My Vocal Odyssey: History

Those who know me well won't be surprised to know that I was a cheerleder in junior high. During those years, I was also a child actress, landing the pivitol role of Cathy Cratchitt (Tiny Tim's sister) in the Erie Playhouse 1978 production of A Christmas Carol. My singing/acting career was cut short by several bouts of laryngitis that seemed to co-incide with varsity football or basketball games. Though the memories are vague, my mom reminds me that we once went to an ENT (ear, nose throat doctor) who told me that I "probably" had nodules on my vocal chords from over use singing, acting, cheering ... and sometimes just "being myself." I was not treated, other than being told to "take it easy", drink tea with honey, and get plenty of rest when I needed to use my voice.

During high school, I found new ways to abuse my voice. I was, proudly, the first coxswain (ever) for the Mercyhurst Prep Crew team. The father of one of my classmates decided to bring the sport to our school. A number of us went out for the team, and the coxswain job was a perfect outlet for my louder-than-average voice. We were a start-up team, with improvised and unsophisiticated equipment. Our first boat trailer was a cattle truck...definitely unsophisticated. I used a megaphone, but we had no technology to assist from the stern. I'd lose my voice after almost every race. I did this all four years of high school...summers, too.

Since that time, I'd lose my voice quite frequently: when Syracuse beat Nebraska in football in 1984, and during the 1987 Final Four, most notably. Syracuse lost the championship game and I lost my voice for about a week! Fortunately, I was only the "back up" speaker at my SU graduation. It's a good thing that Tom Lewandowski showed up that day, because I'd have crackled and squeaked my way through it.

Over the years, I've been more and more conscious about how I use my voice. For example, I now choose quieter restaurants over noisy pubs, or opt out of "networking" events at GE's White House -- the place where program attendees go to unwind after spending hours and hours in the classroom. I've realized that the extra strain required in these environments was starting to take a toll on my voice.

FLASH FORWARD: 2007 was a very, very good year for both my businesses. I worked a record 85 days teaching and more than 25 days at various types of craft shows. Recognize that both these jobs require me to be talking at an elevated level for several hours straight. By October, I began struggling to get through a two-day program. I would rest for several days (if I could) before and after every teaching engagement. I started "sharing" work with my colleagues whenever I could, just to take care of myself. It didn't take much to recognize that the problem with my voice was no longer just an annoyance, it was impacting my livelihood and my businesses.

I started to research my options on line. It's amazing what I learned. The best site I found was www.voiceproblem.org . Go here to learn anything and everything about how your vocal chords function. I also found quite a bit of good self-diagnose information on www.voicedoctor.net (follow the link called "diagnose"). Much reading led me to conclude that my problem is, in fact, significant and that I should see a specialist.

Again, back to the internet to find a doctor who specializes in the voice. That let me to the NYU Voice Center: http://www.med.nyu.edu/voicecenter/. I needed to find someone who treats patients that depend on the voice for their livelihood, so what better place than New York with its singers and actors, etc. I had my first appointment in mid-December.