Charelle M. Russell
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My name is Charelle M. Russell. I am a 17 year old female who lives in Miami,
Florida. About a year and a half ago, I began to have difficulty breathing and
my voice became very hoarse. My parents decided that because my conditions were
not improving, it was time for me to see a doctor. After many exams and many
second opinions, doctors were under the impression that I have a small polyp
growing on my right vocal cord. I was told by doctors that 85 % of my airway was
covered and if I did not enter emergency surgery soon I would choke to death.
The polyp was presumed to be non-cancerous. During surgery on December 28, 2001,
the "polyp" began to bleed. That following Monday, January 1, 2002, tests proved
that the polyp in disguise was indeed cancer. A rare form at that. Gason De
Cardenas, Miami Children's Hospital, told me that since the beginning of
medicine, only 81 cases of the same type of cancer were reported. And among
them, only a handful and I survived. Because of complications in my surgery, I
had to have a trache. The cancer was successfully removed. Unfortunately, my
right vocal cord and part of my Larynx is gone because of the cancer. The trache
is temporary, but because I have kilos, I have to have the trache. I had
radiation therapy for cancer patients in April. I have to wait until all of the
radiation is removed from my body before the trache is removed. As most trache
patients, I have to cover it with my finger in order to speak. I have grown
accustomed to it over the past months. In fact, I no longer carry around my
suction machine, I am able to cough through the trach into tissues as any one
would do the with their nose. I am going back to school on Aug. 26 to complete
my last year in high school. I currently have a 3.7 g.p.a. and I am studying to
become a Attorney. Yet, the times that I spent in the hospital are influencing
my decision to change majors and enter the medical profession. My family,
friends and my boyfriend, have been very supportive in my times of need. I thank
them. I also want to send out my best wishes to those who continue their
struggles. God Bless.
Update: February 2003 - I have just completed the first semester of my
senior year in high school. I am currently number 39 in a class of 542, and have
a GPA of 4.068. I am graduating in the top 8% of my class, and have changed my
major to Psychology. I have recently been accepted to Florida Memorial College
for the Fall of 2003. GOD has great expectations for me. After a recent visit to
the doctor, I was told that the trache has to remain in for the next couple of
years because of the amount of radiation in my body. But this obstacle has not
discourage me from my goals. I will continue my post secondary education as
planned, I will continue with my life. Also, I recently celebrated my 18th
birthday on September 25.!!!!!!!
Update: October 2005 - Currently I am a senior at Florida Memorial
University. I recently celebrated my 21st birthday. My major is Management
Information Systems and I have been working part-time at the Leeza Gibbons
Memory Foundation for a little over a year. I still have the trache and this
past August I underwent my 5th surgery since my original diagnosis to remove
scar tissue. My voice tends to fade in and out because of the surgeries, but I
am very hopeful that one day I will be decannulated. Until then, I am working on
getting an internship, either with the Miami Herald or the Defense Intelligence
Agency. Then after that, attending graduate school.
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