Your recovery will depend on the treatment you have had, but also on your general health and whether you have any other medical problems.

If you have had laser surgery or radiotherapy for a small cancer, you should be able to return to a normal life. Your voice may sound hoarse, but should gradually improve.

If you have had radiotherapy (and possibly chemotherapy) to treat a larger cancer, your recovery will be more gradual and will continue over several months. Life should return to normal eventually. If you have had chemotherapy, you may be left with a permanently dry mouth and a changed voice.

It will take a few months to heal and recover from a laryngectomy. If you have had radiotherapy too, recovery will take a little longer.

Your new voice may take quite a while to develop following a laryngectomy. A speech and language therapist will be able to help you. Every person is different, so it's impossible to say how long it will take in your case.

You will have learnt about stoma care from the nurses in the hospital. Once you are home, continuing care and support will be given to you by your district nurse.

To start with, you will have to clean your stoma several times a day. You will be advised to wear a cover on it. An HME (heat and moisture exchange system) cover will keep it moist, which helps you to breathe more easily. It also acts as a filter, and helps to warm the air you breathe in. There are different kinds of cover available on prescription and to buy. Purely as a style improvement, some people make their own cover, or wear a scarf or cravat.

With a stoma, you will not be able to hold your breath, so pulling and heavy lifting will be difficult. It is dangerous if water gets into your windpipe and lungs through the stoma, so swimming and skiing are not advisable, unless you have special instruction and equipment. You will be able to get advice from staff at the head and neck, or valve clinic for your area.

The operation may affect your sense of taste and sense of smell. Taste usually returns more quickly than smell, but since they are linked, you may find that you have a loss in appetite. Many people lose their sense of smell and taste completely. Some people may also have swallowing problems. You may need to eat more slowly and carefully. Eat smaller meals more often, to keep yourself well-fed. You may also need to eat softer foods, and choose moist foods, such as chicken with a sauce, rather than plain chicken. You will also need to drink plenty of liquids.

Most people are able to resume the activities of daily living. Some people are able to return work. Some are able to work in other fields. For some people, a return to work may not be realistic.

Following treatment, giving up smoking and drinking less will reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. It will also reduce the side-effects of treatment and help healing.