The Next Breath You Take (...will be through your neck)

Laryngectomy, a surgical procedure primarily performed to treat laryngeal cancer or severe laryngeal damage, remains relatively uncommon. In the United States, approximately 12,000 new cases of laryngeal cancer are diagnosed each year. While not all cases necessitate a laryngectomy, a substantial number of patients face this life-altering procedure as the best or only option for survival. I found myself among the rare 0.01% of the population who undergo this surgery-a distinction I never anticipated, yet one that would redefine my life. This is my story. It is the journey of how I learned I had vocal cord cancer, the choices I faced, and the reality of what it means to lose one's natural voice in order to keep living. It is a story of resilience, uncertainty, and ultimately, adaptation. I share it not just to document my own experience, but to offer insight and encouragement to those who may one day find themselves on the same path.