Sunday, September 19, 2010

Linda talks about her permanent tracheotomy and even sings!


For those of you who don't have broad band I am interviewing Linda this morning who has a permanent tracheotomy which was actually the result of surgery she was told was to remove a cancerous thyroid. The biopsy indicated she did not have cancer at all but Hashimoto's which is an auto immune system condition. My surgeon had a biopsy done during the surgery and nothing can be done about Hashimoto's. Additional thyroid medicine is prescribed and this is what was wrong with Linda. She did not have cancer at all, but the surgeon did not write down what he told her was wrong, so no lawyer would take her case after he accidentally severed the laryngeal nerve. It cannot be repaired and she went into respiratory arrest several times before a permanent tracheotomy had to be done. Now she must pay $200 for her trach supplies which she says she cannot afford so has been using the same supplies over again after washing them out. This does not seem right! I hope she can get help with her supplies at least.
However, I think her attitude is courageous, even though she says her condition sometimes depresses her, which I think it would anybody. She even got her voice back after nearly five years and sings the national anthem on this video! I was talking to Linda throughout her ordeal over five years ago, and was horrified to think she would come out of it with a permanent 'trach'. Singing was always her hobby. She was loving to sing Celine Dion songs when we were doing karoake back then. I hope to have her doing karoake soon. We are planning a Christmas carol karaoke style.
Oh yes, she asked if she could see herself on Doc's big screen so she and Doc had fun joking back and forth while that was going on. Then she watched me edit the video and upload it to You Tube, and Doc has promised to burn her two copies so she can give one to her mother.
I have changed the video picture so you will be able to see the top of her head. Video Photographer Gerry in the park sometimes boo boos. I still think the setting was gorgeous and the buses were not running so often. Isn't her little dog cute? His name is Toby Keith Urban for guess who? Ha.

P.S. Header photo of the Westward Ho is how it looks now. Linda and I live there and have known each other 6 or 7 years. We are filming to the new park a block away.

8 comments:

kanyonland King 2.blogspot.com said...

All I have is a white blank where the video should be right now. I'm hoping it will show up before long. Is it anywhere else?

Gerry said...

Go to youtube.com and then GerryKing40 to my channel if it doesn't ever show up. You can also click my channel on my blog list. Easier.

Missie said...

What a horribl ordeal your sister had to go thru. I never would have thought a person with a permanet trache could sing. Good for her!

Have a good week.

Gerry said...

I should have specified that this Linda is not my sister, but my friend at the Westward Ho. I was there and talking to her when this all happened to her. There must be 7 or 8 Lindas living in here, maybe more.

kanyonland King 2.blogspot.com said...

The video was here this morning so I was able to watch it. Tell Linda she can sing that song better than I can without a trac!
This is a very good interview and Linda is a woman with a mission...to get the second opinion or third. It's too bad a biopsy wasn't done. A touching story from a woman who should not had an operation.

kanyonland King 2.blogspot.com said...

Opps! Error there.

~mel said...

Oh goodness... what a touching story! You just don't know who to trust anymore when it comes to these doctors ~ and the conflicting diagnosis that go on. Linda did a beautiful job singing!

Anonymous said...

This is a very touching story. You ought to send this to Ellen DeGeneris Show. She show stories like this from U-Tube. A man who went out and save a dog in the desert she show just yesterday and people gave a check to of $10,000 and another $5,000 from someone else. He had decided to keep the dog.
She show many human interest things..like this. That she can even sing again is amazing. Wow! And she sings it so well. Linda


Herrad

Blog Archive