Papoon
Active Member
I am losing my voice. My doctor said I am suffering dysphonia. Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD) is a neurological condition affecting muscles of the vocal chords, resulting in strained, hoarse or 'strangled' speech.
I am worsening daily. I fear I may lose my voice entirely. Which is scaring the crap out of me. And leaving me somewhat grief-stricken.
So I am seeking advice. Maybe one of you knows something about this which may help.
Apparently SD is irreversible. I would like to think that isn't true. I have no intention of remaining alive if I become mute.
I just dodged that bullet a year ago - a thyroid surgeon wanted to perform a diagnostic partial thyroidectomy because I have follicular neoplasms on my thyroid. I delayed that while I explored why my voice was changing - I noticed that in yoga classes during chanting I was the subwoofer in the room. Sounded quite nice actually. But it made me wonder.... Turns out that my vocal chords were damaged, either in a truck crash or when I suffered a near-lethal assault. Great blues tone ! I liked the mod, it improved my singing voice.
I presented at the hospital and asked for some investigation into my voice changes, because there was a chance that the neoplasms were putting pressure on my vocal chords.
Thyroidectomy involves a serious risk ( one in two hundred) of damage to the laryngeal nerve, with attendant loss of vocal capacity. The head of the speech pathology dept warned me that with my damaged vocal chords any surgery on my thyroid would probably cost me my voice. I politely refused the surgery. Which is unnecessary in 80% of cases anyway - but surgeons can be greedy thoughtless a-holes. Sad but true. It's all about that week in Monaco ....
So .... does anyone out there know something I don't ?
Any good advice is much appreciated.
I am worsening daily. I fear I may lose my voice entirely. Which is scaring the crap out of me. And leaving me somewhat grief-stricken.
So I am seeking advice. Maybe one of you knows something about this which may help.
Apparently SD is irreversible. I would like to think that isn't true. I have no intention of remaining alive if I become mute.
I just dodged that bullet a year ago - a thyroid surgeon wanted to perform a diagnostic partial thyroidectomy because I have follicular neoplasms on my thyroid. I delayed that while I explored why my voice was changing - I noticed that in yoga classes during chanting I was the subwoofer in the room. Sounded quite nice actually. But it made me wonder.... Turns out that my vocal chords were damaged, either in a truck crash or when I suffered a near-lethal assault. Great blues tone ! I liked the mod, it improved my singing voice.
I presented at the hospital and asked for some investigation into my voice changes, because there was a chance that the neoplasms were putting pressure on my vocal chords.
Thyroidectomy involves a serious risk ( one in two hundred) of damage to the laryngeal nerve, with attendant loss of vocal capacity. The head of the speech pathology dept warned me that with my damaged vocal chords any surgery on my thyroid would probably cost me my voice. I politely refused the surgery. Which is unnecessary in 80% of cases anyway - but surgeons can be greedy thoughtless a-holes. Sad but true. It's all about that week in Monaco ....
So .... does anyone out there know something I don't ?
Any good advice is much appreciated.