Personal Experiences

Herein, you will find actual narratives from people who have had problems with their voice and from individuals whose condition has been largely treated. The personal experiences shared in this library speak volumes about living with a voice condition. Most of the stories are short descriptions of specific symptoms or treatments or feelings. Although each person's experience is unique, some messages are consistent: voice is a vital part of our identity, science has advanced and more treatment options have developed, and most importantly, don't give up – seek diagnostic and treatment expertise.

You may relate to an example here. Many people find comfort knowing that other people are describing similar concerns and feelings, similar experiences. You may find the Resources section useful for suggestions on finding a voice specialist and perhaps access to local community.

This compilation has been rewarding for us. We sincerely hope that you enjoy reading and hearing these shared stories. If you would like to share your experiences through The Voice Problem Website, please contact us at personalexperiences@washingtonvoice.org.

Note

The content here is presented in Apple QuickTime format. If you do not have QuickTime installed on your computer, please click here to download it.

	58 year old female talks about: Recovery following vocal fold paresis after thyroid surgery (376K)		52 year old male describes: Symptoms of vocal fold paralysis after neck surgery (204K) Importance of voice and frustration with symptoms (680K) Results after vocal surgery (196K)
	42 year old male describes: Swallowing problems due to vocal fold paralysis (132K) Symptoms before surgery (224K)		33 year old female tells story of: Thyroid surgery and resultant vocal fold paralysis, including initial symptoms and the ultimate treatment to improve her voice (2.1MB)

42 year old teacher with vocal fold cyst describes: Initial symptoms (488K)

55 year old male with long history of vocal fold polyps describes: Initial symptoms and long history of vocal condition; and recent advancement of treatment options (652K) Importance of voice to his identity (292K)

44 year old female describes: Her feelings after laryngoscopy for chronic laryngitis (456K)

38 year old teacher and singer with prior nodules describes: Initial frustration with voice condition and "vocal cord / vocal fold stripping" (460K) Eventual diagnosis of Laryngeal Reflux (36K) Symptoms of Laryngeal Reflux (352K)

49 year old male describes: Symptoms of reflux and results after therapy (396K)

43 year old teacher and musician describes: Living with spasmodic dysphonia and Botulinum toxin-A treatment (620K) Videotaped EMG procedure and injections of Botulinum toxin-A injection (668K)

59 year old female with two and a half years of vocal symptoms describes: The long process of getting to the accurate diagnosis (216K) The great feeling of reaching diagnosis (152K) Frustrations of treatment process and reflections on insurance coverage (448K) Benefits of vocal community support (416K) Videotaped example of oral injection of Botulinum toxin-A (500K) Injections of Botulinum toxin-A results (600K)

73 year old male describes: His experience of laryngectomy and voice use after surgery (920K)

	42 year old teacher with vocal fold cyst describes: Videoendoscopy experience (196K)		44 year old female describes: Her feelings after laryngoscopy for chronic laryngitis (456K)
	38 year old teacher and singer with prior nodules describes: Initial frustration with voice condition and "vocal cord / vocal fold stripping" (460K)		43 year old teacher and musician describes: Videotaped EMG procedure and injections of Botulinum toxin-A (668K)
	59 year old female with two and a half years of vocal symptoms describes: Videotaped example of oral injection of Botulinum toxin-A (500K) Injections of Botulinum toxin-A treatment results (600K)