Ask me about aphonia

[Meow Mix]

I'm really bored, and I was thinking how funny it was as I stepped out to smoke that I still instinctively point at any cat and mouth "you are a cat." (Clearly it is the law that you must tell cats that they are cats. Duh). It's little things like this that we don't often consciously think about.

So I figured if people have questions about aphonia, here is the place to ask. Why not.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I'm really bored, and I was thinking how funny it was as I stepped out to smoke that I still instinctively point at any cat and mouth "you are a cat." (Clearly it is the law that you must tell cats that they are cats. Duh). It's little things like this that we don't often consciously think about.

So I figured if people have questions about aphonia, here is the place to ask. Why not.

If i understand Aphonia correctly it is a form of losing your voice, fully or partly
So my question would be, if its ok to ask, are you still having some voice, or is it fully gone?

 

[Gargovic Malkav]

I'm really bored, and I was thinking how funny it was as I stepped out to smoke that I still instinctively point at any cat and mouth "you are a cat."

I can imagine the cat might point back and reply: "You are a servant."

 

[Meow Mix]

If i understand Aphonia correctly it is a form of losing your voice, fully or partly
So my question would be, if its ok to ask, are you still having some voice, or is it fully gone?

I occasionally have some, but it is very hoarse and never very loud. So this would actually be called dysphonia, but it’s usually aphonia both because this is unreliable and because I choose not to speak because it doesn’t sound pretty.

 

[Meow Mix]

I can imagine the cat might point back and reply: "You are a servant."

That is exactly right

 

[Spirit of Light]

I occasionally have some, but it is very hoarse and never very loud. So this would actually be called dysphonia, but it’s usually aphonia both because this is unreliable and because I choose not to speak because it doesn’t sound pretty.

Thank you for your answer

 

[Meow Mix]

Thank you for your answer

I will add that it's kind of gotten better over time. This is from a nerve injury. So, it was awful at first because it was also accompanied by difficulty swallowing and even breathing. By the time I joined RF the first time though, none of that remained (but I could almost never produce any sound at all; at least not requiring vocal cords to be in place). It hasn't gotten any better than really mild croaking in a long time though so I suspect that's as good as it gets. This is after they tried some kind of injection and considered trying to actually move the vocal cords (I didn't want to do this, that weirded me out).

 

[Spirit of Light]

I will add that it's kind of gotten better over time. This is from a nerve injury. So, it was awful at first because it was also accompanied by difficulty swallowing and even breathing. By the time I joined RF the first time though, none of that remained (but I could almost never produce any sound at all; at least not requiring vocal cords to be in place). It hasn't gotten any better than really mild croaking in a long time though so I suspect that's as good as it gets. This is after they tried some kind of injection and considered trying to actually move the vocal cords (I didn't want to do this, that weirded me out).

When i read about your health issues i want to find a solution But i know i am unable to do.

 

[Meow Mix]

When i read about your health issues i want to find a solution But i know i am unable to do.

There are really invasive things (like repositioning vocal folds) that MAY have helped, but it weirded me out enough that I don't want to try it. I'd forever think my stuff isn't where it belongs, which is probably irrational I know, haha. But I've learned to live with it mostly fine ^.^

 

[Spirit of Light]

There are really invasive things (like repositioning vocal folds) that MAY have helped, but it weirded me out enough that I don't want to try it. I'd forever think my stuff isn't where it belongs, which is probably irrational I know, haha. But I've learned to live with it mostly fine ^.^

To learn to live with a form of disability is a good way to cope with the issues that may lay in front of us

 

[Psalm23]

I'm really bored, and I was thinking how funny it was as I stepped out to smoke that I still instinctively point at any cat and mouth "you are a cat." (Clearly it is the law that you must tell cats that they are cats. Duh). It's little things like this that we don't often consciously think about.

So I figured if people have questions about aphonia, here is the place to ask. Why not.

I told one of my cats that he is a cat. His name is Max.

 

[Meow Mix]

I told one of my cats that he is a cat. His name is Max.

Max sounds precious (of course he’s precious, he’s a cat). Did he appreciate the tautology?

 

[Psalm23]

Max sounds precious (of course he’s precious, he’s a cat). Did he appreciate the tautology?

He just would look at me.

 

[Meow Mix]

He just would look at me.

Plotting devious cat things (like naps), no doubt.

 

[ChristineM]

@Meow Mix

Do you have any daily/regular difficulty with your disability?

Also, if i can ask, what caused your aphonia?

 

[Meow Mix]

@Meow Mix

Do you have any daily/regular difficulty with your disability?

Also, if i can ask, what caused your aphonia?

Some difficulties I have to stop and even think about because I’ve dealt with it for so long. There are obvious things and less obvious things: which I thought the thread might enjoy the less obvious ones, like trying to talk to cats instinctively.

Off the top of my head, things that annoy me are things like the inability to use drive throughs (when I had to drive to an office anyway), having to have people make calls for official things (I never called anyone unless I had to beforehand anyway but it is annoying if I want to, say, make a doctor’s appointment).

I carry cards in my phone, purse, dashboard, etc. if I get pulled over.

