Geez, I didn't realize it had been so long since I'd posted an update. Al had very successful surgery in Kansas City last April, 'textbook' to quote his surgeon. The downside was that his voice was reduced to little more than a whisper as a result of the surgery. The left side of his vocal cords has been slow in 'overcompensating' for the right side, but the good news is that his airway was indeed improved.
He has undertaken speech therapy, and has vocal exercises to improve his ability to speak. Dr. Garnett explained to us that we should think of his vocal cords as another muscle, and with more exercise, that muscle would get stronger. This has proven to be true, as his voice gets stronger the more he talks. But if you call him on his day off, you're likely to get little more than a whisper.
Understandably, this has been very frustrating over the past number of months. We have had regular follow-up visits with Dr. Garnett in KC, and he's pleased with Al's progress. We have another visit scheduled in July, and I'll try to remember to post again after that.
Otherwise, neither of us has any indication of cancer. I'm still undergoing semi-annual mammograms, and they remain clear, so we're thanking our lucky stars for these blessings, and trying to support friends and family when they are faced with the challenge of this wicked disease.
xoxoxo
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