Callum Jones
A British man was given just six months to live after doctors dismissed his persisting symptoms as a 'lingering cold'.
Warwick Smith knew something wasn't quite right after he struggled to communicate with his colleagues at his job as a court clerk.
Prior to that, doctors had put the 67-year-old's symptoms down to laryngitis, an inflammation of the voice box that can cause a variety of different symptoms including throat pain and sometimes even a fever.
Warwick's health worsened over a period of months, and a lingering fear it may be something serious persisted.
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Just two years prior, Warwick's brother died from throat cancer, which worried the man from Littleborough, Greater Manchester in the UK, that it could run in the family.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Warwick said: "I knew something was wrong, it wasn’t right, it wasn’t normal. The doctor said it sounds like laryngitis and not to worry about it. I said, 'I’m feeling really worried, it’s been a few months and this can’t be right'.
"My brother died from throat cancer two years beforehand. I was worried at the back of my mind because of family history. They told me to wait and it got worse and worse."
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With his symptoms not improving, Warwick finally got to see a specialist after a last-minute cancellation got him in.
Medical professionals performed a series of tests on Warwick, and in October 2022, he was diagnosed with stage 4 laryngeal cancer - a throat cancer that is actually quite rare in the US.
Warwick added to the MEN: "My feelings were anger more than anything. You just feel so, so angry. I asked what the outlook was. They said if you leave it, you have six months max or you can opt for a total laryngectomy. It will remove the lymph nodes, but you won’t be able to talk."
Laryngectomy is a form of surgery that sees the voice box removed, with those who go through the procedure having to speak with a throat stoma.
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Well, after spending 10 hours on the operating table undergoing a full neck dissection and total laryngectomy - a procedure that has given him a 50/50 chance of surviving five years - Warwick's life has changed drastically.
He has had to adapt to pressing the stoma hole on his neck to speak, which was certainly a steep learning curve.
The grandad also had to retire from work, give up golf, and now has to wake up every four hours during the night to clean out the TEP valve.
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He said of his new way of living: "You just have to practice. I used to rabbit on a bit, so living in a world of silence is so frustrating.
"A lot of people think you’re deaf as well or just ignore you. You have to write things down. I used to type things out on my phone. You’re just so desperate to speak."
Warwick is now raising money for The Oldham Quiet Ones, a Greater Manchester laryngectomy support group of which he is a treasurer. If you'd like to donate, you can do so here.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.