Man who smoked 80 cigarettes a day now lives without voice
After decades of heavy smoking, 68-year-old Malaysian retiree Ismail Mamud was diagnosed with stage four thyroid cancer and eventually had to come to terms with the removal of his vocal cords.
The man, who used to smoke up to 80 cigarettes daily, now speaks with the help of a dynamic microphone, also known as an electrolarynx, after losing his voice.
Used to smoke four packs of cigarettes per day
Mr Ismail revealed that he was a teenager when he started smoking — a habit that only escalated over the years.
By the time he was an adult, he was consuming four packs of cigarettes a day.
Mr Ismail continued with this long-term addiction until one day, he suddenly lost his voice.
Though he didn’t initially experience any pain, he would struggle with this condition for three months before seeking medical help.
Source: Berita Harian on YouTube
A doctor confirmed that his symptoms were linked to thyroid cancer, and he was soon referred to Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II) in Kota Bharu, Malaysia.
There, he underwent a 13-hour emergency surgery to have his vocal cords removed as the cancer cells had spread too far.
Source: Berita Harian on YouTube
Depends on dynamic microphone to speak
Post-surgery, Mr Ismail underwent 30 sessions of radiotherapy and still attends hospital appointments every three months.
He uses a dynamic microphone, known as an electrolarynx, to speak.
Though it produces a sound different from his own voice, Mr Ismail says he is grateful to be able to communicate at all.
Source: Berita Harian on YouTube
“Even though the sound from this microphone is a bit funny, at least I can speak with others compared to before, when I only moved my lips,” he said.
“Previously, I was friendly, talkative, and loved to sing, but after losing my voice, my life is quiet without hearing my own voice anymore.”
Grateful that he is cancer-free
The father of 13 said that he previously cared for his two wives, who both suffered from womb and pancreatic cancer before passing away.
Never expecting to become a cancer patient himself, Mr Ismail is grateful that doctors have informed him he is now free of cancer cells, though he remains vigilant.
“I now lead a healthy lifestyle and watch my diet because, as a former cancer warrior, it is not impossible for the cells to return,” he said.
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Featured image adapted from Julia Engel on Unsplash and Çağlar Oskay on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only.
