Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I had my laryngectomy just a year ago and I have recovered well. Of course it removed my ability to talk normally but I have a little plastic valve that connects my trachea to my mouth and I can force air through it to create a voice. It works.

I have to physically close off my breathing by placing a finger over the hole in my neck in order to talk and I can speak for maybe 4-6 words at a time before I need to breathe again. I find it a chore and of course I need to use my hands.

A company has given me a hands free system that will allow me to talk without physically blocking my breathing and I am being fitted with it tomorrow. It will be interesting to try.

I miss not being able to talk and all that goes with it. I'll let you know how I get on.

Good luck Cindy!  I'm sure your very excited with this.  To be able to do something you took for granted again is certain to make you happy.

Good luck

Ooh, this is exciting.  I always get goosebumps when a new medical device extends comfort.  Let us know how it works.  I'd love to have a link to the device if it works.  My family has had a member have the same surgery.  She's long gone now, but I'd love to read about how things have improved.

Bari Jo

This sounds like great news and something which would make your live so much easier. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that everything works as planned! Good luck!

@ Cindy:  Thank you for sharing your good news report...   Oh yeah, the hands free device will be much better for you,  I am certain about that.

I always talk with my hands moving around as I speak, I would be in trouble if I couldn't do that, so I am very happy for you and again, thanks for your great report.

Hugs,
Danielle

What an interesting day.

I called in to the hospital I use to work at and where my treatments where performed and had this new device tried. It is a Provox Free Hands Flexi voice made by Atos and has been given to me by the company in order to see if I like it and if I can help them sell more of them.
The principle is simple. After a laryngectomy you breathe through a hole in your neck (stoma) and you have no vocal cords and your mouth has no connection to your lungs. A small plastic tube, about 8mm long is put in a hole made between your trachea and your new throat. By blocking the hole you breathe through with a finger, the back pressure forces air through this tube into your mouth and you use your mouth to form sound and words.
This device sits over the stoma in a stick on base and has a flexible membrane, when you exert pressure to speak the membrane closes and the air is pushed through the little tube to the mouth. Hence it is hands free.
None of the speech paths had used one before so we were all keen and happy to try. After a bit of 'the riveter diverter fits into the thingy' we read the instructions and I put on the baseplate, put in the hands free set, looked at the two speech paths and said, 'Well does it work?' It did and it was very strange to talk again without physically blocking my stoma. Instead of being lost for words, I was lost with what do I do with my hands?

We had a chat and checked a few things and off I went. I called into my lab and surprised the bejesus out of my staff by talking and wandered off into the day.

I drove to the nursing home and went to see Rebecca and she was suitably amazed and happy, we also got a bit emotional but enough of that.

The device itself is a bit of plastic and a silicon membrane. I think you could make it for maybe 50 cents, they sell for $800 and last for a maximum of 6 months.

My part of the contract is to get the politicians here to supply the product to laryngectomy patients as an essential piece of equipment; at the moment they are considered 'cosmetic'.

I'm off to see the State Minister of Health soon to convince him that being able to talk is not cosmetic.

I have to admit that I have felt very strange being able to talk at will and have forgotten to talk several times during the day.

What I forgot to add is that you can only wear these things for a certain amount of time. The base plate has an adhesive and mine tend to remove a layer of skin each time I take them off. Also if you produce mucus and cough and all laryngectomy patients do, the mucus blocks the device and you have to clean the thing out.

That part can be really gross. >:-)

I've been watching for your update.  I agree being able to talk is not cosmetic.  It sounds to me like this is cutting edge. The 50 cent idea might not be far off in a few years.  Who knows.  Still that must have felt great emotionally speaking, no?  Good on you for testing and waving the flag of progress.  Hopefully they will be offered as standard.

Bari Jo

Cindy, once again (as always) your hard work for the benefit of others is without doubt appreciated. X

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