community for people with voice problems started by The Lary Project

Big day next Thursday!!

So, after 14 weeks of waiting, next Thursday is the day I am having a new review of my voice problem with the ENT team in Leeds, which has more specialists than the one I was at previously in Norwich.

I am quite excited but also worried that they will say they can't really do anything. Eveything points to me having a voice aphonia, which is more to do with psychological issues than something physical with my throat, in which case I guess they won't be able to do too much.

I really want my voice to come back obviously, and my other health issues to go away so I can lead a normal life again, and not be stuck in the rut I'm in now, but I have to admit I am quite worried about having a voice again. I don't really know why I am, but something I almost feel scared about it. I know this is really stupid and if it is an aphnoia I have, these feelings will only add to my voice not returning!! But I can't really help it as I have no idea why I am feeling like this.

I know it is probably really stupid, but has anyone else felt this way? Or can you shed any light onto why I may be feeling like this?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Terence McDermott on November 30, 2011 at 22:01

Hi Becky

Good news to hear about your referral. Bearing in mind your feelings, it may be worth asking what treatment they will offer if the cause is a psychological one (many people suffer with these kinds of voice problems and there are treatments). See my post here:

http://voiceproblemsupport.com/forum/topics/voice-problems-with

If they do diagnose a psychological cause, they may be able to refer you to a psychologist with experience of voice problems or a speech therapist with experience dealing with and treating these problems. It may be an idea to discuss the feelings you have about your voice returning with the psychologist or speech therapist you are referred to.

Let us know how you get on.

Best wishes, Terry

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Becky Doggett on December 1, 2011 at 2:20

Thank you Terry. That thread is very interesting and I have had a search around the internet to see if I can find out more although there isn't too much about. There has been a lot of talk about me getting some form of emotional support such as CBT because of the impact my ill-health has had on me, but I have been very.... avoidant shall we say of doing so. I finally agreed to have the assessment only a few days ago and Mum was going to ring and book me an appointment next week! So I shall hold off on that until Thursday in case something different/specialised is suggested.

I shall keep you informed of what happens and will share my story on the thread you have mentioned when necessary.

Thanks again for the support. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my voice issues, especially if it turns out it is to do with psychological issues which just seems strange!!

Becky

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Terence McDermott on December 1, 2011 at 17:50

Thanks Becky. I think many reading this, even those who have a physiological cause to their voice problem such as ventilation damage (me), damage post thyroid surgery, etc, etc.... (causes too many to name), will agree that stress/upset can still have a huge impact on their voices or larynx symptoms such as discomfort. Even those with healthy larynxes talk about getting "a lump in the throat" when upset. So emotion plays a part in all our voice problems to a greater or lesser extent. In any case, I have also met/heard from many people with psychogenic voice problems where the cause is exclusively pyschological so you are definitely not alone (some feel there isnt anything particularly troubling them which is particularly confusing).... Good luck....

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Becky Doggett on December 9, 2011 at 12:37

My appointment was reasonably successful. I saw the head consultant within the department, and he was really nice, talked me through everything, showed me the video from the camera I had investigating my voice box and showed me whatw as happening and what wasn't working, answered all of our questions and had loads of time for me. A massive improvement from the last examination I had where they hardly had any time for me, didn't give me anything to help with the camera (endoscope I think it is?) and as I have a very narrow nose, it is extremely painful for me to have the procedure done, I was in tears throughout the whole thing and aterwards when he basically said you will get a speech therapy appointment through the post and pushed us out the door... anyone in the Norfolk area, avoid James Padget Hospital if you need an ENT appointment!

Anyway, back to the point, as suspected previously, there is nothing physically wrong. When I try to talk, my vocal chords come together but they leave a gap, meaning I can only speak in a whisper and run out of air very quickly. He says this is a form of psychogenic voice problem, which they don't know why or how it happens. I am going to have speech therapy and also go to a speech clinic where they will put the camera in my throat again and get me to do various exercises to see which is more effective for my chords and so they know the best way to try and get them to work properly again. He has essentially said whats happened is I was unwell and got laryngitis and therefore spoke in a whisper, and my brain has kind of forgotten how to speak properly again... kind of like when you hurt your leg and walk with a limp, and then your other leg starts to hurt because you are walking differently to how you usually do.

Overall, I was reasonably happy with the appointment. He seemed confident my voice will come back (although so was my last speech therapist!!). Just got to keep my fingers crossed now...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Becky Doggett on February 24, 2012 at 17:38

Hi all, me again...

