Throat cancer and the like, often is treated with a surgical procedure known as a "radical neck". It isn't pretty, there is a long recovery and before you have the surgery, you should have a psych-profile done and any pesky drug or alcohol addictions need to be addressed, before your surgeon starts cutting. Otherwise, hell hath no fury, like a surgical patient experiencing, Delirium Tremens!

Harolds Game

A case, just so unfortunate
His neck a rotting mess,
Despite my years of servitude
I was grossed out, I confess,
And like a swirling dervish
Chaos took a name,
To drive the Nurses crazy
That was Harold's game.

They rushed him off to surgery
Without a chance to cool,
Discovering, in retrospect
He was a drunken fool,
His destruction and delirium
Made insanity look tame,
He focused on disruptiveness
Yes, that was Harold's game.

A simple goal, returning home
Would Harold take the bit?
Or was he just too damned happy
Giving us, his shit,
His prior life so empty
He revelled in this fame,
So generous with his misery
Yes, that was Harold's game.

Fibril_late; 2/94