Chinese Herbs for Spasmodic Dysphonia

My cousin recommended a good Chinese doctor and I went to his clinic for a general checkup. He gave me some Chinese herbs to boil and told me to drink the concoction. I saw the assistants make the herbal preparation. They were different barks, leaves and other tree parts. Each ingredient had a different measurement.

It tasted like tea, very bitter tea. But it wasn't that bad. Or perhaps since I'm used to chinese medicine (my grandmother used to let me drink deer's horn extract and other chinese medications), this tea tasted alright. A closer look would show the barks and leaves:

After 3 days of drinking the concoction, my voice sounds louder and it's not as hard to control anymore! I don't know what these herbs are, but they sure do help :-)

Putting the Voice Up in the Face

I would like to thank Valerie (my drill sergeant!) again for allowing me to post our email conversations in my blog.

Hi Misty,

It's okay if you feel it more in the mouth area than the nose. The main thing is to keep it away from the lower throat and bring it up and forward into the face. Dr. Cooper says, "the lower throat is no man's land." Keep at it. The whole rest of the week I "practiced on the numbers." Do it for as long as you need to. It's kind of hard doing it on your own and not having direction from Dr. Cooper or Connie right there with us. The more you do it, the easier it will be and then it'll click.

People spend the most time in the stage. Even after I left Dr. Cooper's office the hum and numbers was the exercise I did most often. After this stage, you move to humming with one syllable words like: cat, dog, rat, home, groan, ball, bat, boy, girl, etc.

Valerie

Voice Exercise for Spasmodic Dysphonia

On Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 6:01 PM, Maria Shellyn Chua wrote:

Hi Valerie,

Ah, yes! I can feel the buzz on my mouth (more on the upper lip) and the bridge of my nose and the sides! Placing my finger on the side of my nose works! But right now, I can touch more vibration on my upper mouth, just a little on the side of my nose.

Today is my 4th day of practice. I'm not sure if I can say it's an intensive. But it is intensive to me :-)

I'll continue to "practice on the numbers" I think I'll be able to feel if I can move forward already. But meantime, I think sustaining the Hum with Numbers is harder than the simple Hum. I have a feeling I'll have to do this exercise in a longer period of time. How long did you have to do the Practice on the Numbers?

Blessings,
Misty

--- On Wed, 7/13/11, Valerie Gabriel wrote:

Hi Misty,

Do you feel the buzz near your mouth area, or just the back part of your nose? When I hum, I usually feel it on the bridge and side of my nose and a little around the front of my mouth. Maybe you're not using enough "pressurization" to get the buzz? Don't know if that's it, but it's a thought.

It's all one step at a time. In daily conversation, you can try to keep your pitch up. That's why he recommends 3-4 weeks of intensive therapy because by the time you leave you are able to speak with no SD symptoms. As Dr. Cooper says, "you practice on the numbers". So, if you want you can move to humming with numbers and make sure you say them as a question. "Um-hmm one?" "Um-hmm two?" This really does help. Also, another tip to feel the resonance is to place one finger on the side of your nose. Make sure you feel a constant vibration.

Let me know if that helps.
Valerie

On Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 11:24 PM, Maria Shellyn Chua wrote:

Hi Valerie,

When I hum now I can feel the buzz on my nose. But it's at the back part of my nose. The part where you'll feel your mucous when you have colds. There's no buzz on the tip of my nose. Should it be at the tip of the nose?

I'm wondering how to move from the voice I have for humming (which is now quite good) to using that same voice in speaking daily conversations!

After I do the humming correctly and master it, the next step is to Hum with Numbers is that correct?

Blessings,
Misty

Inclined Bed for Spasmodic Dysphonia (Acid Reflux)

I was advised by my doctor (who suggested acid reflux as the cause of spasmodic dysphonia) to sleep in an inclined bed. So I had a custom-made inclined bed made with the following specifications:

Width - 36 inches
Length - 75 inches
Height - 4 inches (lowered), and 12 inches (extended)
Leg - 14 inches but slanted backwards and locks when extended so it's not higher than 12 inches

I had been sleeping on this bed on and off for the past 4 months and I have not seen a miraculous voice return. But I still use it just in case any acid reflux is aggravating my SD, the slant/inclined position of the bed will keep the acid from getting to my vocal cords while sleeping.