People always think I’m being rude if I don’t respond immediately. People think I’m showing them my phone as in “look at my cool phone,” not at the text I’ve typed for them to read.

I could have learned ASL and it was recommended to me but I’ve been suuuper not committed to doing that (and it only helps if people around me do too). So I write and text. This gets annoying and cumbersome sometimes. Imagine having a conversation at phone typing speed (but I’m actually stupid fast at it, but still).

Text doesn’t carry inflection, emotion, sarcasm, things like this well, so that’s a daily thing. I try to still express with my hands, face, and body even if I’m writing or texting.

Big side track there, annoying things… imagine just wanting something stupid like “hey, while you’re in the kitchen…”

I type faster than I write so I will take new peoples’ numbers that I’m meeting, and try to delete them if it’s temporary but still end up with a contact list where I’m like “who the **** is green hat girl?”

I have to be especially conscious in sketchy areas (I can’t scream), I do have a whistle in my purse that I’ve thankfully never had to use.

It’s actually hard to think of all the things as I said because it’s just life now, haha ^.^

In any case, this was a neck injury from a car accident; and a good reason for people to know to wear their seatbelts because I was not. The nerve damage was bilateral, which is probably why I had trouble swallowing and breathing for a while after before some of the treatments they did; they said that this was unfortunate because for a lot of people it doesn’t affect both sides and they retain more voice function than I did.

 

[Meow Mix]

Pros: I’ve been a really true to form Ariel (The Little Mermaid) for several Halloweens!

uhhhhh… I can annoy people less! No, that’s not true. I find ways… I will always find ways, insert evil laughter.

Ooh yes. Annoying thing: I can’t control when I laugh, and sometimes laughs are dysphonic instead of aphonic and I get real self-conscious. @ChristineM actually this is a big one, the unintentional dysphonic embarrasment.

 

[Brian2]

I occasionally have some, but it is very hoarse and never very loud. So this would actually be called dysphonia, but it’s usually aphonia both because this is unreliable and because I choose not to speak because it doesn’t sound pretty.

My aunty, who lived with us when I was growing up, had some sort of dysphonia in which there were only a few people she spoke to (some family members she had known all her life) and when she spoke (when I did hear her) it was in a whisper.
I think for her it was more a psychological thing than a physical one. I did hear it was because of some trauma when she was young but am not 100% sure.

 

[Meow Mix]

My aunty, who lived with us when I was growing up, had some sort of dysphonia in which there were only a few people she spoke to (some family members she had known all her life) and when she spoke (when I did hear her) it was in a whisper.
I think for her it was more a psychological thing than a physical one. I did hear it was because of some trauma when she was young but am not 100% sure.

Aphonia and dysphonia can have psychological causes from what I understand, though I know a lot less about that. That is sad, at least your folks sound like they were supporting her <3

 

[ChristineM]

Some difficulties I have to stop and even think about because I’ve dealt with it for so long. There are obvious things and less obvious things: which I thought the thread might enjoy the less obvious ones, like trying to talk to cats instinctively.

Off the top of my head, things that annoy me are things like the inability to use drive throughs (when I had to drive to an office anyway), having to have people make calls for official things (I never called anyone unless I had to beforehand anyway but it is annoying if I want to, say, make a doctor’s appointment).

I carry cards in my phone, purse, dashboard, etc. if I get pulled over.

People always think I’m being rude if I don’t respond immediately. People think I’m showing them my phone as in “look at my cool phone,” not at the text I’ve typed for them to read.

I could have learned ASL and it was recommended to me but I’ve been suuuper not committed to doing that (and it only helps if people around me do too). So I write and text. This gets annoying and cumbersome sometimes. Imagine having a conversation at phone typing speed (but I’m actually stupid fast at it, but still).

Text doesn’t carry inflection, emotion, sarcasm, things like this well, so that’s a daily thing. I try to still express with my hands, face, and body even if I’m writing or texting.

Big side track there, annoying things… imagine just wanting something stupid like “hey, while you’re in the kitchen…”

I type faster than I write so I will take new peoples’ numbers that I’m meeting, and try to delete them if it’s temporary but still end up with a contact list where I’m like “who the **** is green hat girl?”

I have to be especially conscious in sketchy areas (I can’t scream), I do have a whistle in my purse that I’ve thankfully never had to use.

It’s actually hard to think of all the things as I said because it’s just life now, haha ^.^

In any case, this was a neck injury from a car accident; and a good reason for people to know to wear their seatbelts because I was not. The nerve damage was bilateral, which is probably why I had trouble swallowing and breathing for a while after before some of the treatments they did; they said that this was unfortunate because for a lot of people it doesn’t affect both sides and they retain more voice function than I did.

Wow, many more drawbacks than me but you seem to be handling it well. Must be a real pain to have a disability thrown at you like that.

Im dyslexic and have been forever (i counted). I keep cards handy for when name, address, phone, email is asked for, sometimes i have problems with roadsigns, printed instructions etc. Typing is a long process (but faster than writing) and a bugger when autocorrect chooses the wrong word when i mistype.