Posted by: Mary Bifaro ®
07/03/2008, 16:22:52
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Dear Linda:I'm glad that you found the NSDA. On our website at www.dysphonia.org, go to the section on "healthcare providers". You'll find a listing of those medical professionals who treat SD who have asked to be shown there.
Also on our website are audio clips of abductor and adductor SD voices. There are a number of SD support groups that are affiliated with the NSDA. They are shown on our website under the "support" section. I lead the SD Support Group in Charlotte, NC which is a few hours from where you live. I'd also advise you to read through this popular bulletin board. There is alot of good information and advice here. Good luck to you. Sincerely,
Mary Bifaro
Abductor SD since 1987
Charlotte, NC
Modified by Mary Bifaro at Thu, Jul 03, 2008, 16:24:25
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Posted by: rahuba72 ®
07/04/2008, 10:28:49
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I can totally relate to what you're saying, because I have to talk all day at work too! I am a Customer Service Rep in a call center, and by the end of the day, my throat muscles feel tight and tired from all the EFFORT of talking! Also, since I talk to about 50 customers per day, a lot of them comment about my voice; a lot of them ask if I'm sick, but some of them think I am crying or laughing because of the "shakiness" of my voice. My symptoms also "come and go" throughout the day, and also I have a lot of variation from day to day or week to week. It's really frustrating at times, because you just don't know when/if your voice is going to cooperate with you! You could possibly have SD, but there are other problems to rule out as well. Myself, I didn't know where to start, so I went to an ENT. He put a small camera down my throat so we could see pictures of my vocal folds. The looked good & healthy, so he ruled out things like polyps, etc. Then he sent me to a speech therapist, who is the one who actually diagnosed me with SD. You should consider making arrangements with Mary to attend the SD Support Group in Charlotte sometime. I have attended the support group here in Nashville several times, and it's been really enlightening and interesting to meet other people with same/similar voice problems. Good Luck!
Laura
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Posted by: lillygirl72 ®
07/07/2008, 13:42:15
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Hey Linda, I am sorry to hear about your struggle. We can all identify w/the physical & emotional rollercoaster that goes along with having a voice disorder. Katherine Hepburn had ET, or essential tremor, which caused her head as well as her voice to shake. I don't know a whole lot about vocal tremor so someone might want to elaborate for me, but you can have it along w/SD, so you might want to ask your doctor about it. Also, A lot of SD patients, myself included see an ontolaryngologist so find out if there is one in your area & if you need a regular ENT to refer you. Also, I would love to read the Kennedy article you referred to earlier, if youcould post a link on the message board. Good luc, & please keep us posted. Sheila.
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Posted by: kwf ®
08/01/2008, 00:02:38
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Dear Linda, Was glad to see your email. My name is Kathy Fletcher and live in Elizabethton, tenn. I have been struggling with this disorder for about 18 years. I spend thousands of dollars here in johnson city trying to find out what the problem was. I finally went to Duke University and was given a dx of adducter SD. Tried speech therapy and didn't get no inprovment so I had a left larngeal nerve resection. Have done good and was able to keep working, but have noticed over the last year, the spasms is wanting to return. I know what you are going through, and very glad to know you are from ashville. We are not that far from each other. I haven't used this site for a long time but glad i did tonight because there is alot of people out there that needs encouragement.This site has a lot of info and a list of doctors you can find that treat this disorder. I am a nurse and struggle everyday with comments from people. They always ask if i have a cold, and i usually say yes and leave it at that. But you know what I think i am going to fight this thing. I have accepted that i am going to have to live with this. For years i have avoided being with a alot of people and trying to talk normal and that gets old. It makes you feel that people judge you by the way you talk, and most of them do, which is quiet sad and dishearting. I am not the same person i was before. it has affected how i feel about myself. I rely on god to help me through each day. We really need to try to get a support group in our area. I think it would help alot. I guess all these years i didn't want to admit i had a disability. Anyway to make a long story short, i wish you all the luck and find you a good doctor. please email me back and let me know how it is going.
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Posted by: king ®
05/02/2009, 19:48:49
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Dear LindaYou don't have to be ashamed. People have to except you the
way you are. I have two disabilities sd, and learning
disability and I don't care what my relatives cousins say.
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