February
19, 2005
In the recovery room after Thyroid surgery, I developed a blood
clot in my throat. I was rushed into the operating room by my Ear,
Nose, and Throat surgeon to remove the clot. In the process, the
nerve in my right vocal cord was nicked causing a unilateral cord
paralysis. This is not an unusual occurrence with complications;
however, it was the first incident of this kind to happen to this
ENT doctor in his very many years of practice.
I was informed by my ENT doctor that my normal voice should come
back within six months. Six months came and went and I still sounded
like a cartoon character with a squeaky high-pitched voice. The
doctor then told me to wait another six months.
I went to another ENT doctor for a second opinion and he gave the
same diagnosis and advice. I was also told that I could try Teflon
or Collagen shots to trigger the paralyzed vocal cord into functioning.
But that was no guarantee.
My sister, a pre-school teacher, was the first to tell me that
there was such a thing as voice therapy, not to be confused with
speech therapy. She needed this sort of help when she developed
nodules on her vocal cords.
In the meantime, my husband and I were out with some friends one
evening. One of the wives recommended Dr. Cooper for voice therapy
as she also needed his services a number of years past. It was,
at that time, nine and a half months since my Thyroid surgery. I
decided to see Dr. Morton Cooper. Within five sessions, I was speaking
normally. My right vocal cord may still be paralyzed, but with his
guidance and exercise, the left vocal cord does the work for both.
When I speak now, I don’t have to repeat myself over and
over again as people can understand and hear me the first time.
What an incredible pleasure that is! Something we take for granted.
Yes, I do highly recommend Dr. Cooper for his expertise in vocal
therapy.
Roberta Zuckerman
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