Hotlanta!

    About 300 people attended the 2003 International Association of Laryngectomees Annual Meeting and Voice Institute in Atlanta, Georgia in June.  The Meeting was dedicated to the memory of the late Jane Del Vecchio and sponsored by the club she established, the Greater Atlanta Voice Masters.  Jane's son Robert McClure and his wife were honored guests.  Atlanta club President David Kilgo and his planning committee, along with IAL Vice President Bob Mehrman, put together a great program.

    The Voice Institute, which began on Tuesday, was among the largest groups in many years at 75 participants including 17 speech/language pathologists, 9 laryngectomee trainees, 33 VIPs (laryngectomees), 16 speech graduate students, plus faculty.  According to Dr. Ed Stone, Director of the Voice Institute, the hands-on clinic held at Emory University was the best ever.

    The Annual Meeting kicked off with the opening ceremonies, which featured a Marine Corps color guard, and the keynote speech by Dr. Robert Hillman.  Dr. Hillman gave a slide/talk on the hands-free electronic larynx on which he and his colleagues at Harvard University are working.  The hands-free electronic artificial larynx uses the patient's muscles and nerves to turn on the AL sound source which is attached to the neck. 

    The tone can then be modified by the patient's muscles and nerves to produce prosidy, or variability in the pitch as well as loudness.  The tone from the mouth is picked up by a microphone, and modulated before it comes out of a speaker which is attached to the waist.  A more comprehensive article on the device will appear later, but it is important to know that the device is not now ready for purchase, and, at this time, it can only be used by a new laryngectomee since the work to preserve and relocate muscles and nerves must be done at the time of the laryngectomy surgery.  There is also additional research work which needs to be done on making some of the parts smaller before it will be available for purchase.

    Later on Thursday morning Drs. Eugene Myers and Amy Chen presented sessions on managing head and neck cancer and on what can be learned from research, and Angela Pool gave a talk on hearing loss and contemporary solutions.  A workshop on the TruTone electronic artificial larynx was provided, a medical panel was available for questions from the audience, a choice was offered from among seven sessions on improving each of the three major methods of alaryngeal speech, and the traditional sing-a-long rounded out the program for Thursday.

     The Friday program began with a presentation on hyperbaric oxygen treatments by Judy Bennett, RN (see related article, http://www.webwhispers.org/news/feb2001.htm), a repeat of an enthusiastically received session from last year on learning to smell again by Dr. Corina van As, and sessions on tobacco education and an InHealth product workshop rounded out the morning program. The afternoon featured sessions on surfing the Internet conducted by our own Dutch Helms and Pat Sanders, a session on public speaking, a workshop by Servox, a panel on rehabilitation of laryngectomees around the world, another round of speech therapy in seven groups, and a presentation by Dr. Jim Shanks on esophageal speech.

     The annual WebWhispers banquet was held on Friday night with the reception hosted by Bruce Medical.  The food was, as always, outstanding.  Thanks to Libby Fitzgerald and all of those who helped with the planning of the banquet. 

     The winner of the prestigious Casey/Cooper Award went to Mary Jane Renner, past president of the IAL and pillar of the laryngectomee community.  Awards also went to Casey/Cooper runner-ups Herb Simon, Judy Ramboldt and David Blevins; Gary Miner received the "Jarhead" award; Syd Gartenberg and Kent Smith received "Jumping In" awards for quickly joining in and making valuable contributions to the listserve; Richard Najarian and Bruce Medical received a certificate of appreciation for sponsoring the pre-WW dinner cocktail reception; Lorrance Lancaster received the Long Distance Lary Award for having come 9700 miles to the Meeting from Australia; and June Allan received a "Spotlight" award for her quiet behind the scenes support of WW President Murray Allan.

     The Saturday sessions began with a panel on the Dynamics of a Thriving Club;  Managing Grief, Depression and Anger;  a panel from Poland who discussed rehabilitation in that country  where traditional esophageal speech still prevails; and a tea and fashion show for ladies was an option.  The Delegate assembly convened in the afternoon and the Delegates elected new Board of Directors members Jesse Hart and Sally North of Texas, Roger Jordan of Mississippi, and Tina Long of Georgia.   The traditional Fun Show written and directed by Ron Langseth and the Raffle concluded the afternoon activities. 

The stronger laryngectomee clubs

     Sessions at previous Annual Meetings have sought to identify some common characteristics of the strongest laryngectomee support clubs.  And an article on this topic appeared in September, 2002 issue of the IAL News.   It listed and described seven common characteristics of the strongest clubs: the strongest clubs (1) make themselves know to every hospital, ACS unit, ENT and SLP in their geographic area, and renew the contact at least annually (2) identify EVERY laryngectomee-to-be and new lary in their areas through the contacts identified above. (3) stay in touch with EVERY laryngectomee within their geographic area through a newsletter which, preferably, goes beyond printing the minutes of the previous meeting and making announcements and includes articles of interest to laryngectomees who do not regularly attend meetings (4) meet no less than once per month (5) train future leaders (6) carefully screen and train hospital visitors (7) maintain a loaner closet.

     A session in Atlanta, "Dynamics of a Thriving Club," went beyond these basics and discussed some unique programs which other clubs may wish to consider.  Some of these ideas include clubs establishing an Internet website so that individuals searching for local support can find the club.  To assist in this, the IAL will provide a website for just $20 per year (two pages), and include contact and other information.

     Participants also suggested a twice per year personal mailout to local medical personnel, dedicating one newsletter issue each year to list new laryngectomees and commending MDs and SLPs who refer larys to the club, maintaining an e-mail list of club members, offering speech classes from a local SLP, connecting with the ACS office, obtaining speakers from among the vendors, EMS personnel, and local SLPs.  The importance of social events was emphasized as a draw, and scheduling the meetings so that working larys can attend was mentioned by several clubs.  Community service was also stressed such as school visits, providing printed pre-operation materials, and volunteering for Relay-for-Life and other events which give some visibility to laryngectomees and your club.  At least one club was successful in obtaining tobacco settlement money, and another has gold and silver sponsors for raising money.  The money pays for some social events held in restaurants with the food paid for.  And a final suggestion was to include hearing aids in the loaner closet.

Lary Laughs