Just wanted to post a quick message. I am still waiting to hear when my speech therapy will be... Mum rang up a couple of weeks ago and asked what was going on with it, and they basically fobbed her off, didn't say much about it and said an appointment will be sent out to me the following week... two week on we've still heard nothing.

Any advice on what to do? Obviously I can't ring up myself and Mum is really busy at work and hasn't had much time to chase them up again. When we had the original ENT appointment the consultant wasn't sure how long the waiting list would be, but almost 3 months on, surely I should have heard something?

Getting so frustrated with it all. I have been really unwell the past few weeks with issues with my head, and I am seeing a neurologist on the 7th March. But just really want to know what's going on with my speech therapy... Any ideas?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Terence McDermott on February 28, 2012 at 0:35

Really sorry to hear about this. I trust you have read the info on here about psychogenic voice problems?

You/your mum may want to call the speech therapy department at your hospital and ask what has happened, stating the length of time you have waited. You may also want to check that it will be a speech therapist with experience treating voice problems who will see you. It may be an idea to speak to the therapist who is going to see you and check they have experience of treating psychogenic voice loss. Some speech therapists have more training than otehrs in this area. Let us know how you get on. Terry

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Becky Doggett on March 5, 2012 at 16:43

Hi Terry. Yeah I have read the information on here thank you, when I first went to the consultant in November/December.

I got a letter on SAturday which was very frustrating, it basically said they had RECENTLY recieved a referral from a consultant saying I had a speech or swallowing problem, and if I would like to make an appointment or speak to them over the phone then to ring X number... having a speech problem and talking over the phone doesn't always work!! But what I have basically taken that letter is saying they forgot about me until Mum phoned them up about a month ago and so they sent me out that letter now, and when we ring up it will be X amount of months on the waiting list again... I am on so many waiting lists that its driving me crazy. My Mum is coming up to take me to the neurologist on Wednesday so I am going to get her to ring up and complain about it, and try to get an appointment asap... I am so fed up of waiting for everything and being treated badly by the NHS!! (Sorry if this is a bit of a rant, I have been really unwell recently and have had enough of being so ill with my other problems on top of my lack of voice)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dawn Sellick on March 30, 2012 at 20:01

Hi Becky

I couldn't believe it when I received a letter telling me to make a speech therapy appointment by telephoning - of all departments, why does speech therapy require you to telephone? I managed to say something, but it was an answerphone so I wasn't confident that they would have heard my message, but luckily they did phone back a couple of days later.

That phone call was to say I needed to see ENT before speech therapy, I got that appointment at the beginning of December and the referral for speech therapy. The actual speech therapy appointment letter arrived this week, for 19 April. So, several months after the consultant saw me. It is frustrating that there's such a long wait, luckily for me, my voice is ok at the moment, but it must be even more frustrating for you. I hope your meeting with the neurologist went well.

Dawn

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Becky Doggett on April 4, 2012 at 1:10

Hi Dawn!

In the end I had to get my Mum to phone them for me, she had a nice moan on my behalf too! The timings are ridiculious, I met with the ENT consultant at the beginning of December, we hadn't heard anything so Mum rang them for me in February to ask what was going on, beginning of March I got the letter for speech therapy... for an appointment at the beginning of May. I hate NHS waiting lists!!! I'm on far too many of them, and (slightly off topic but) it has been proven that because of the ridiculious length of time I had to wait to first be referred, and then to see a neuroligist, my neurological problems are a lot worse and will take longer to improve because of it.

I am just hoping speech therapy will be more help this time, as when I had it previously (I was living in Norwich with my Mum last year and had it there for 4 months) although I would occasionally hear improvements when doing excercices, my overall speech didn't really have an improvement.

Anyway, not too long until you have speech therapy then, hopefully it will help! I have read your post in a different thread and see you may have a psychogenic voice problem - that makes 2 of us then!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dawn Sellick on April 4, 2012 at 9:45

Good for your mum! I did opt for my more local speech therapy centre, even though it's a longer waiting list, so I can't really complain. I really want to focus on what I'm doing this time, as my voice just seemed to come back without my knowing what I did right, and then when I lost it again I don't know what I did wrong! I had thought I'd worn out the functioning vocal cord, but the specialist said I couldn't do that, so it looks like it is psychogenic. On top of physical. Yippee! Best of luck, Becky.