Kelantan Man Who Smoked 80 Cigarettes A Day Now Lives Without A Voice
Decades Of Heavy Smoking Take A Devastating Turn
A 68-year-old retired civil servant from Kota Bharu, Kelantan, now lives without his natural voice after years of heavy smoking led to a cancer diagnosis.
Ismail Mahmud admitted that he began smoking in his teenage years and at one point consumed as many as 80 cigarettes a day, equivalent to four packs daily.
What started as a long-standing habit eventually developed into a life-altering health crisis.
A Silent Diagnosis
According to Ismail, the early symptoms were painless, which made the condition easy to ignore. It was only after three months of persistent signs that he decided to seek medical attention at a clinic.
“The doctor found that the symptoms were linked to cancer, and I was immediately referred to Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II, where I was later diagnosed with stage four thyroid cancer.
“It was very upsetting because I never expected to have cancer, and the doctor told me it was due to my heavy smoking habit,” he told Berita Harian.
The diagnosis marked a turning point in his life.
13-Hour Surgery And Permanent Voice Loss
As the cancer spread to his voice box, doctors had no choice but to remove it through an emergency procedure that lasted 13 hours.
The surgery saved his life but permanently took away his voice.
Following the operation, Ismail underwent 30 radiotherapy sessions and continues to attend follow-up check-ups every three months to monitor his condition.
Living With An Electronic Voice
To communicate, Ismail now depends on an electronic speech aid device placed against his neck to generate sound.
“Although the sound from the device is unusual, at least I can talk to others,” he said.
He admitted that life feels unusually quiet without the sound of his own voice.
The widower also shared that both of his wives had previously passed away due to cancer, one from uterine cancer and the other from pancreatic cancer.
Now cancer-free, the father of 13 says he is focused on maintaining a healthier lifestyle to reduce the risk of recurrence.
DISCLAIMER: NasiLemakDaily is not responsible for any comments written by readers. Please think carefully before posting. We are also unable to monitor every comment posted. All comments are your own responsibility.
Source : Instagram
Video :