Pitch and Humming

--- On Sat, 7/9/11, Valerie Gabriel wrote:

Hi Misty,

Good job! Keep it up. I'm waiting for a fancy microphone I bought to use during practice. It's a handheld mic to remind of being back in Dr. Cooper's office. I hope See & Sing works like the voice mirror. Okay, I have an idea why you're not feeling much of a sensation when you're humming. I listened to your recording and it sounds like you have to go up higher on the second part of the "um-hmm." From what I was hearing, it sounds like you kept the same pitch throughout. This won't help with resonance and you'll just feel it more in your mouth area. If you make more of an concerted effort to go higher, it'll put your voice more in the face. Sometimes, I use my hand to remind me to go up. For example, the "um" part my hand is at my mouth and then on the "hmm" part it jumps up to my eyes. So, it's a higher intonation like a question.

Good job keeping your hand on your tummy. It'll help keep you on track with your breathing and not tense up when you're humming. This will also come in handy when you transfer to numbers because your stomach will be able to go in even more with the breath out on the numbers.

Talk to you soon!
Valerie

On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 9:44 PM, Maria Shellyn Chua wrote:

Hi Valerie,

Here's a 30 second recording of my Humming voice. Recorded after 2 hours of practice today. I understand what you mean when you'll feel the buzz on the nose and mouth. It is taking me a while to feel it. I need to hum a few times (ok, a lot of times) before I can move the buzz from the lower throat to the nose. Even now, I can hardly feel the buzz in the mask. But at least there is some sensation there now.

I had my healing massage bed treatment so I stopped practice first. I have a patient on the bed now. I'll continue the humming this afternoon to complete the 5 hours. I know I sound like I'm too focused on the schedule, but then if I don't do it this way, I might end up not doing it at all! :-)

I'm also being careful not to use volume. I should use pitch, like what you said. Coz I'm like you, I tend to hum using force and volume, like I'm forcing it from my stomach and at the first time I was humming my tummy tightens when I hum because i'm forcing it out. So now, I sometimes put my hand on my tummy while humming to give myself feedback.

Blessings,
Misty



--- On Sat, 7/9/11, Valerie Gabriel wrote:

Of course, I can be your drill sergeant, Misty!

First things first, when you do you "um-hmm" do you do them quick and end with an up intonation as if you posing a question or answering excitedly to a question? Sometimes I pretend someone asked me something that I was really excited to say "um-humm" to and that helps. I even nod my head in agreement. HAHAHA The fine line is you have to make sure you don't "force" or "push" it. Dr. Cooper always says...."don't use volume, use pitch." You should feel it primarily in the nose and a little in the mouth area. It's better to be higher in pitch just so you bring it out of the lower throat. Part of my problem is I come from a loud Italian family and I'm small in stature so in order to be heard, you have to be loud. So, when I talk the way I'm supposed to in the "mask" it feels very soft, gentle...not how I'm used to speaking. So, sometimes I "push," to be a little louder instead of using pitch and going higher and that's part of my habit I need to break. This is known as a vocal myth that I've habituated as part of my vocal identity.

By the way, all of Dr. Cooper's techniques work for me too. It's because they're simple are target the root of the problem...talking in the lower throat. As much as I like and respect Connie and will probably attend her clinic, I agree more with Dr. Cooper and his take on the condition than hers. Maybe it's because I've been exposed to him longer and just recently found out about Connie. Some of her techniques may work for other people, but if the focus is coming from the lower throat it isn't going to help. Like the side to side and counting thing or the kazoo. It will help with breathing, but if you're speaking from the lower throat it won't help your voice. Or the lip drills and tongue drills. Same thing, if the voice is coming from the lower throat how does that help? So, with Dr. Cooper, the "um-hmm" goes to the heart of the problem and lifts the voice out of the lower throat bringing it to the face "where all good and great voices come from" and then you work on vocal image. And, not to sound like a broken record, then you have to change the voice image/identity to create the permanent change.

As you know it takes tons of practice...what I forgot to mention is that after the 5 hours in Dr. Cooper's office I would go home and practice another couple of hours. Then, when I woke up I practiced on the drive to his office, at his office, a little on the drive home because I was tired and at home. Seriously, it's a lot of practice and sometimes it can be a lot for someone to do, but all this practice is just until you get a handle on how your voice should work. This is where I got off track. I got lazy and didn't practice as often as I should've. Dr. Cooper always jokes "it's a 25 hour a day job!"

