posted on November 3, 2005 12:04:08 PM new
If this "plea" is for real, then this poor guy is in HELL -- if this story is kaka, then he belongs IN hell:
"HELLO I SAW SOME OF YOUR ITEMS ON EBAY AND I WONDERED IF YOU CAN HELP ME I AM A 23 YEAR OLD MALE AND I HAVE RECENTLY HAD A FULL LARYNGECTOMY TO REMOVE CANCER IN MY THROAT AND I WIL NEVER BREATHE FROM MY MOUTH OR NOSE AGAIN MY VOICE BOX HAS COMPLETLY BEEN REMOVED AND NOTHING CAN HELP ME TO EVER SPEAK AGAIN AND THIS IS EXTREMELY DEVISTATING TO ME ALL I CAN DO IS LIE IN BED I CANT HANDLE NOT BEING ABLE TO COMUNICATE WITH THE WORLD ANYMORE AND I AM LOOKING FOR A DEVICE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK FOR ME TO HELP ME SO MAYBE ONE DAY I COULD USE THE PHONE WITH MY FRIENDS AGAIN AND TALK TO PEOPLE WITHOUT HAVING TO USE HANDWRITING AND STUFF LIKE THAT PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU KNOW OF ANYTHING THAT CAN HELP ME I BOUGHT A LAPTOP WITH PLANS TO FIND A SPEECH FROM TEXT PROGRAM BUT I CANT FIND THE PROGRAM NOW AND MY LAPTOP ISNT ONLINE YET I JUST GOT HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL AND MY ENTIRE LEFT PECTORIAL MUSCLE WAS REMOVED TO ASSIST IN MY THROAT SURGERY SO I REALLY AM TOO DEVISTATED TO EVEN GO OUTSIDE OR DO ANYTHING ANY HELP I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE"
Ralphie became all choked-up after reading this to me! And, I of course got a real lump in my throat listening to my poor liddle boy's recitation!
Anyhoo...let's ass-u-me this story is the real-deal:
Can anybody here recommend appropriate equipment for this guy?
posted on November 3, 2005 12:21:36 PM new
He needs to contact the hospital's physical/work therapists. There are devices that work through vibrations for those that have had their voiceboxes removed. The person places it against their throat and it picks up the vibrations and speaks for them. I don't know what it's called though. The hospital can help him find them though.
posted on November 3, 2005 01:23:40 PM new
uh, if his laptop is not online yet and his left arm is disabled, how did he send you the email??? Better yet, why did he send YOU the email??
I think Ralphie wrote the email so he can get a talking box, then he could tell you what he really wants for Christmas.
posted on November 3, 2005 04:48:38 PM new
It is a strange mail to be sending you after seeing your items on eBay. But...
He needs to ask for referrals from his otolaryngologist or oncologist to a speech language pathologist who can assess him for several different alternative or augmentative devices for speech production post larangectomy.
After a total laryngectomy, you will not be able to speak using your vocal cords. However, there are several options for restoring speech after total laryngectomy. Losing one's voice box to cancer no longer means losing one's ability to talk.
Esophageal speech: After a laryngectomy, the windpipe (or trachea) has been separated from the mouth and food pipe, and therefore, the patient can no longer expel air from the lungs through the mouth to speak. With training, some patients can swallow air and create a belching type of speech. This is the most basic form of speech rehabilitation. With the advent of new devices and surgical techniques, learning esophageal speech is often not necessary.
Tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP): One of the most significant advances in restoring speech has been the development of the tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP). TEP is performed either at the time of initial surgery or at a later time. This procedure creates a communication between the windpipe and food pipe through a small puncture at the stoma site. A small one-way shunt valve placed into this puncture restores the patient's ability to force air from their lungs into the mouth. After this operation, patients can cover their stoma with a finger to force air out of their mouths, producing sustained speech. This takes practice, but patients can work closely with speech pathologists after surgery to learn this technique.
Electrolarynx: For patients who cannot have tracheoesophageal punctures because of certain medical reasons, or while patients are learning to use their TEP voice, they may use electrical devices to produce a mechanical voice. These devices are either placed in the corner of the mouth or against the skin of the neck. By moving one's mouth and tongue, the patient is able to form the sound into words.
I don't have the consumer 1-800 for American Speech Language Hearing Association phone number. Their web address is: www.asha.org
