Now for Botox....

Well, after struggling with spasmodic dysphonia for 3 ½ years, I have no more alternative remedies to try ….. and I’m tired of this. So, I decided to take my (primary)doctor’s suggestion and go back to the UCLA ENT for Botox injections. I’ve been reluctant for a number of reasons, but at this point, I’m ready to try medical intervention.

Yesterday I had my first Botox injection. Rather, my first two injections, one on each side of my larynx. The two marks looked fitting for upcoming Halloween … like a vampire bite, but they’ve already faded. The doctor was very thorough, telling me of possible side effects. It will take some time to see if the dosage is right since he considered my voice disorder to be fairly severe on the scale of voice disorders.

So, I’m hopeful, as is my family. My throat/voice feels no different, but then it never did. It’s not until I try and speak that the condition becomes apparent.

As I’ve tried to teach my children, there’s always a lesson to be learned. This challenge has reinforced something that I’ve often shared with teachers, the importance of speaking directly to others (esp. children). Forget shouting room to room or across a room, the communication loses its value. Speaking face to face, within a short distance, is the most effective way to verbally communicate. Then, of course, a lesson that my husband is probably very happy that I’ve come to better understand….. no point in saying inconsequential things, save the talk for what’s important and at the right time, when there’s not competition from other sources (such as a basketball or baseball game that’s on television). 

I’ll keep you posted….