Betty Rome
UPDATE: 9 Years
1990. It all began simply and innocuously. I caught a cold and
contracted a case of laryngitis that refused to go away. Although
I attempted to repeat the previously successful cure by not using
my voice, circumstances prevented me from being allowed to maintain
‘radio silence.’ My voice became less and less a reality
and more and more of a very painful experience. At one point,
I had to resort to holding signs up so I could communicate. At
that point, I was referred to an ENT (ear, nose, throat doctor).
He treated me with pills and potions. We both expected that I’d
recover in a week or two. Well, when plan A didn’t work,
the ENT referred me to a speech pathologist. Each week I was given
a series of 'exercises' to practice as well as a list of myriad
do’s and don’ts to correct my supposedly damaging behavior
(pure poppycock, as I later learned). I did my homework diligently
and incorporated all the ‘advice’ into my daily behavior.
By the time that the originally treating team of ENT and speech
pathologist were finished with me, I was a physical and mental
mess... AND I STILL HADN'T REGAINED EVEN THE SEMBLANCE OF A FUNCTIONAL
SPEAKING VOICE! The ENT finally told me that, like a ballplayer
who had sustained a crippling injury, I would have to find a new
profession. He also advised, probably based solely on the fact
that he hadn’t been able to cure me, that my voice problem
was caused by some traumatic event that occurred in my early childhood.
Well, I didn’t have the greatest childhood but logic told
me that this advise was pure, unadulterated garbage (that’s
not actually the word I used but it’s a family friendly one
and doesn’t need a PG rating.)
ENTER DR. COOPER. Actually, I was lucky, very lucky. Someone
had mentioned Dr. C’s name to me earlier. When I asked my
speech pathologist about him, she pooh-poohed me, telling me that
all speech pathologists use the same techniques and treat patients
in the same manner. Later, after the original ENT gave up on my
case, I was lucky again. Some people who weren’t supposed
to give me Dr. Cooper’s name in their official line of business,
gave me his name in whispers with the explanation that he’s
the only one to see about severe voice problems. I called Dr.
C. As soon as Dr. Cooper’s secretary heard my gaspy, whispery,
painful voice on the phone, I got an almost immediate appointment.
Dr. Cooper sent me to an ENT whom he trusted. AS a result of that
ENTs examination, we all learned that I had bowed vocal cords.
In effect, instead of curing me, my previous ENT and speech pathologist
had severely worsened my condition through their professional
treatment. No, they didn’t mean to do so. They just didn’t
know any better and were too misguided by their egos to admit
ignorance and refer me to anyone more capable.
Thus started an intensive regimen. I was in Dr. Cooper’s
office six days a week, Monday through Saturday, for approximately
three hours each session. The first thing that Dr. Cooper instructed
me to do was, in effect, to shut up...and not to try to speak
at all. As a necessary introduction to voice exercises, Dr. Cooper
style, he started me on humming through my nose. For all of you
who are unfamiliar with this particular exercise, when done correctly,
it feels as if the inside of your nose is being tickled. To this
day, I still use the ‘sick bumble bee’ exercise, so
named because that’s what I think I sound like. Then, I became
acquainted with the machine and magic 97 sentences. Those sentences
are still being utilized, complete with a ‘hum’ inserted
in front of each word, before any public speaking. Hundreds of
hours and many, many thousands of sentences repeats later, I regained
a voice and ultimately, reshaped my vocal cords. However, while
those happy end results were still just a work in progress, there
was just one horrible personal setback. It was on a Saturday.
I felt the district beginnings of a cold. By Sunday evening, I
had lost my voice almost entirely. When I showed up in Dr. Cooper’s
office that Monday morning, I was close to hysterical. The results
of all the hard work up to that time had seemed to vanish almost
in an instant. However, by the time I left Dr. C’s office
that day, my voice was once again on the path to full restoration
and I was feeling much better. At that time, Dr. Cooper decided
the only way to effect a real cure in my case was to teach me
to breathe properly. We had discussed the problem previously.
I remember telling Dr. Cooper, in no uncertain terms, that even
he wasn’t going to be able to get me retrained. In my mind,
it was an impossible task. My abdomen refused to budge even the
slightest bit when I made my first feeble attempts at correct
breathing. The long and the short of it are that Dr. Cooper did
get me to change my life long (up to that time) breathing habits.
It was painful. There were many days that I was totally physically
exhausted and drained as a result of the exercises. There I sat,
with one hand on my tummy to monitor my breathing, through many
hours of practice of reading aloud. At least I was promoted from
the famous 97 sentences and was allowed to select books of my
own during this process.
So why, after being wholly disgusted, discouraged and turned
off by my first treating team, was I able to respond to Dr. Cooper’s
course of treatment? First, Dr. Cooper presented a totally open
and candid demeanor. From day #1, there was no question about
voice problems that was off limits. I could ask anything. Also,
I was given reading materials so I could learn more. I was encouraged
to seek out information on voice disorders, their history and
attempted cures. My favorite (and this is merely a matter of personal
taste and temperament) was the textbook authored by Dr. Cooper.
Second, I realized that the worst that could happen, if Dr. C’s
form of treatment didn’t work, was nothing. There could be
no negative side effects, such as those can accompany drug and
surgical remedies. Third, at the point that Dr. C. deemed I was
ready, I was introduced into the patient circle. Naturally, all
the appropriate permissions had been given by each of us. We exchanged
war stories about out voice problems. Each of us had a slightly
different horror story to tell. It was immeasurably relieving
and therapeutic to learn that I was not alone. Dr. Cooper was
not present at these gab sessions, although it probably wouldn’t
have made any difference. Fourth, at some point, I was able to
personally notice the obvious physical signs that my voice was
improving. That gave me the impetus to continue the struggle.
It’s now been seven or eight years since I was cured. Now,
whenever I get a cold and feel the first signs of laryngitis,
I know exactly what to do. In fact, since my cure, I’ve never
lost my voice for more than a few minutes, the time it takes to
hum or recite sentences (no, not all 97 of them!). I’ve been
able to speak through, over and above the worst colds...and even
bronchitis. Yes, sometimes I do get caught up in the excitement
of something or other and forget to breathe correctly. As a result,
my mouth moves but no audible words result. However, it takes
me only seconds to rectify the momentary lapse and talk audibly.
Dr. Cooper’s system does work. It requires patience, dedication
and diligence on the patient’s part. Most of all, the patient
must be totally committed to the idea that he or she can be cured.
It requires a good measure of faith, in oneself and in someone
else. As an alumnus of the Cooper School of Voice Rehabilitation,
I can vouch for the reality of the results and their long standing
nature.
BETTY ROME
Attorney