Also, honestly, about the videos. Don't waste your money or worry about them too much. One of the DVD he gave me is just former patients talking about his treatment and before and afters. You can get just as much information watching his YouTube videos. He tells you all his techniques there.

I just have one roommate. She's a firefighter and she's gone 2-3 days in a row sometimes. So when she is I take advantage of that time. It's hard sometimes when she is home because she wants to do stuff or hang out and that takes away from my practicing. So, I have to be more selfish and concerned about my recovery.

Okay, so if you were to start your practicing this weekend -- this entire weekend just focus on the "um-hmm" no numbers. This way you get used to the feel. Remember what I mentioned at the beginning of the email. It has to be quick with an upward intonation and you should feel it in your nose, mouth area. Some people also feel it in their cheeks and some can even feel their teeth rattle. You also have to use the right amount of pressurization. What I mean by that is don't do it too quietly because you need to get the resonance. Also, don't do it too loudly that you force or push the voice...look for that sweet spot. I hope I'm not confusing you. Then, try to carry over this higher pitch when you're talking in conversation...don't be too hard on yourself if you can't. Just go back to the "um-hmms." I only hum "happy birthday" in the mornings when I'm establishing my pitch and then at night.

Hope that helps!
Good luck! Let me know how it goes or if you have any questions.
Valerie


On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 7:06 PM, Maria Shellyn Chua wrote:

Hi Valerie,

Thanks much for answering all my queries! haha. I guess I sounded like a kid being in the zoo for the 1st time. Lots of questions! ;p

I haven't gotten in touch with Connie lately. Yes, she's very nice and supportive. And she had SD also before. So she can totally relate. She has lots of testimonies from patients as well. I haven't gotten back to her yet because I'm still doing the exercises myself. And like she said, I also need to practice on my own. It's the bulk of it. Also, just in my specific case, I've tried both the diff techniques of Dr. Cooper and Connie. And some of Connie's techniques worked for me, but almost all of Dr. Cooper's worked. So I'm leaning towards Dr. Cooper's techniques. It's really so sad that he's not doing well medically right now. I'm praying for his healing.

Yes, you can attend Connie's clinic. You can incorporate it with Dr. Cooper's techniques you learned. Get the best of both, the ones that work specifically for you. Connie's is more wholistic and more modern. Dr. Cooper is more targeted and old school (in my perception). haha. But I don't care coz his techniques work for me! :-) The only problem I'm encountering about his being old school is I can't get his videos because they don't accept paypal or money transfers! Only cash and check, I think. Sigh.

Oh, you have roommates now. Right, I had 2 before. And yes, it can get embarrassing to practice. I also find it uncomfortable practising with other people around. Sometimes I do it if it cannot be helped. Let's figure out a way to work around it! :-) How many roommates do you have? Do you all have the same time shifts? What times are they usually not home (like they're at work or in school)? Would you like me to help you figure out a schedule and stick to it?

Oh, that's great! You have a drill sergeant! hehehe. It's good to be accountable to someone.

In the meantime that Dr. Cooper is not available for consultation, I'll follow the schedule you gave. Would it be alright to ask for your help in making me keep it? :-) I'm practising now 2 hours a day, but i'm not that sure if I'm doing it correctly. I think I'm doing it too fast. Like I read paragraphs with the Sing&See. Perhaps I should do it the way you did it in Dr. Cooper's clinic. You were there for 1.5 weeks:

First 3 days, Voice Mirror right? Ok, i'll do that with the Sing&See. What did you do in the first 3 days, hum only? or hum with numbers? Or the correct way is to just simply hum (no numbers, no words)? Do happy bday hum?

Blessings,
Misty



--- On Fri, 7/8/11, Valerie Gabriel wrote:

Hi Misty,

Great questions...it's good to be thinking about all that you are.

Practicing until you get it is the most important. It took one of Dr. Cooper's patients six months of practicing 8 hours a day until he got it. Granted, he and a paralyzed vocal cord, but the point is still the same. Bryan reminds me to never give up and to stick with it, until you get it and it will pay off. I don't practice with Bryan. He just checks in one me every few weeks to see how I'm doing and to keep me accountable. As someone who's been through this and has been successful, he's a great mentor. I call him my drill sergeant because he doesn't mince words and tells you like it is.

