learn not only about the topic, but to also get an idea about the manner in which the issue affects the lives of others.

My MRP was composed of six genres, three were chose by me and three were selected for me. The genres I used were an interview, referral letter, journal entry, webliography, poem, and a PowerPoint presentation. Each genre had a different voice (in the case of the interview, multiple voices) and an intended audience. A unifying theme was developed to connect the six pieces together and answer the essential question.

Other sections, like the preface, about the author, acknowledgments, references, and reflection, were supplemental assignments required for the completion of the MRP. These sections are to educate the reader about the purpose and the author of the project, as well as establish credibility.

Process:

I definitely prefer the MRP to a standard research paper. Picking voices and developing different genres is a way to apply the information that has been gathered. I have to say that when I do a research paper, most of the time I am not really thinking about the different aspects involved in the subject. I am just writing about the facts that I am reading and how not to plagiarize. In a research paper, I really do not have to think. For example, if I were to have done a research project on an artificial larynx I would have just stated the facts and thought nothing about laryngectomees and their lives, the doctors, or even the speech-language pathologists. A MRP forced me to think about others while thinking about the subject. It made me really apply what I read, which ultimately resulted in me learning so much, and even becoming more aware of other areas relating to the subject.

Selecting a topic for my essential question was a difficult task. The essential question was the thought that was to direct the research. I struggled with selecting a topic. There are so many areas that I was interested in and I had no idea where to start. I chose the topic of speech perception of an artificial larynx. But now that the project is over, I have thought of a few other essential questions, both relating to my topic and other areas, that I would have liked to research. That is the way it always happens! Maybe next time! After writing the essential question, foundation questions were developed, which gave me even more direction for my project.

So, how did I decide upon the genres, which voices to use, and even the audience? I picked the voices first. I picked three logical ones, the client, the doctor, and the clinician. Picking the genres for those three was pretty much a no-brainer. A doctor would of course be writing the referral letter, a clinician would do a PowerPoint presentation and webliography, and the client would do personal genres, like a poem and the journal entries. The genres were then joined together by a unifying theme. I used the interview for this area.

But, since my question was focused on the perception of laryngectomees and nonlaryngectomees, I felt I still had to incorporate other voices. So, I decided to use that of a news reporter, Katie and a friend, Jan. These two voices were both used in the same genre, the interview. I wanted to show what it was like to meet a stranger who just happened to be a laryngectomee. Through the interview, I was able to depict what I thought Jan would do, think, and say about Barb and introduce another voice, the news reporter’s. Though the voice of the news reporter is not a strong one, I still consider it to be a voice. Katie and Jan had different reactions to Barb. Jan was uncomfortable around Barb and did not care to get to know her. Katie was more open to Barb and wanted to know more about laryngeal cancer, a laryngectomy, and even communication. Yes, she was a news reporter and it is her job to ask lots of question, but she could have passed the story on to someone else, if she felt uncomfortable. Also, I chose to make the television show Katie’s to reinforce that point. Because it is her show, she chooses the stories she wants to run.

I really did not have to pick the audience; I felt that most of the genres did that for me. The audience for the referral letter was the clinician while the journal entries were meant to only be read by Barb, but as you know journals can be picked up an read by anyone. The interview was obviously intended for everyone to view, since the context it was written in was to be broadcasted on television. The poem was initially written for Barb’s eyes only, but could also be used as a tool for helping other laryngectomees. The intended audience for the webliography is anyone. The audience for PowerPoint presentation is most likely for laryngectomees and their families, but could also be appropriate for other clinicians.

Premise:

I have to admit, despite the fact that this was a summer school class and that this is the first time Mrs. McComas has used an MRP in a class, I was excited to work on this project. In the eleventh grade, I worked on a similar project as this one, as an alternative to a research paper, and enjoyed it. Because of that project, I knew I would like this one better than a standard research paper. (Thinking about that class now, it's kind of funny that my teacher's name was Mrs. McComas too! Weird!)

Before starting this project, I knew very little about a laryngectomy and the modes of communication after the procedure. Pretty much, all I knew was that in a laryngectomy, your larynx is removed. I never knew any laryngectomees and had only seen one in my entire life. I still remember that day; it was at the DMV when I was getting my learner’s permit. Seeing that woman talking with an artificial larynx is something that I will never forget. I think that may have been what got me thinking about this topic to research.

Now that I have completed this assignment, I know so much more. In addition to knowing about a laryngectomy and the methods of communication after the procedure, I now know more about the effects it has on the client. Which to me, as a future clinician, is very important because if you can not identify with your client, most the knowledge you have in a particular area will be useless. This research has also sparked my interest into others areas, like laryngeal transplantation, and other methods of communication after a laryngectomy.

