I’ve been too quiet since my procedure and I owe you a story.

On 2/25 I checked into Hahnemann Hospital for outpatient surgery.  This was different in the sense that prior procedures were done by putting me on a breathing apparatus and entering my larynx through my mouth.  A year prior, that caused the issue that meant that a 1 1/2 hour procedure took over 5 hours and resulted in such swelling in my tongue that I couldn’t swallow.  People who can’t swallow don’t leave the hospital and I was there for four days.

This time, they cut a hole in my neck and went in that way.  The surgery was to graft adipose tissue from inside my cheek to the stiffened vocal fold thereby making that fold capable of playing the game again

On the procedure, they took material from inside my cheek, after entering around my Adam’s Apple, and grafted it into my right vocal fold.  I can feel the scar in my cheek after the sutures dissolved.  On my first follow-up visit after the surgery, I was an airhead.  The medical term is “subcutaneous emphysema of neck and periorbital edema (eyes swollen shut),” a circumstance that happens when surgically opening the airways and allows air to be trapped.  Since that’s the way they accessed my larynx, it happened to me.  I was extremely swollen, as air had gained access to my tissues causing the swelling.  I was told, “Oh, we should have warned you.”  But, I was also told that I could press on the tissue and express the excess air.  I tried it and it worked, at least for the tissue around my eyes, it made it possible to see.

At the point of the incision, my Adam’s Apple was extremely distended for the same reason.  One of the residents responded to my question about its state.  He opened a section near the excision with something like a pipette and let out the air.  Sure enough, the swelling dropped immediately.  

I don’t believe the graft portion of the procedure is fully healed to this day, something I’ve concluded after my visit on Monday (April Fools Day) with my Speech Pathologist who said, “Of course you’re still healing.  It was a complicated procedure and it will take time.”  I’m under strict instructions to use my voice “gently.”  Talking on the phone is not recommended.  I’m limiting any speech as much as possible.  I’ve got vocal exercises to do that involve gargling, blowing bubbles in a cup and adding vocalization to the the air flow, breathing and being aware of the support for voice around the diaphragm and watching myself in the mirror as I do.  

The days when I sounded like Mickey Mouse are gone.  I am so pleased with that.  But I’m limited to a ten minute interval per hour of either speech or the exercises.  At the very instant, I feels a bit like a guinea pig.  Google the following four words and see what I mean:  buccal graft vocal fold

I’m so very thankful for the prayers and good wishes from you.  I can’t go wrong.  I have a DAR Chaplain working in my behalf for a sister and I’d not be surprised to find that Quaker sister had the spirit move her to speak in Meeting?   Oh, what the hey!  So I’m gargling, cup bubbling and doing inhalation phonation.  One of these days, don’t be surprised, you might get a phone call from me.  Thank you all for your prayers, kind remarks and good wishes.