Carry over is hard for me too sometimes and it goes back to your voice image and practicing. You have a persona/identity of how you want to been seen and how you "think" you should sound. When you change this, it feels as though your personality has changed even though it hasn't--that's why carry over can sometimes be hard. When you're alone it doesn't matter what you sound like and you put less pressure on yourself to sound perfect.

Setting time aside is great! I need to do that too. It's hard with roommates though, huh? I sometimes get embarrassed if people hear me humming or talking to myself, but that's my own issue. Yes, if you can help it, don't rest your voice. Hum "happy birthday" or "um-hmm" at least. I understand what you're thinking, but it's counter-productive. If you rest your voice, your brain won't remember all the practicing and work you've done and when you go to speak will revert to what's familiar because it's forgotten what you were practicing. Does that make sense? Remember, this has to become 2nd nature and the only way to do that is to do it constantly. I've seriously become a humming fool! Hum or "um-hmm" like you said mid-sentence or before you speak just to get tone focus is what you're supposed to do to remind yourself. Sometimes it helps to just hum what you want to say, then say it. This will help you to breathe when you're suppose to breathe and to get the tone focus.

You do have to be your own psychotherapist. It's hard not do become withdrawn, depressed, sad, but you have to stay focused and PRAY! I've struggled with all that....if I slip into depression mode, I pray for strength and grace to stay focused and do what I have to do.

I completely understand not talking to others that don't have SD. They don't get it. People say..."why don't you just breathe" or "why don't you just talk higher" it's so much more than that because of the mind games. Dr. Cooper says it's 1/2 technique and 1/2 mind games.

HAHAA Dr. Cooper's schedule was long with lots of practicing, but that's what makes it intensive and this is what you have to continue with when you leave. It was a 5 hour day in his office. You didn't work too much with him. Maybe an hour or so total the whole day. He loved questions, so you could ask him anything you want. He's great. He would always tell me "your prognosis is excellent, but you have to do what I say" or "I want you to be successful!" He checks on you throughout, but most of the work was on your own or talking with a partner. The first 2 or 3 days all I did was "Um-hmm" in the Voice Mirror. Again, this was to get the tone focus/placement. Then, you transition to "Um-hmm" and numbers. My last day there he moved me to another room to practice sentences. I'm sure I would've done more, but I was just there a week 1/2. Remember, I was supposed to stay 3. He has you do group work which is great because you can talk to other patients. Everyone thinks they sound like Minnie Mouse or sing-songy or loud and then we all tell each other that they don't sound like and you realize it's just in your head. It's really great because you need that feedback. He also had you do "pressure sits", where he puts you in an uncomfortable situation to see how you handle it. Mine was talking on the phone, so he called Bryan and I talked to him for five minutes. He said I did good and sounded great, but he still heard a little squeezing in my lower throat, which is caused from nerves/pressure and I felt it because my throat was a little tight. Again Dr. Cooper has a gifted ear and can pick up even the slightest "off" to your voice and knows exactly what you're doing wrong and how to fix it. The reason why he suggests most people stay with him 3-4 weeks is because it takes that long to develop a new habit. Then, you just monitor yourself until it becomes 2nd nature.

Quick question for you? I was thinking about attending Connie Pike's clinic. I know you had a consultation with her, have you spoken to her again? I've been emailing her. She's super sweet.

Talk to you soon!
Valerie

On Wed, Jul 6, 2011 at 10:08 PM, Maria Shellyn Chua wrote:

Hi Valerie,

The humm puts my voice up in the face. Sometimes if I just humm without giving much thought to it, I can still feel the voice in my lower throat. So I guess until it becomes 2nd nature like your friend said, I'll have to be mindfully practising.

I have noticed that I also have voice when I laugh. I actually try to be more funny now, or at least laugh even though I don't feel like it. haha. I know it sounds fake, but better to fake it till you make it! ;p

But of course, we cant laugh all the time. :-) So we'll still have to practice having a natural conversational voice.

Placement/ tone focus is my biggest challenge right now.

The voice image needs to be shattered! I'm being my own psychotherapist now, lots of prayer, etc. to overcome it.

I can't seem to carry over my practices to everyday life. I was able to do it though last end of May (the 2nd recording you heard) but it only lasted for a week. Now it's not that well again coz I slacked off my practice session. So now what I'm doing is I've arranged my schedule so that I can have a room to myself from 9am to 11am to focus solely on my voice - doing Humms, trying to read a few uplifting lines (with Sing & See), watching Dr. Cooper's Youtube vids, reading his books.

