I learned a couple of things there. First my quick story.  July 14 is my lary anniversary. Seven years ago I had a list of things I was going to do but cancer had decided to cancel those events for me, at least all those which centered around Anaheim, CA. The neat part is I finally made up for that and did them after the convention, except for trying to surf. I feel like I am picking up where life left off.

Second, the hard thing I had to come to terms with is being a lary. I thought there would be many limits. After meeting with these larys I found out different. I found myself encouraged and not limited as I as I had thought. Just use common sense during times of insanity and it will be OK.

At the Voice Institute as an LT, I felt welcome and as if belonged there all the time. Instructors, mentors and all made me feel equally as important.  The program was great and I learned a lot of what is going on with me and in me.

Since it was my first time coming I was overwhelmed by what was there. That makes it hard to pinpoint down to one thing.

Thoughts on the IAL 2004
Philip Clemmons
Cullman, Alabama

Pat Sanders asked those of us attending the IAL Convention to jot down some of our memories to share with those unable to attend. While I was in Anaheim I kept thinking of that. Before I get into the meat of my memories I must share two things with you.

First, I remember when I was a boy and someone asked my dad, Lowell, why he did favors for people who had no way of ever returning the favor. My dad told the person that his father was a Baptist preacher and that they were very poor, especially during the depression. My dad said he never could have made it through college and medical school without a lot of help. He said that one of the people who helped him was a doctor in the town they lived in. He said he had once asked the doctor how he would ever be able to pay him back for all that he had done. The doctor told him that he couldn?t. It would not be physically possible for Lowell to ever return the favors to him. However, after he had made it through medical school, and had become a doctor, he would have plenty of opportunities to help other people. Most of those he helped would have no way to pay him back so it would be pay back for those people who had helped him many years before.

Now, on to my memories. I will have to give you a little history first. I attended the IAL Convention in Vancouver. It was my first time to really participate in very many things. I had attended Nashville, for the Voice Institute, but I did not a lot about what was going on in the Annual Meeting. My primary focus in Nashville was to see if I could learn a little about esophageal speech. I did, and it was a success. However, Vancouver was the first one where I really participated in everything. One of the items on the program in Vancouver was a swimming demonstration. Prior to my laryngectomy I had enjoyed the water. I liked to swim, I liked to dive, none of which I was very good at; but I enjoyed it. Anyhow, I went to the swimming demonstration in Vancouver. I watched Elizabeth Finchem, Pat Sanders, Ian Milne, and several others swimming. I was just blown away. I had no bathing suit there, so I took off my shirt and shoes, rolled up my pant legs, took my billfold out, and jumped in! It was almost an epiphany. The next year, in Atlanta, I was one of the demonstrators. Now, I don?t swim a lot, but I do when I want to.

This year, there was no swimming demonstration listed on the program. Two or three of us who swim talked about when we would do it, or who would do it, and when would it be. At the end of the delegates? meeting there had still been no mention of the swimming demonstration, so, being the bashful person I am, I jumped up and asked Bob Mehrman (IAL President) when the swimming demonstration was? He asked me when did I want it? I knew my schedule, but not necessarily anyone else?s, so I said that we would do it 12:30 that afternoon. The weather is a little cooler in Anaheim than it is in Alabama, and I?ve gotten older and don?t enjoy cold-water swimming like I once did (which I never did), so I picked a time for maximum warmth that fit my schedule. This may have been the biggest mistake I have made in a log time. My dear friend Pat Sanders, who some day will get over being mad at me, had a session scheduled on  Newsletters for 12:15 to 1:30. She was not happy.  One of her nicer comments was that she hoped the attendees knew that not everyone in Alabama was as dumb as I was.

Anyhow, back to the IAL and the swimming. After I announced the time, I talked to several about the swimming. I told them to wear their swim suits, and be there at 12:30. When I got to the pool Ian Milne was already there and said that the water was great! Shortly after I got in, Elizabeth Finchem arrived and joined us in the water. By now there were two men there watching to see how we were swimming. One of them, Robert Robinson, from Montreal, and told me about being a long distance swimmer prior to his operation, and how much he missed the swimming. He was soon in the pool! Paul Skiora, from Tucson had told me how much he enjoyed swimming in Tucson, and down in Mexico. He did almost the same thing I did in Vancouver, shed his shirt and shoes, and was in the water.

We swam for a while, with Paul and Robert getting more and more confident. We had another swim session on Saturday, before the fun show. In the second swim session Robert was able to go across and back on one breath. Both first-time swimmers were ecstatic at the fact they were back in the water. I?m pretty good with words, but I don?t have the words to describe the looks on their faces. It was part glee, part elation, part satisfaction, and pure joy.

I know that helping someone get back in the water is not the same as teaching them how to do esophageal speech, or how to use a pneumatic device, but it?s something that was done for me, and now I?ve done it for someone else. This is what the IAL is all about, passing down, from one to another, the shared knowledge of how we do those things we?re not supposed to be able to do.

Now for some random thoughts on the 2004 IAL Convention or what did I learn while I was having so much fun. These are in no particular order, duh ? they?re random!

I learned a new trick on maintaining a seal for my hands-free device, actually several. First, make sure the skin around the stoma is completely dry before applying any glue. After it is dry do not stick your fingers on it to test it. Your finger tips have natural oils that interfere with the glue process. Second, let the glue dry for at least five minutes before placing the hands-free valve housing. The drier the glue is, the better it works. I had been letting the glue dry for four minutes, after I heard Eric Blom?s lecture I went to five minutes. I can tell the difference. Third, I was talking with Richard Crum about wearing a tie. He wears one all the time, I usually wear one when I?m working. I told him I did not button my top button, or pull the tie knot all the way up. Richard said he used his collar to keep the valve and valve housing from bulging out, and to help maintain the seal. I tried it ? it works.

I met a man who has an UltraVoice and is a really good speaker. He is the first laryngectomee I have met in 14 years who is a good UltraVoice speaker. UltraVoice gets a lot of bad press, we need to be aware of the good as well as the bad.

There was a pneumatic device user there, Sid Young. He has a great voice, and is very adept with the device. It is not hands-free, however it produces the best voice of any of the non-TEP types. I had seen an excellent user several years ago in Seoul, Korea, Sid is the second excellent user. I have wondered for some time why the pneumatic device is not more popular in North America than it is. I think we may be overlooking a very viable alternate means of speech. If I did not have a TEP I would probably use esophageal speech and/or a pneumatic device.

There is no common denominator among laryngectomees. Certainly, most of us, or least a bunch of us, have a laryngectomee as a result of smoking. However, it is not universal. At least one individual there did not have cancer, hers is a result of an accident. A number of others have had non-smoking related cancer. There are old and young; white and black, and all the shades in between; rich and poor; male and female; folks in great health other than being a neckbreather and those who have all kinds of ailments; Democrats, Republicans, and those with no clue; in short ? a microcosm of our pluralistic society.

I spent time with some old friends, made new close friends, and missed several who were not there. One of my friends, Mark Crowe, is tragically not with us anymore. I missed his ribald jokes and the Masonic stories we would have shared. A couple of friends were not there who are going through new treatments. I sure hope they make Boston next year.

I enjoy WebWhispers, it serves a needed purpose. It is no substitute for face to face interaction. I really enjoy going to the IAL Convention, it is one of the few things I do that has no connection with work. I do it for pure pleasure. It makes me a better speaker; it makes me a better person.