What Was I Thinking?

Hi All!

As most of you know from reading my blog, I have Abductor Spasmodic Dysphonia. If you would like to read up on the disorder, check out the website of the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association.

Anyway, while I try not to focus only on my SD I do tend to write the occasional blog about SD related things. This is my way of dispersing information to people who may be unaware that such a disorder exists. If more people understand that there is a disorder out there that robs people of their "normal" voices then maybe people will be kinder when they come across someone with a voice problem.

I am a very lucky SD person. Through hard work and a hefty dose of miracle, I have gotten about 95% of my "normal" voice back. I have to continually work to maintain this voice and no one - not even the medical professionals - can tell me if I will continue to keep this voice or if I will relapse and return to having no voice at all. It is a good feeling to have my voice but it is also a bit terrifying to live with the uncertainty of if I will be able to speak when I wake up each morning.

Recently I learned a VERY important lesson - that I MUST continue to do my speech exercises and massage daily (at least three times a day) in order to maintain my voice. I "fell off the wagon" so to speak a while back and have been struggling for the past two to three months to return to my "good" voice. Now it is almost second nature for me to massage or do my exercises many times daily.

This past weekend I learned another valuable lesson. This is something that Susan, my speech therapist, has told me over and over but . . . I guess I have to live it to learn it! This past weekend I had a training to do for Destination Imagination appraisers. I have been doing two of these trainings every year for the past six years. I know what is involved. I KNOW I need to try to keep my talking to a minimum so I don't overwork my vocal cords. I KNOW this.

Did I remember to do it? Of course not!

THEN I came home and proceeded to call my friend D and talk to her for over an hour. Then I talked to my brother for a couple of minutes. Then I talked to my parents for a while.

I overdid it. BIG time.

Now I am paying the price. My voice yesterday and today is hoarse. It isn't good. I am missing more unvoiced consonants than usual. When I massage my throat - it is crunchier than normal (which is a sign that things aren't quite right). I am hoping that massage and exercise and a little vocal moderation will help me out.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

What was I thinking?

Trisha

Voice Update: I think I pretty much said it all in the post but . . . massage, massage, massage, exercise, exercise, exercise!