vocal cord scarring

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charles55
charles55 Member Posts: 87
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I don’t see too much about vocal cord scarring post radiation therapy on this site so my situation might not be common with us. I still thought I might share this with you in case anyone else has similar problems and just has not spoken up yet. I am a bedside RN in a hospital but I am constantly finding out new stuff about our situations all the time.

My ENT tells me that scar tissue post radiation forms and reforms over ten to a dozen years. And of course, it is stiff as all get outs. I am four years post treatment for BOT CA. My left cord is considered paralyzed and my right one near so, and they were getting very closed. Normally, they form a “V”. The narrow part is toward the front and does fine movement to help us speak. The back part helps that, too, but is also opens wide to let us breathe. All our air has to go through that stricture twice with each breath. Mine had become more like parallel lines, and stiff. I was finding myself running out of breath with any activity. Stairs were just about out of my reach. There is a lot of anxiety that comes when you are air starved. I was close to needing a trach by my ENT's judgement.

Fortunately, I was referred to a sub specialist laryngoscopist who knew how to do more than that. Two days ago she performed a procedure where, at two spots around the perimeter of my cords, she cut a flap of skin (mucosa), peeled it back, laser obliterated the scar tissue underneath, and glued the skin back down. Somehow, that process tends to prevent the scar tissue from growing back like just simple obliteration of all the tissue. That is some very fine hand work. I think my throat is a smoking crater right now. Absolutely monster sore throat, but I can breath big again. My wife says that my voice is breathy and sexy. Aren't caretakers wonderful? They look past all the ugliness. I am anxious to get on the treadmill to try it out but have to wait ten days.

I guess I am finding newer doctors seem to have newer information. More established doctors can get so caught up in the business that they find it difficult to stay up with the absolutely latest technology and techniques.

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  • dennis318
    dennis318 Member Posts: 349 Member
    #2
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    Where Have you Been???
    I too have the same and get short winded, my voice is a whisper soft at that, Food needs to be chopped or i choke and have to toss it up so i don't choke, breathin is hard when I walk fast, can't run, I do the treadmill at .30, weights kill me, i had my latynz cancer exactly one year ago and the chemo and rads where pure hell on me, lose 62 lbs, have 45 back on. the docotr was afraid to open my larynx anymore for i would lose my voice or drown my lungs....who was your oncologist, or is there something you could send me, he told me if anything came in i would be the first he would notify, i sure would love more air, I refuse trach!...i had this twice and fought it. strandedintn@aol.com is where you can contact me, thanks Dennis
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #3
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    dennis318 said:

    Where Have you Been???
    I too have the same and get short winded, my voice is a whisper soft at that, Food needs to be chopped or i choke and have to toss it up so i don't choke, breathin is hard when I walk fast, can't run, I do the treadmill at .30, weights kill me, i had my latynz cancer exactly one year ago and the chemo and rads where pure hell on me, lose 62 lbs, have 45 back on. the docotr was afraid to open my larynx anymore for i would lose my voice or drown my lungs....who was your oncologist, or is there something you could send me, he told me if anything came in i would be the first he would notify, i sure would love more air, I refuse trach!...i had this twice and fought it. strandedintn@aol.com is where you can contact me, thanks Dennis

    Charles
    Very interesting, and it is some info which all with it in the throat may find useful to know w/breathing difficulty.

    thanks

    kcass
  • charles55
    charles55 Member Posts: 87
    #4
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    dennis318 said:

    Where Have you Been???
    I too have the same and get short winded, my voice is a whisper soft at that, Food needs to be chopped or i choke and have to toss it up so i don't choke, breathin is hard when I walk fast, can't run, I do the treadmill at .30, weights kill me, i had my latynz cancer exactly one year ago and the chemo and rads where pure hell on me, lose 62 lbs, have 45 back on. the docotr was afraid to open my larynx anymore for i would lose my voice or drown my lungs....who was your oncologist, or is there something you could send me, he told me if anything came in i would be the first he would notify, i sure would love more air, I refuse trach!...i had this twice and fought it. strandedintn@aol.com is where you can contact me, thanks Dennis

    contact
    Dennis, your doctor can contact Dr. Felicia Johnson in Bentonville, AR. Number is 479-750-2080. She was not my oncologist, though. The name of the procedure was a micro trap door flap with jet ventilation. I thought it ought to be a more flashy name; something Latin maybe. Before coming here, she came from UofAR MedSchool at Little Rock. It was there they referred me to her with high recommendations. She seems to know her stuff and offers hope where there wasn't much before. My best wishes to you, Dennis.

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