voice is shot

Darkdancer333 · April 2018

Is it normal to lose your voice... I have none whatsoever sound like a frog.

Can't really talk to anyone not sure if there is a remedy for this

Winewagon · April 2018

It'll take a few weeks but it

It'll take a few weeks but it does return. I was nearly mute for a week, then the frog voice arrived. Three months out and its only about 90% returned. It's also challenging learning how to talk properly again, but just practice and don't get frustrated.

CivilMatt · April 2018

I hear you and all you have to say

Dd333,

If you can croak like a frog (or sound like a frog) all is not lost. Many of your fellow H&N members (me included), as you said, croaked like a frog, whispered like a secret, were as quiet as a mouse and chose our words carefully to say only the bare minimum. This may be new land for you, but it was staked out by radiation and chemo infused oral cancer survivors many years ago and with time, with a little perseverance, and for me speech therapy, you will soon be told to keep it down and eat your soup.

Can you still write and read?

Now get off that radiation table and get back into life. We will be looking and listening for your reply.

Matt

debbiel0 · April 2018

CivilMatt said:
I hear you and all you have to say
Dd333,

If you can croak like a frog (or sound like a frog) all is not lost. Many of your fellow H&N members (me included), as you said, croaked like a frog, whispered like a secret, were as quiet as a mouse and chose our words carefully to say only the bare minimum. This may be new land for you, but it was staked out by radiation and chemo infused oral cancer survivors many years ago and with time, with a little perseverance, and for me speech therapy, you will soon be told to keep it down and eat your soup.

Can you still write and read?

Now get off that radiation table and get back into life. We will be looking and listening for your reply.

Matt

Well said, Matt! except I

Well said, Matt! except I couldn't hear you, my ears are still not working quite right.:)

CivilMatt · April 2018

a little louder now

Debbie,

You must have had Platinum based chemo therapy (it is bad news for hearing endowed members), I did not.

Matt

soonermom · April 2018

Voice

My husband was not able to speak much at all for several months. I wasn't really sure if his voice would come back. In fact, I was not sure he would be able to work again because of it. Talking on the phone or ordering at a drive through for example was almost impossible. The Cancer Center made no promises but slowly over time it came back. A year after his last treatment, his voice is back but I will say it is vulnerable in a way it wasn't before treatment. For example, he doesn't have the same volume he had before. If he tries to project his voice, in not too much time, his voice will get raspy. If he gets a cold or gets outisde around a campfire, I notice he has a change in the quality of his voice. He is working fulltime and talks on the phone without problems. People who did not know him before treatment would probably not notice at all in most encounters. Give it time. I always say his recovery was as slow as a glacier before global warming but he did recover. Be patient and try not to worrry too much.

debbiel0 · April 2018

CivilMatt said:
a little louder now
Debbie,

You must have had Platinum based chemo therapy (it is bad news for hearing endowed members), I did not.

Matt

Yes sir.. on the bright side

Yes sir.. on the bright side I cant hear the dust bunnies calling me either.

Dean54 · April 2018

Mine never fully went away

But it did get raspy and five months later still is especially first thing in the morning. It's lower in tone and can't do high notes at all now.

Darkdancer333 · April 2018

Dean54 said:
Mine never fully went away
But it did get raspy and five months later still is especially first thing in the morning. It's lower in tone and can't do high notes at all now.

guess i wont be singing

guess i wont be singing Purple Rain in a while

LynnBin · April 2018

Lost MineToo!

I sound like one of the chipmunks. Good to know it is a known symptom, and others have had it, with some getting their voice back. It was news to me to lose it.

I had aggressive proton therapy for a recurrence of a tumor in nasopharnex. I am 6 weeks out from radiation and split dose Cisplatin. Just lost the voice.

Billie67 · April 2018

hello,

hello,

I haven't been on here for quite some time so pardon me if you've already answered this question. Where exactly was your cancer located? Mine was on and behind my vocal cords. I'm 5 years out and still have a very raspy voice. Immediately after surgery and during chemo and radiation I had very little voice and very froggy as you mentioned. It did get a ton better. Still raspy, I kind of sound like a cross between Demi Moore and Terri Seymour, is what people tell me. People say it sounds "cool" but they have no idea how tiring it is to try and produce enough voice at times.

