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Learning To Speak Again
Talking is part of nearly
everything we do, so it's natural to be scared if your voice box must be
removed. Losing the ability to
talk—even for a short time—is hard.
Patients and their families and friends need understanding and support
during this time.
Within a week or so after a partial
laryngectomy, you will be able to talk in the usual way. After a total laryngectomy, however, you
must learn to speak in a new way. A
speech pathologist usually meets with you before surgery to explain the methods
that can be used. In many cases, speech
lessons start before you leave the hospital.
Until you begin to talk again, it
is important to have other ways to communicate. Here are some ideas that you may find helpful:
Keep pads of paper and pens or pencils in your pocket
or purse.
Use a typewriter, computer, or other electronic
device. Your words can be printed on
paper, displayed on a screen, or produced in a male or female voice.
Carry a small dictionary or a picture book and point to
the words you need.
Write notes on a "magic slate" (a toy with a
plastic sheet that covers black wax; lifting the plastic erases the sheet).
The health care team can help patients learn new ways to speak. It takes
practice and patience to learn techniques such as
esophageal speech or
tracheoesophageal puncture
speech, and not everyone is successful.
How quickly a person learns, how understandable the speech is, and how
natural the new voice sounds depend on the extent of the surgery on the larynx. |
