KATIE: And, how did you feel after the laryngectomy?

Barb: At first it was like a nightmare....

Barb: My biggest fear, next to not surviving, was my voice. I was afraid of what I would sound like. My speech-language pathologist, Jennifer, counseled me a lot, before and after the laryngectomy, which I must say made the transition a little easier, if that is possible (Salva & Kallail, 1989). She has worked with many laryngectomees and has even done research about different methods of communication after a laryngectomy.

KATIE: WOW! Barb, you have really been through a lot. How did you cope when you found out that you were going to have to have a laryngectomy?

Barb: How did I cope? Well it was a big struggle. At first, I did not really know what the treatment was going to be. Dr. Jones could see how shocked I was with the news of cancer, so he scheduled another visit to discuss treatment options. It was at the visit when it hit me; I was going to have a laryngectomy! I do not know which was more difficult for me, the period before the laryngectomy, or after. Before the laryngectomy, I had so many thoughts running through my head, like “Why me, how was I going to look, and how were people going to act around me?”

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.

This site is devoted to Jennifer Hatfield's academic work for a summer school class at Marshall University. Sounds boring, huh! Well, it is anything but!! You just have to see my Multigenre Research Project! Hang around for a while and check it out!