my month of silence

ok, so my month won't be exactly silent--but fairly close.

For those that don't know, I've 'lost' my voice and very rather hoarse the past couple weeks. My voice was getting softer since I've gotten here and now I sound like I've swallowed a frog in my better moments. So today I went to an ear/nose/throat (ENT) doctor as suggested by my Peace Corps Medical Doctor on St. Lucia.

The visit was rather quick, perhaps 20 minutes, and his office was very well kept. Anyways, he checks my ears and all is good there. That was rather fun because he had a tv hooked up to his 'ear-scopes' and I got to see a rather clear picture inside my head. ^_^ Then he goes into the throat with a little mirror and he has me trying to make high-pitch 'eeeee' sounds. Of course I certainly didn't sound like Josh Groban with a mirror in the throat helping me rediscover my gag reflex.

He didn't really tell me what he saw until he finished making a few sketches on the paper records. The results were not good--let's hope not really bad, just not good.
Thought I'd add a few images to help explain:

What you see here are healthy vocal cords. They are spread apart when not in use and close up as we make different sounds.


From what the doctor said, I have a good-sized polup on my vocal cords. He didn't really say which, but I doubt that matters. It would look something like this:




He doesn't believe it to be cancerous or anything serious like that since I don't smoke and I don't know of any such histories in the family. A problem like this isn't uncommon and is often happens to singers, teachers, and others who raise their voice frequently. He believes my polyp is most likely bacterial or viral in nature and major cause for alarm. Still stinks. >.<

His treatment for now will consist of me trying not to talk for the next month unless I really need to do so. (Good thing I have a 8"x10" dry erase board.) He also prescribed a few pills for me to take a daily histamine tablet of 5mg Neoclarityn for 10 days. I have a follow-up appointment with him for next month. If the polyp hasn't gotten better...well let's hope it does. Otherwise he said he might have to opt for an easy surgical procedure to remove it.

So let's all hope for a quick and quiet month.

Stay happy and well
ciao tutti
~your local wannabe jedi
~Shawn