Suez39 · April 2018

Late answer -lost voice

I just finished week 3 in treatments (kinda early) and I have lost my voice also. Think I'm one week behind you Darkdancer. I think I received a good concise answer from my speech therapist yesterday. She told me that radiation sweets our throat tissues and also it's very very dry where are voice box and vocal chords are. Vocal chords need Lots of moisture to produce our talking. So therefore sips or drinks of water won't help with getting our voice back cause we can't keep it moisturized for a long period of time. And don't forget radiation every day will dry it out more. Just another lovely side effect to be so happy about. Little sarcasm. Hope this info helps you with no singing voice. Mine sounds raspy n like a newborn kitty trying to meow and you can barely hear it. Oh n my therapist said having no voice might last till the end of treatments and months after. Yippee! Not!

E

[Deleted User] · May 2018

Suez39 said:
Late answer -lost voice
I just finished week 3 in treatments (kinda early) and I have lost my voice also. Think I'm one week behind you Darkdancer. I think I received a good concise answer from my speech therapist yesterday. She told me that radiation sweets our throat tissues and also it's very very dry where are voice box and vocal chords are. Vocal chords need Lots of moisture to produce our talking. So therefore sips or drinks of water won't help with getting our voice back cause we can't keep it moisturized for a long period of time. And don't forget radiation every day will dry it out more. Just another lovely side effect to be so happy about. Little sarcasm. Hope this info helps you with no singing voice. Mine sounds raspy n like a newborn kitty trying to meow and you can barely hear it. Oh n my therapist said having no voice might last till the end of treatments and months after. Yippee! Not!

E

Quiet time

Hi Suez,

I was only able to whisper around my 20th radiation

treatment and that was it. I am now three weeks

post radiation and still healing. I try talking each day

to see where I’m at and I can tell today that it is

healing some. i’m in the wait and see what happens mode.

All My Best,

Seige

[Deleted User] · May 2018

Seige said:
Quiet time
Hi Suez,

I was only able to whisper around my 20th radiation

treatment and that was it. I am now three weeks

post radiation and still healing. I try talking each day

to see where I’m at and I can tell today that it is

healing some. i’m in the wait and see what happens mode.

All My Best,

Seige

5 weeks

I’m almost at the 5 week point post radiation and still waiting for my voice to come back. I keep my hope up by coming back to this thread and rereading it. My vocal cords must have been cooked pretty good because that was where the cancer was. I hope to find out more after my appointments next week. In the mean time I just keep a healthy diet, stay hydrated, and pray. Thanks, Seige

SuzJ · May 2018

I found that, if I sang my

I found that, if I sang my "ABC"s and anything else on the radio as loud as I could, it kept my vocal chords working

For this exercise, you need a few things ~

1) the windows closed

2) the radio up LOUD

3) No one else in the car with you!

You'll find your frog will attempt to escape at random moments (hence the alone,. windows closed, loud radio)

I also did the A E I O U exercises, to keep my jaw moving, which apparently stood me in good stead

Oh and don't look at the faces of people that see you driving doing this

Mickg01 · May 2018

7 Years since 34 Radiation treatments

7 Years since 34 Radiation Treatments and my wife tells me my singing is as bad as it ever was, and as loud.

[Deleted User] · May 2018

Mickg01 said:
7 Years since 34 Radiation treatments
7 Years since 34 Radiation Treatments and my wife tells me my singing is as bad as it ever was, and as loud.

Searching

I searched voice and read 20 pages of other threads on the subject. Seven weeks after radiation now and I am very hoarse and a bit whistley when I talk, but people can understand me. It takes me a while to catch on to things, and now I realize it is early on in the recovery stages. Healing from that beating will be measured in months by me now, and I’m getting back to life the way things are and going to enjoy each day the best I can. Keeping busy will help in every way with the process. I came across a wonderful story titled “A Part of My Soul” while searching around and it‘s definitely worth a title search and read. Thanks to the people post on this site as it helps me. Seige

voice is shot

Comments

Discussion Boards