Emergency tongue?
“
All I really needed was a mirror and I could
have sorted the problem out in a minute
with my brush and torch. I actually couldn’t
speak for three hours, so when I got home,
I knew I had to get around the problem
somehow
”
says Alan Shaw
him wherever he goes. (And plenty of people at
the Heads Together group in Sheffield have started
doing the same.)
Alan knows it pays to have an emergency tongue!
What happens when you just can’t get the words
out? Even when you’ve mastered the intricacies of
post-op communication, there are times when the
words just won’t come. Invariably it happens at the
worst possible time.
Just ask Alan.... “About a year ago, I was shopping
and went to say “Excuse me” and startled the shop
assistant when my voice didn’t come out properly.
So then, instead of speaking to her, I had to try
and engage her in lip reading style conversation.”
Afterwards, Alan knew he had to do something to
prepare in case the same thing ever happened
again.
If it’s ever happened to you, you’ll know only
too well – it’s not just embarrassing; it’s acutely
frustrating. And what makes it worse is that, nine
times out of ten, it’s a problem that can be sorted
out within a matter of moments given access to a
few of your everyday tools.
In fact, Alan has done two things. First he says, he
got himself a cheap canvas bag and put together
an essential survival kit, comprising brush, torch,
notebook and mirror. Now he takes the bag with
6 THE VOICE | Summer 2010
But Alan didn’t stop there. He made what he calls
his ’emergency tongue’. It’s a little sign that he
keeps in a pocket sized wallet that gives an in-anutshell explanation of what’s happened.
The signs read:
“Sorry, I can’t speak right now”
“What I would like now please is...”
“Thank you”
From personal experience Alan knows that it’s
very easy for people in this situation to feel self
conscious. But he thinks his emergency tongue can
help overcome that embarrassment. It’s certainly
a very efficient way of coping with an unexpected
loss of voice. And it’s already helped Alan out a few
times since making it. “Yes, I’ve been in a similar
situation a couple of times since, and both times it’s
helped me to be understood without all of the fuss
and embarrassment.”
Alan is happy for others to print out and use his
‘emergency tongue card’ – you can even adapt it
to suit your needs. It’s a simple idea, well executed,
and it’s another important tool in the lary and
trachi armoury. ?