A 68-year-old retired civil servant in Kelantan has permanently lost his voice due to years of heavy smoking, which led to him contracting late-stage thyroid cancer.
Ismail Mahmud spoke to Berita Harian about how his poor lifestyle choice during his youth led to him not having a voice and how he’s coping thus far.
Smoked 4 packets daily
According to Ismail, it all began with him being a heavy smoker in his youth, where he could smoke up to 80 cigarettes a day.
This habit eventually took a toll on his health and it culminated in him contracting thyroid cancer.
“I didn’t experience any pain and only went to a clinic after having the symptoms for three months.
I was referred to Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II after doctors detected that the symptoms were linked to cancer, and I was diagnosed with stage four thyroid cancer.”
Ismail said he was greatly distressed by the news as he never expected to suffer from cancer himself.
Had voice box removed
Due to his condition, Ismail underwent a 13-hour emergency surgery that saw his voice box being removed as the cancer had spread to the area, leaving him completely voiceless.
Following the surgery, Ismail attended 30 sessions of radiotherapy and continues to have hospital check-ups every three months.
Today, he relies on an electronic speech aid, which is placed against his neck to produce speech.
“Although the sound from the microphone may seem strange, at least I can talk to others.
“I used to be friendly, talkative, and loved singing. But after losing my voice, my life became quiet as I’m no longer able to hear my own voice,” he added.
Thankfully, Ismail is now cancer-free and practices a healthy diet and lifestyle to keep the disease at bay.
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