Months have passed peacefully since the shunt operation to relieve the fluid build-up on my father's brain. He returned to being more stable and communicative, and I am grateful for the gift of each day. His voice, however, once so deep and resonant, became weak and raspy. A speech therapist worked with him for a month but found she was unable to bring him any change and so, she recommended he see an ear, nose, throat specialist. This doctor discovered a highly inflamed vocal cord, which turned out to be malignant. I woke night after night with just one word in my head: cancer.  I tried to let the doctor's words sink in. This was a highly treatable form of cancer and was caught in its earliest stages. For the next six weeks, my father will get radiation directly at the throat area, and in the end, should regain clarity and strength in his voice. We are taking this one day at a time and finding a grace and beauty in our time together.