Re: 16 Week Report
John,I can tell you feel as though your voice might not recover as you had hoped. I know Dr. Berke told you it could take up to 6 months so you have to keep thinking "positive." It is very difficult not to be able to do things for ourselves. Have you thought about trying the voice amplifier for your phone that Gene White mentioned worked so well for him? My husband doesn't like talking on the phone all that much, but if he's home, I let him answer. I can whisper so most can hear me over the phone, but don't like to do it a lot because I find myself straining to project more. I have this fear that I will revert back to my pre-surgery way of talking if I strain to be heard. Don't know if I will ever relax about using the phone as I blame being a doctor's receptionist and those endless hours of phone work for my SD. As for your wife, if she's put up with you for 31 years, she won't complain about a few phone calls. Just kidding, she sounds like a great gal. We are so lucky to have people we can count on. My husband had quadruple by-pass surgery almost 8 years ago. After he came home from the hospital, we had to put medicine on his incisions on his leg (where they removed a vein to use for his by-pass) twice a day and he had to wear those long white surgical stockings. It's hard enough to put pantyhose on yourself, let alone, putting those surgical stockings on extremely long skinny man legs. I had to get up an extra half hour early to have time to do it before going to work. We laugh about it now, but it was a rough time for us. Keep coping, John, a little more time might surprise you a lot. Barb
Re: 16 Week Report
I feel your frustration John, but I think you just have to be patient a while longer. If you are really concerned, call or e-mail one of the doctors. They are excellent at getting back to you quickly and just might be able to put your mind as ease. I think you just have to give it more time as we all progress at different rates. When you are an independent person, it makes it that much more difficult to cope with having to depend on someonelse, but it sounds like your wife is willing and ready to help and be supportive. Some people have progressed more quickly than others and that might make you a little anxious too because who is to say what is the norm. Regarding tone, I have found that as time goes on, I have much more range although I cannt reach ANY high notes at all, but that is ok with me as long as those darn spasms and strain are gone. Keep us posted!
Re: 16 Week Report
Hey, John, these weeks just keep on passing, don't they? I'm at eight weeks postop and I'm still whispering too. To think that I still will be in eight more weeks is disheartening for a moment, but then I have to back up and look at the big picture. Just this week, a colleague of mine at the university had a massive heart attack, another colleague lost his thirty year old son in a car accident, and a friend was diagnosed with lung cancer. When I get discouraged and impatient I have to just look around me and see that what you and I are going through pales in comparison. I am finding that this experience is teaching me to accept help that others are willing, even eager, to give as evidence of love; that's a hard lesson for some of us tough and independent men. I wonder if there's a relationship between how soon we get our voices back and how soon we learn these hard lessons that we are to learn from this experience? Hang in there! Gene
Re: 16 Week Report
John,Glad to have the update and happy that you are noticing a little improvement. I know what you mean about the phone. I think they get aggravated with me at work because I never answer mine. Oh well, they'll get over it. I live alone so I have to deal with it at home. Since my divorce is now fianl and I sold my house, I am living in a hotel till I figure out what I want to do when I grow up. My only phone is a cell phone which makes things even worse. Nothing new to report here. Only 3 weeks under my belt. Take care.
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