NSDA website audio

Didn't you think the NSDA audios were kinda mild though (regarding the full range)? I posted on this subject within the past week, re I think it's great to have them but they don't sound near as bad as I did or some of the other people I've talked to sound. Maybe I should listen to them again. Possibly they've been updated? We sure have to start somewhere though so I'm grateful for that. What I would like to see/hear is a number of cases (diagnosed) from mild to very severe to give the full scope for both docs and patients who have never met anyone else with SD.

I do think this is an vocal/aural-improvement over the "What is Spasmodic Dysphonia" video tape, however (in regard to portraying the full scope of SD). I never thought that video (since almost everyone on it was a successful Botox patient) fully demonstated how bad things are prior to Botox. I showed it to several people who thought everyone sounded so good that they couldn't figure out *what the problem was.* We patients know exactly what the problem is and how painful our existence can be prior to treatment...and sometimes even during the course of treatment.

Anyway, good thing to bring up periodically and I hope everyone listens to the clips...and also pays their NSDA membership so these things can continue to be provided and updated on the Internet.

I must've listened to that audio clip a dozen times!! I just can't get over the similairity!!!! -although my voice does generally sound worse. it breaks off completely rather than just rasping like that. Also, of course, since that was a male voice, it's lower than mine.

All I can say is "wow! WOW! WOW! WOW!

I'd been told before by several people that they'd heard it in my voice before, and everything, but I'd never really heard it myself. This was just ASTOUNDING!!!!

I must say though, that this guy's voice sounded more normal than mine -I think it has a lot to do with the register. Most of the time I've managed to get it down to a relatively 'normal' level, but apparently it still goes off the scale almost when I'm upset or distressed or something. I still apparently have a 'higher than normal' pitch though, which I don't know if it's related to the 'distinctiveness' of myy voice or not. ...I've been told by two professionals I've delat with that they can easily recognize my voice on the phone (two that I've actually become comfortable with on the phone at one point or antoher - usually 'cause they don't pressure me) 'because you have a distinctive voice". I'm not sure exactly I know what they mean, but now I think I'm beginning to. I don't imagine there are too many people they deal with whose voices cut in and out like that.

I agree with the others. My SD is much more severe than these audios sound. Maybe these are just mild cases of SD.

Exactly right. That's why I suggested the same thing, re having several types of cases, identified as such. Seeing as how we are all so unique...one just doesn't do it. It would help folks on this NSDA-BB alot (people who write about their SD but don't necessarily compare voices on the phone or in person).

I have also mentioned this to the NSDA but it was awhile back so maybe I need to do it again since some time has passed and more people have given feedback on the clips. The problem with this, of course, is that doing all this extra work (capturing the voices and putting them up on the NSDA Internet-site with proper diagnosis/identification) costs money and the NSDA is dirt-poor.

Also, after talking to you on the phone, I agree with you regarding your own voice. I am always very wary about describing other people's voices (what I hear) back to them because my own voice varies so much from great to not-so-great during the day that I never want to make an assessment based on one 30-minute conversation. If I did, I'd be wrong, I'm sure. However, one thing I heard in your voice which made it very hard to understand was that your pitch is higher/softer than anyone else I have ever met with SD so alot was lost in the regular catches. Maybe someone else who knows people with higher-pitched voices can give you a more thorough perspective on this than I can. Joan mentioned that she was calling you also and, in meeting her before her surgery, she (as well as I) had a deep/low pitch with the catches.

I sure hope you can get relief from this situation with surgery and I wish you the best of everything. A couple of other things but I'll put them on private e-mail.

Thanks for your reply. That would be great if you could take to NSDA. I will even volonteer my voice. I have it recorded on tape. I would be happy to do this, especially to help others.