One of the things I say often to my
voice students is this: “You only have one voice. Use it wisely, use it
correctly, and it will last your entire lifetime.” I firmly believe this. So,
you might imagine my dismay when I felt, not long after my eightieth birthday,
that my voice was beginning to fail me.
Not that at fourscore years I was
doing any performing. But a voice teacher needs to be able to demonstrate to
her students what she means by “forward placement,” “opening with space,”
“creating dynamics with the breath” and similar points. And for several months,
I struggled to be able to do this.
For some years I’d been told that I
suffered from chronic sinusitis, partly because my symptoms included:
post-nasal drip, especially at night, which irritated my throat; coughing at
night, sometimes severely; dry, rough throat, especially in the morning. I had
this diagnosis from several different specialists. I even had a cat scan of my
sinuses as one point, which showed mainly that I have a partially deviated
septum.
But what happened to me just over a
year ago was different. I was truly having trouble singing at all. Sometimes I
produced odd sounds in the lower register—a kind of fluttery sound such as I’d
never heard anyone make. I thought carefully about what I was not doing
in preparation for lessons. One major item: I wasn’t warming up enough before beginning my
lessons. I wasn’t warming my lower register up properly. I
began to address that and had some improvement. But something definitely was still
not right.
A friend recommended a doctor from
the nearby Lehigh Valley, Dr. Aaron Jaworek, an ENT specialist. I went to my
first appointment with some trepidation as well as resignation. Despite all my
belief to the contrary, my voice was not going to hold up much longer—so I told
myself. I expected the absolute worst diagnosis.
Instead, I experienced an awakening.
The personable and knowledgeable Dr. Jaworek (he refers to himself as “the voice guy”)
spent a lot of time taking a thorough history. Then he examined me carefully,
my sinuses first, and finally he scoped my vocal cords and throat. If you’ve
never had that done, all I can say is you need to be able to exercise some
control over your gag reflex.
When he finished, he said “I’m
ninety percent sure that what you have is laryngopharyngeal reflux. Mucous from
your digestive tract is getting into your throat and irritating your vocal
cords.” He showed me the swollen cords and clots of mucous, and further
commented that one of my cords appeared to be partially paralyzed, which was
what caused the odd fluttering sound.
Dr. Jaworek advised me I may have had this
condition for a while. He commented that many patients don’t seek medical help
for several years, and that while it was treatable it was not curable. Lifestyle changes
were indicated. Changes in diet to reduce the gastral irritation. Sleeping with
my head elevated. Two different antacids. He also ordered blood work, primarily
to eliminate other possible causes, and to see if I had gluten sensitivity.
The gluten test proved positive,
moderate to severe sensitivity. On my second appointment he recommended
removing gluten completely, and gradually trying some of the other substances
he had recommended I avoid, a little at a time to see how I reacted. I learned
chocolate is out as were acidic foods. I was able to restore caffeine. Occasional
fried food in small amounts. My first visit was in September of 2018. It’s now
July 2019, so I’ve been following this regimen for about ten months.
And I can sing again. Really
sing, sing along with my students while teaching them songs I love. Sing with a
pick-up choir from time to time. Sing along with the car radio to an aria I know.
Sing for enjoyment. Sing to learn new pieces to teach my students. I feel as if
I’ve been reborn. My voice at this point is about 90% recovered, and I expect
by September it will be back where I want it. Of course, at eighty-one it’s not
the voice I had even ten years ago. My high notes aren’t coming back, but
that’s the result of aging and physiological changes to the female body and was
to be expected.
I still have allergy attacks from
pollen, but they are manageable. Nothing like they used to be. Since that first
visit and the diet and lifestyle changes (sleeping with the head elevated helps
keep any reflux down), I have more energy and feel stronger and better than I
have in several years. Part of that I’m sure is psychological, but I’m sure
part is physical as well, being on a diet that my body likes.
Since being diagnosed I’ve talked
with a few friends who have the same condition, follow the same regimen, and
are as thrilled as I am to know what’s wrong and be able to address it. I’d
never heard of the condition until my diagnosis. Now I tell my students, and my
friends, if they are having problems to consider it might not be sinusitis. See
a good ENT who will give you the kind of attention I received.
Thank you, Dr. Jaworek. You are
indeed my miracle doctor!
No comments:
Post a Comment