<p>I posted this in the Parent Cafe and it was suggested I post here where the experts may be reading.</p>
<p>Any experience on you or your family member recovering from vocal cord surgery?</p>
<p>Thankfully, you’re not a singer or my reply would be different, but are you sure that the surgery is absolutely necessary? Polyps don’t usually interfere enough with your general life to go through the process of having them removed. Do ask for the smallest possible intubation tube to avoid as much post-op pain as you can.
You’ll be on vocal rest for a few days- go buy a little Magna Doodle and USE it. Inform those around you before that even a weird or two until the doctor OKs it is not going to happen and that you’ll be writing short answers, not essays, to communicate. You’re speaking voice may well be different after the surgery, depending on how badly the polyps were effecting the vibration of your vocal chords, but make sure to do what your speech therapist tells you to when using your voice again and all will be well. My thoughts are with you…</p>
<p>Hi Mezzo, I have had trouble with my voice for about a year, and before that on an off. When people meet me they think I have a cold or a sore throat, and I’m perfectly healthly. Besides the sound of my voice, the quality has been going down over the last 1.5 years. My problem is that I talk a lot at work and in the charity work I do, both on the phone and in giving presentations and in running meetings. Some days it hurts to talk at the end of a day and I can’t even make sounds correctly, or it actually hurts (like a sharp pain, not just a sore throat). Other days I can’t talk much without the sharp pain or losing my sound altogether. The voice therapy in the last 6-8 months helped a lot to improve the quality of my voice, but I still can’t talk for longer periods of time and I still have that sharp pain, especially after a day of use. Both the doctor and the voice therapy expert suggested that the surgery could help the most in improving my voice quality and eventually my vocal technique, and hopefully I can avoid future vocal cord damage in the future. I will go look up what a Magna Doodle is … seems like I should have one!</p>
<p>My husband had this surgery several years ago for similar reasons. He was uncomfortable for a few days afterwards but his voice quality remained unchanged. He did find that his singing voice was affected for quite a while afterwards, though.</p>
<p>When a top level executive where I work had the surgery, he sent out a mass email alerting everyone that although he was back at work, he was on vocal rest, so that people wouldn’t misinterpret his silence as nonresponsive or insulting.</p>
<p>Thanks stradmom. Thanks for the idea on communicating my situation. I’m thinking of wearing a sign on my neck that explains why I’m not talking, but I’ll figure that out before tomorrow. I certainly don’t want to overly advertise my situation like I’m asking for sympathy, and I don’t want folks to think I’m annoyed or being stand-offish at them either. It makes sense to send out an email to my team, my peers and the folks I work with the most to explain my temporary situation.</p>
<p>Good luck with the surgery, Snowflake! Hope your recovery is fast and your voice better than ever afterwards.</p>
<p>You can find Magna Doodles in the toy department of Target, or in ToysRUs, etc. They have large ones and small, travels screens- iron filings you can move around on a screen with the included magnetic wand. My D is a singer and bought a small, Dora the Explorer Magna Doodle when she had to be on vocal rest!
I’m glad to know that you’re already working with a voice therapist and that you’ve tried all of the options before surgery. I know that you’ll be just fine, but will you please drop by the thread and let us know how you are doing periodically? We’ll be thinking of you…</p>
<p>Surgical procedures for vocal polyps and modules have advanced considerably over the past few years. They are not career ending events for even high level singers if they are caught early and treated carefully. Followup vocal therapy is crucial.They can be caused by vocal overuse and/or dysfunction, allergies, violent coughing, systemic reactions to medications (especially NSAIDs), or organic disease. Be sure you identify the origins so this will not happen again.</p>
<p>Sending you positive thoughts & well wishes on your surgery.</p>
<p>BTW, an alternative to a magna doodle would be to use a small whiteboard.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! I found a good website last night that showed me some videos and also described the recovery process, so my untame thoughts are in control. I go into surgery this afternoon. Thanks for your info and thoughts!</p>
<p>Stage 1 is complete. Surgery went well; throat is sore as expected but they gave me percoset (sp?) or some wonderful pain killer that sounds like that and it’s very bearable. I’ll learn more about what was done when I see my doctor next week, but ‘polyp’ was the word I knew going into surgery but he also mentioned he found a cyst, which they also expect to be benign. I’ll have to read up on that. Either way, the surgery is supposed to heal nicely and the docs claimed success.</p>
<p>It turns out I did know the anesthesiologist. About a month or so ago I hit his car in the parking lot of a lighting store as I was leaving. I had to go back into the store and ask the store manager to help me find the owner of a rather nice small car. We were both very cordial (fortunately!) and he took very good care of me during the surgery. Memo to self: always be nice to people … you never know when you will need them.</p>
<p>The pain, as people explained, is from the gadgets they put into my nose/throat/mouth while I was out like a light, my vocal cords don’t seem to hurt on their own. I did accidentally talk at the hospital, so I know my voice works, but now I have to totally avoid talking so this surgery mends smoothly.</p>
<p>It is very difficult not being able to talk, but it is interesting that when I was getting wheeled through the hospital by H and pointing out my needs (bathroom, that way; prescription pickup, this way), I seemed to get lots of stares and sad glances from folks old and young. Little did they know I was high as a kite. 
