Lucy Lodge first noticed something was wrong when she found it difficult to hit the high notes of songs while performing karaoke with her pals – but she had no idea just how serious the issue would be
Mum-of-two Lucy Lodge had to have her voicebox removed after discovering her husky voice was due to cancer at the tender age of 25 years old. Before the heartbreaking diagnosis, she blamed her hoarse voice on the overuse of her vocal cords as she worked in sales and talked lots to customers. It was only when a friend asked her what happened to her voice, as it sounded raspy, that she decided to see a doctor.
She was initially diagnosed with laryngitis. But deep down, Lucy knew something wasn’t right. “It wasn’t sudden and happened over time,” she explained. “I just couldn’t hit the notes I used to. I also felt like something was stuck in my throat. I was constantly clearing it.”
“I remember saying to my partner at the time, ‘I think I have cancer.’ He told me not to be silly, but I just knew.” After being referred for further tests, Lucy’s worst fears were confirmed by a medical professional.
She had cancer of the vocal cords and needed radiotherapy. And by the time her treatment was complete, she’d endured 37 gruelling sessions. “It was absolute agony,” she recalled. “Every time I sneezed or yawned, I cried. I couldn’t eat, I had square-shaped burns. And yet, in the end, it didn’t work.”
Sadly, the cancer came back more aggressively than before. This time, Lucy’s only choice was to have her voice box removed. “I told my consultant, ‘Do what you gotta do to get me cancer-free, and I’ll deal with it when I wake up,'” she said.
Following the surgery, she could not speak at all. Lucy explained: “My mum said to me, ‘Lucy, they’ve had to.’ That’s when I realised.” She spent 19 days in hospital, her neck held together with 72 staples. In another heartbreaking twist, she then discovered her partner had been cheating on her while she was in hospital..
“At the time, I was devastated. But I do understand. It’s not an excuse, but he struggled to cope. Still, I’m grateful now; it has led me to a much better life,” she added. Lucy, who is now 39, went on to meet her partner Simon. They live in Shropshire together with their sons, 10-year-old Keagan and Kody, one.
It was a difficult time, though, as she had to learn to speak by pressing a tracheotomy button in her neck. “Trying to change a one-year-old’s bum while pressing a button to talk – it’s like wrestling an alligator in silence,” she laughed. “If someone talks to me while I’m washing up, I end up soaked! And don’t get me started on trying to answer questions while packing my shopping.”
Lucy has to have her speaking valve changed monthly, or she cannot drink water, as it goes straight to her lungs. “You know what? Yeah, I am strong,” she says firmly. “But I’ve had to be. I had no choice. And it’s the same for a lot of people. You’d be surprised how strong you actually are until you have to deal with things like this.
“I didn’t look at myself for weeks after the surgery. I wasn’t ready. But now? I’m living. I’m showing people that you can live beautifully after a laryngectomy.”
“13 years ago, I had no idea this even existed,” she admitted. “People often assume it’s caused by smoking. I wasn’t even a heavy smoker, and my doctors don’t think that’s what caused mine. I’ve met people who’ve never touched a cigarette in their lives and still got it. HPV, alcohol, and genetics all play a role. But saying I deserved cancer because I smoked? That’s cruel. Nobody deserves that.
“One in two people will get cancer at some point. That’s the scary truth. But I want people to know that you can come out the other side. You can live a happy life. I didn’t think I could handle this, but here I am, 13 years cancer-free. Stronger than ever.”