I'm sure it is a relief to know what you have, even though it is not something that is easy to treat.

There is a list of support groups on the NSDA web site at:

http://www.dysphonia.org/nsda/support/area.asp

There is one "voice support group" listed for Oklahoma City, but I don't know if any AB SD patients attend.

I concur with the feeling of relief at getting a definitive diagnosis -- but I was also devastated to know I definitely have a (a) very rare disorder that is (b) currently incurable and (c) the toughest version of the overall disorder to treat successfully. I felt initially a huge sense of loss of my expected future, because I'm a teacher currently working in teacher education in a setting where there are lots of adaptations I can make in schedule & activities ... but I always intended to go find myself a 5th grade classroom again because (don't tell my current students!) teaching kids is just tons more fun than teaching grown-ups. It was very surprising for me to find out that my kids and siblings all expressed relief at the diagnosis, which felt a bit harsh at the time. I soon learned, though, that they had all been talking and had decided that I had either throat cancer (which had killed one of my grandfathers) or Lou Gehrig's disease. Their relief made a lot of sense!! And I'm very thankful that AB SD is all I'm dealing with of a serious nature.

Since my initial period of adjustment, I've felt very positive overall because of having access to such excellent care at Hopkins, and having the blessing of getting real benefits from my second Botox injection (#3 is coming up this Wed.). I still have to learn how frequently to schedule the shots; the past month my voice has really tanked and I've been back to the aching muscles in the back of my neck & shoulders, and the great fatigue from talking when unable to get much out. (My mic was in for repairs for a couple of weeks, so I was without any aids again. Not good.)