Well that sucks

In January, the laryngologist performed a procedure that injected a substance into the tissue beside the paralysed cord.  Its purpose is to push the paralysed cord into a position that can be reached by the other vocal cord.  It was performed under general anaesthesia during an outpatient surgical procedure.  When I woke up, I was instructed not to talk for 48 hours, not even a whisper.  I complied, which is tougher than one might imagine.

After 48 hours, I made an attempt to talk, and I could hear a voice.  It wasn't my normal baritone voice, but it was actually audible.  Over the next several weeks, I attended vocal rehab and made headway.  I also found that I could swallow confident that I would not choke.  The drawback is that with my paralysed cord mostly in a closed position, I could not inhale as rapidly as I was accustomed so that climbing two flights of stairs left me badly winded.  The solution is take an elevator, instead.  But I COULD TALK although not loudly.  I was even able to navigate a voice activated telephone menu.  I even dared to use a drive through at McDonalds once or twice.  This was always supposed to a temporary solution that should last six to 12 months.

It lasted four months.  At first, I thought I was letting my mouth get dry from too little water.  When I started to drink a big glass of water, I got choked.  Later the same day, I took a sip of iced tea and it happened, again.  Since my voice seemed to be fading, I should plan a trip to the laryngologist.  After being scoped two different ways, one via my mouth and the other up my nose and down my throat.  Bottom line is that the injection is wearing of rapidly.  In another few weeks, I will, once again, be reduced to whispering.  The procedure can be performed, again, so I will wait until early July to do it in order to have as maximum voice when my daughter gets married in August.

The second procedure is the same as the first one except this time, the doctor says I will be awake, a prospect I find a little alarming.  When the effect of the second procedure wear off, I have a choice either of having the procedure repeated, or alternatively I can have tissue donated from a human cadaver implanted to make a long term fix.  The alternate is more invasive and will require that I take a couple of weeks away from work assuming I am still working.  This just pisses me off.  Damn Dr. Wray for not taking enough precautions to prevent this from happening to me on 1 September, 2010.  I should have been held NPO for 24 hours after the surgery so that I would not have gotten so badly choked an mess up nerves to my vocal cords.  It would have been simple enough to do, but now, it is too late.