This project has also allowed me to answer my essential question, or at least formulate a theory. My essential question was "How do people perceive the speech produced by an artificial larynx?" My question was targeted to not just nonlaryngectomees, but laryngectomees too. I found that like pretty much everything in the world, people have different views. Through my research I discovered that for some, the speech that is produced by an artificial larynx is unacceptable, while others, which I found was the majority, accept it. I also found that laryngectomees themselves often have more difficulty adjusting and accepting the speech from an artificial larynx than nonlaryngectomees. So, to answer my own question, people perceive the speech produced by an artificial larynx differently than normal speech, because it is just that, different. The speech from an artificial larynx is not natural; it sounds electronic and can be difficult to understand. But, I think for most people, listening to speech that is produced by an artificial larynx would be no big deal. Especially if you think of the alternative, which is no speech at all. If one did not use an artificial larynx or try any other means, such as esophageal speech, the other option would be a pad of paper and a pencil. It would take so much more time to have to write everything out, with also leads me to another question; using a pad of paper and a pencil, how would you communicate with someone who is illiterate? Writing would be much more frustrating and annoying to people than an artificial larynx!

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Mathieson, C.M., Stam, H.J., & Scott, J.P. (1990). Psychosocial adjustment after laryngectomy: A review of the literature. The Journal of Otolaryngology, 19(5), 331-336.

Salva, C.T. & Kallail, K.J. (1989). An investigation of the counseling needs of male and female laryngectomees. Journal of Communication Disorders, 22, 291-304.

Shute, B.J. (1997). There’s nothing like that sweet spot: Placement of the artificial larynx. ASHA Voice. Retreived June 27, 2002, from http://www.communicativemedical.com/reprints/PLACEMEN.html

Stalker, J.L., Hawk, A.M., & Smaldino, J.J. (1982). The intelligibility and acceptability of speech produced by five different electronic artificial larynx devices. Journal of Communication Disorders, 15(4), 299-307.

The Voice Center (n.d.). Laryngeal cancer: Basic information. Retrieved July 21, 2002, from http://www.voice-center.com/laryngeal_ca-gen.html

Watson, J.B., & Williams, S.E. (1987).
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Barb: I was a bit of a social butterfly, you could say, before the surgery. After, I had to make myself go places. That’s when I joined the Woman’s Club and met Jan.

Jan: Yeah, but it was a long time after I met you until we become friends.

KATIE: Why is that, Jan?

Jan: Well, I guess you could say I had a little trouble getting to know the real Barb.

Barb: A little trouble?

Jan: A lot of trouble! I could not get past “Barb the Laryngectomee”. I felt so uncomfortable around her. She was not like the other women at all! I did not know how to act or what to say around her. I had never seen a laryngectomee before. I had no idea what to say to her. I did not know if I should mention the laryngectomy or not. I did not know if she was comfortable talking about it. I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask her, but I was afraid of offending her or making her feel uncomfortable. I also had a hard time dealing with the sound of her voice. I would see her talking to the other women and I remember thinking how can they talk and laugh with her? She sounds like a computer!

Barb: See, my fears were confirmed.

KATIE: So, Jan, how did you two get to be such good friends.

Jan: Well, it just so happened that the Woman’s Club was having a silent auction, and we both were assigned to the same committee. I had to really start talking to her; not just chit-chat, but a real conversation. We started working together on the committee and I started to see that she was really a great lady. She was not much different than I was.

KATIE: Jan what would you tell others who may come into contact with a laryngecomtee now?

Jan: Well, I would tell others to introduce themselves and make friends with them. Laryngectomees are just like us; they have the same needs and desires that we do. After having the surgery, they are insecure enough, they do not need us to act squeemish and be judgemental around them.

Barb: Definitely!! I have talked to a lot of other laryngectomees and we all have fears about going into the community and meeting new people. I definitely would encourage everyone to try to continue their lives as much as possible, and to meet new people. Becoming friends with Jan really helped me too. Before I met her, I felt so out of place, not only at the meetings, but in pubic. I felt like I was back in elementary and it was my first day at a new school. Everyone talked and laughed with each other, but no one wanted to talk to me. When I met Jan, though, it was like a boost of confidence. I saw that I could meet people and that not everyone was going to see me as a laryngectomee. A few special people would try to see me as the woman that I am.

KATIE: Anything you would like to add, Barb?

Barb: I would just like to tell the viewers to stay away from cigarettes and alcohol. If you smoke, stop smoking. If you drink, quit drinking, or at least cut back. My story is another good reason why you should think twice before lighting up.

KATIE: Barbara and Jan, thank you so much for joining us today. Your story was so compelling. I am glad you are a survivor.

After the commercial break, we'll visit with our next guest, Joe Williams. He too, is a survivor of Head & Neck Cancer.

Barb: I really struggled with my identity after the procedure. It was so hard for me to live my life like I had before because I felt so different. I think the hardest thing for me to overcome was the sound of my voice. Jennifer set me up with an artificial larynx right after my laryngectomy.

KATIE: Barbara, I hate to interrupt, but can you describe an artificial larynx for us?

Barb: Well, there are a few different kinds. Mine is the neck-type, as your see here. It kind of looks like a really small flashlight. It is shaped like a short tube. It is battery operated. To speak, I just hold the artificial larynx up to my neck, which transmits the vibrations of the tone to the oral cavity (Voice Rehabilitation.., 1999). Jennifer was great about providing information about the different types of artificial larynges and which one would be the best for me. We also talked about how intelligible my speech would be with the different devices.