My Story: 'I Encountered Total Rejection For The First Time When I Spoke With My Differently-Abled Voice'

Imagine a lifetime of physical silence, and it occurs to you as a mid-life crisis. From being naturally gifted with a voice to suddenly being deprived of it, it can be a harrowing experience. You see the words 'Silence Zone' in places like a classroom, courtroom, library, a TED talk and many others. However, this phrase became an unexpected reality in my life.

I am a businessman and have travelled around 33 countries where I have promoted dyestuffs and chemicals. Not only that, I was the sole earner of my family until the age of 44, when I was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition of cancer. You can see the dreams you have worked hard for getting crashed like a quake.

Fighting Vocal Cords Cancer

In 1996, I realised that my voice was, slowly and steadily, turning into a whisper. I do not smoke or drink, so I was not sure about the root of the problem. Consulting various Doctors and ENT surgeons did not help because they could not find anything dangerous. A year later, in 1997, I started to have breathing difficulties and could not sleep on my back. Not only that, I drastically lost weight.

Then, my family physician told me to consult a cancer surgeon. I got the necessary tests done, and the results brought my world crashing down. I had stage IV A of Vocal Cords Cancer. The doctors found a massive tumour in my windpipe and performed surgery to remove it. It lasted for nine long hours and had around 30 rounds of radiotherapy.

While I was cancer-free, it impacted my vocal cords. I lost my natural ability to speak. I had to take the support of a digital electrolarynx to get my points across. I started to depend on the power of pen and paper to express what I felt.

I Did Not Quit

It took me some time to get used to my unique robotic voice. Since there were no language and speech therapists available, I had to learn on my own to locate the 'sweet spot' that could generate some sound from my throat, which was located under my chin. My newly-acquired different voice came as a shock to many, and I encountered total rejection when I spoke with it.

Moreover, I decided not to quit and give up. This rejection only fuelled me to take on the challenge and raise awareness about the life-threatening condition. I continued speaking with the newly-developed voice with full courage and confidence without any fear. I continued doing my business and resumed travelling abroad for work, which inspired me to become a speaker.

My innovative voice invited people to listen to me. I felt that it would help several patients, caregivers, students, working professionals and super-specialist doctors by emphasising quality of life after beating cancer and instilled courage with numerous presentations to explain my journey. I am grateful to God for giving me a bonus life 2.0. I spend every moment of my life without any regard and without seeking sympathy. I express deep gratitude to everyone, especially my wife, Nilam, and my sons, Maulik and Ankit, for being an unparalleled support system while suffering from cancer.

If you too have an inspiring story to tell the world, send us your story at mystory@thelogicalindian.com