DISTRIBUTED BY AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
Kirklin Clinic Head and Neck Cancer Support Group, Birmingham, Alabama
What Makes Speech? by Glenn E. Peters, M.D.
My subject today concerns the differences in sound produced by different users of the TEP. You have probably noticed in the Support Group meeting that some folks sound great and others seem to struggle.
So why is that?
Let’s start this discussion with the real way that a larynx helps "talk". To put in the simplest terms, all a larynx does is to make the air coming out of our lungs vibrate. That’s it—just vibrate. Speech does not come from the larynx, a vibrating air column does. What we know as speech occurs when this vibrating air column is made into words by our throats, mouths, tongues, lips, teeth, and so on. A case in point is your Servox, which provides vibration only.
Now that we have this background information, let’s get on to our question. Remember that a TEP replaces the larynx by supplying another source of vibrating air. This time what vibrates is the lining of your throat in the lower part of your neck just above your stoma. The differences in speech quality largely center around the differences in this part of the throat and upper esophagus. These differences include the following:
As you can see, there is a long list of factors that play a role in the development of speech with a TEP. The bottom line is that each patient should be evaluated on an individual basis for this device. While the TEP is probably the state of the art at this present time it might notbe best for every patient. To find out more, ask your doctor or Pat Sanders.
When I saw the last sentence, I laughed and then reconsidered and left my name in, because your asking me gives me the questions to ask the doctor. So yes, please do ask me!
Pat Sanders, 2924 Coatbridge Lane, Birmingham, AL 35242 (snail mail address)
pat@choralmusic.com Telephone 205-995-8822 Fax 205-995-2399
When I was preparing a manuscript for a professional convention, I asked members of the San Diego New Voice Club to tell a brief story or two about their most memorable experiences in their communication with other people. Here are some of those stories
A laryngectomee
using esophageal speech was talking to a friend in a store, when a bystander,
hearing her voice, commented, "My, you are hoarse." She replied, "No, I have
had my voice box removed and that's how I talk
now." The bystander patted her on the shoulder and said, "That's all right,
honey, it will grow back."
Because of her
use of an electrolarynx, one female is often taken to be a male on the telephone
--she called it an "easy sex change.
The use of an
electrolarynx on the telephone is an excellent means of disposing of
solicitors.(note by Web Editor this is the USA meaning of the word!!)
Another electrolarynx
user commented that she and a friend were followed in a store by several
kids who thought the device was "cool" and wanted one.
A user of esophageal speech
told a cute story about an episode with a pet. Dogs don't hear as well in
low decibels of esophageal speech so when I asked a dog where his ball was,
he looked at me,camecloser. I asked again. He cocked his head, came closer,
and then he finally went after his ball. It really amused me . . . the look
on his face as he tried to understand."
"When I came
home after surgery and my Great Grandson saw me talking with the artificial
larynx, he got a block out of his toy box and would move his mouth like
me."
One respondent
seemed to take pleasure in having some inside information: "Most of the time
cashiers think if you can't speak you can't hear, and they will talk about
you openly with other people. When you look at them and smile, you should
see the looks on their faces."
"I was doing
a presentation at a elementary school about the effects of smoking. One small
boy wondered, "If you can't ask permission, you can't go to the bathroom."
When I was totally
voiceless, I stopped to buy gasoline, and wrote a message to the clerk that
said, "$7 on No 2 pump." The clerk stared, obviously not able to read or
comprehend what I wanted. Luckily, at that time, a third person entered,
understood the situation and read themessage aloud to the clerk. After the
transaction was completed, my interpreter commented, "Now, that was a
communication problem!"
Positively Positive Thinking! by Charles Lamar
Recently, I sat on the deck of my daughter’s house in rural Lauderdale County, AL drinking a cup of coffee while three cats surrounded my feet. My granddaughter was safely off to school while my daughter and her husband were off on a horseback vacation to Kentucky. I was "child-sitting" here and my wonderful, loving, wife was "parent-sitting" with her elderly mother in Tuscaloosa. With all this peace and quiet, I started reflecting on my bout with the "Big C" and why I have the attitude I do about it.
Years ago, while I was personnel director for a hospital, I was asked togive a talk to a BOE class in the local High School on applying for a job. I selected two young ladies from the class, coached them on the way I wanted them to dress and act on the day of the speech. One dressed neatly and came in with a positive approach while the other slouched in with a sloppy appearance. The questions and answers were almost the same but the applicants delivered the answers with a different attitude. It made quite a contrast and it was such a positive learning experience for the class that I was invited back as long as that teacher was there.
What does this have to do with cancer and how to deal with it? The same positive thinking helps there, too.
God never promised us that we would not have adversity in our lives, but that when we did, He would be there to give us strength to deal with it. So, when I got cancer, I made up my mind to fight it, to win and not let it rule my life with constant worry about it’s return. I had seen too many people who let cancer become the center of their lives, who wondered constantly what they had done wrong, would it recur, would it take their lives! I decided to have the cancer removed and to get on with the rest on my life. It is now 4 years later and I look at what happened as a bump in the road of life. While we can never brush it aside, we don’t have to let the negative thought dominate. Will I ever have cancer again? Who knows. I will deal with it, if and when it happens, and will not dwell on the possibility. It will be another bump in my road.
So, this afternoon, a cute little nine year old will return from school, doing cartwheels up the driveway and give her PawPaw a big hug and a quick "Love You".
YEP! LIFE IS GOOD
Page Updated 4 January 1998