Communication as Building Block

Tuesday we visited Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Downtown in the thick of urban life. Complicated to get to, park, debark the patient, move him to the assigned space for therapy, and then repeat the process in reverse to once again reclaim home. The process took five hours. We chose a 1 pm appointment time to miss both morning and evening rush hours, and that worked just fine.


One day prior we had 3 inches of snow and extreme cold temps. Tuesday the weather was clear, sunny but very cold, -7 windchill in the morning. The roads were clear and dry and visibility was perfect. So we had cold but great travel conditions.


We are 75 and 76 years of age. Restricted mobility for both, we had not dared drive in by ourselves in previous months. Too much complexity during a time of personal angst over cancer, surgery and healing. But this day we tried it on our own. We did fine. Scary a bit, but we still have our faculties and able to function. Impatience is a factor, but that comes at any age, eh?


The speech therapy for Rocky was important. She stressed the quality of life relying at least in part on our ability to communicate with one another. We are heard and understood. We hear and comprehend. We build on those transactions to experience the richness of life.


Therefore, relearning speech via an electro larynx to make up for the loss of the voice box, is an important goal. It is a goal worthy of effort, training, practice and patience.


Patience on the part of everyone. Family, strangers, service personnel, whomever…it is intentional to hear and comprehend the attempted sounds of new speech. Learning is needed by the sender and the receiver. Just like any communication transaction, both parties (and often many more!) must be engaged in a mutual process of understanding one another.


Quality of life…participating and sharing in life’s activities and meaning. Yes, a building block of life itself is communication.


Not all speech of course is uttered. Some is by body position, or hand signals, or telegraphed attitude. It still communicates intent and meaning. Not all such speech is positive.


Thus, the quality of life is challenged.  By word or deed, we seek quality of life in our expressions. Best they be positive. After all, our voices are unique to each of us.


Are we making the most of it?


November 14, 2019