</p>
<p>Hunger is not a problem, unfortunately, but I’m drinking water like a whackaloon.</p>
<p>Do all your yammering on CC and save your vocal cords. Glad to hear things went well!</p>
<p>Remarkable coincidence about the anaesthesiologist - what a great karma story!</p>
<p>I agree stradmom! </p>
<p>Before I realized who the anesthesiologist was, I studied him politely as he started out with his basic doctor questions. I then asked if I knew him as he looked familiar, and he thought I also looked familiar. No, he didn’t work at my company, no, he didn’t just join the board I’m on, no, he doesn’t work with the charity event that I organize. Then suddenly, with shock, I said, oh no, I hit your car last month! He said, yes, oh my, that’s right. When he realized that I realized that he was now in charge of my life (drama snowflake), he was extra sure to tell me how nicely my insurance company did in taking care of him (rental car while his good car was getting repaired, all expenses and fixups covered, no hassle, call to make sure he didn’t need anything else, etc.). He even commented that he and his wife talked about how nice I was to locate them in the store, and wait out in the rain for the police, and whatever else I did. I told him, well, I’m not perfect, there was a fleeting thought of just leaving the parking lot quickly, and he laughed with me. Anyway, clearly he took good care of me, so that Karma stuff could be working for me. </p>
<p>Speaking of Karma: And now for my 2nd dose of Percoset. Good night all …</p>
<p>So glad to hear that all went well, Snowflake, and that you were “familiar” with the anesthesiologist! That was a wonderful story , and a great reminder to “do the right thing”. The Percoset will keep you happy and comfortable for a bit, so take good care of yourself and be well.</p>
<p>Day 2 of recovery going well. Only soreness is related to the tubes and such. I used Percoset to sleep better last night but don’t need it during the day. I am having the hardest time NOT talking, but hopefully this weekend I’ll get through the worst of it. I’m looking forward to my follow-up appointment so I can see what the doctor thinks of my voice quality. It was hoarse (but very alto) before, so I’m hoping to only get rid of the hoarseness part. If I was a real singer I can see how this can be scary, but the before and after photos of the vocal cords made it clear that this is the right thing to do. Those doctors are amazing, and the tools they have are even more incredible.</p>
<p>So glad you are recovering well. We found that although it was not the same surgery, the rough part in throat surgery was 5-7 days after… Don’t be discouraged if that happens. It gets better quickly after that… Keep up the post surgery routine if it includes drinking plenty of fluids, don’t let up…keeping you in thoughts.</p>
<p>Thanks, Singersmom. Fortunately I’ve been drinking tons of water over the last few weeks and will continue. Nothing feels better on a sore throat than fresh clear water!</p>
<p>Love this thread. Love that the surgery went well. Love the story about the anesthesiologist and the charming way you tell it. Keep feeling better!</p>
<p>Today is the first official day of talking, even though officially it’s only 5 minutes. My voice seems pretty normal, albeit a lot smoother. Over the next week I can talk more and more and have my follow-up with the ENT on Monday. My D’s in college, so she didn’t get a weekend of silence, but my S and H enjoyed it I think. It required that they talk to each other more even when I was around and it was interesting to hear just them. I will try this more often! </p>
<p>I did sing quietly a scale and I am pretty sure I have some notes that I didn’t have before. When I see my musician daughter later this month, she may be shocked, as she was always dumbfounded as to why I couldn’t sing notes on a scale without skipping a few.</p>