I have to really set aside time or else I'll slack off, and won't be able to talk! Plus now I'm also using a whiteboard to communicate. I know Dr. Cooper says we don't need voice rest, but it's not voice rest that I'm doing. It's more of stopping myself from going back in the old voice habit. Until I get this right by myself, I don't plan on talking to other people who don't understand SD. A bit extreme? hehehe. I do talk with my boyfriend sometimes and a family friend. I've explained SD to them so they allow me to stop mid-sentence to hum and get my correct pitch before talking again.

How about you? How are you coping? Do you practice with your friend?

How was your schedule with Dr. Cooper the last time you were there? How many hours a day did you have to practice with the Voice Mirror? Was it by yourself? With Dr. Cooper? With a practice partner?

Blessings,
Misty



--- On Thu, 7/7/11, Valerie Gabriel wrote:

Hahaha Misty, the voice mirror was my best friend! Honestly, after hours (yes, hours) practicing on that you really get the feel of where your voice should be. What software did you buy? Is it See & Sing? I was looking into that. Is it helping you? I looked everywhere for the Voice Mirror, but the company that made it in the early 80's went out of business. The reason why Dr. Cooper is so good at finding your pitch is because he's a musician. He has a gifted ear. He knew as soon as I began to speak that I was talking at EFG above middle C and need to go a tone 1/2 higher to ABC above middle C. When you practice you're "Um-hmm," do you feel your voice jump to the front of your face? If you go, "Um-hmm" and hold the end 'hmm" for about 3 seconds talk off that and will help you place it. Or, what works for me is talking off my laugh. A Dr. Cooperism "your laugh is your voice" so if you laugh and talk off that, it will help you with placement too.

I keep in touch with a friend that I met through Dr. Cooper. His name is XX and he went to see Dr. Cooper in 2000, stayed with him 3 weeks and if you ask him he will tell you he's cured. He doesn't think about the way he talks anymore and he has a perfectly normal voice. He keeps in touch with Dr. Cooper and speaks with him at least once a month. He tells me had I stayed the entire 3 weeks it would have "solidified" my new voice I would've just needed to self monitor. At that time, I really didn't understand what I was up against and couldn't afford it, but at least I have the foundation. Dr. Cooper says "you have to use the new voice so you become familiar with you. You won't use something you don't feel comfortable with."

The voice image is roughest. Intellectually, you know what you have to do to be better, but your psyche won't let you do it. It tells you to "talk in your old voice" or "talk how you feel comfortable talking." It's very powerful.

The main thing is that you get the proper resonance. Pitch is a prop to get you to talk forward in the "mask" or in the face.

I do practice everyday, but I don't practice as long as I should because life does get in the way or I get lazy because it can get tiring, right? After Bryan got home from Dr. Cooper's he would practice for 2-3 hours a night for the next couple of months. Then, he noticed he was practicing less and less until it became 2nd nature. I don't have any voice recordings that I can upload. I look though. The only voice recordings are from when I worked with Dr. C and one when I was moving out of my apartment back in January--that's on my phone.

How often do you practice? Do you notice a difference? Are you able to carry over your practicing into everyday life?
Valerie

On Tue, Jul 5, 2011 at 7:02 PM, Maria Shellyn Chua wrote:

Hi Valerie,

Are you using any kind of pitch indicator? Like the Voice Mirror Dr. Cooper uses on his videos? I saw a software that acts like it and I bought it. :-)

I've attached a recording of my voice May 04, 2011 and May 30, 2011. Before and after doing Dr. Cooper's exercises.

Yes, the voice image could be hard to shake off. But I'm really trying. You're so correct! I do feel like I have a little girl's voice with a higher pitch! ;p But then, at this point, I'm willing to try anything.

How long do you practice? Do you practice every day? Do you have voice recordings? :-)

Blessings,
Misty

More SD Reviews (Botox, Mike White and Dr. Morton Cooper) - coming from 2 SDPx

--- On Thu, 7/7/11, Valerie Gabriel wrote:
Hi Misty,

I listened to your voice downloads. For doing this all on your own, I think you're doing good. Just keep up the practicing and be patient with yourself. For AB/SD you need to up talk the words more to close the vocal folds...so on words that give you trouble maybe go a 1/2 a note higher, but be sure to keep the resonance. Pretend like your talking into your nose.

I actually just got Mike White's breathing kit to see if that'll help. I always go back to what Dr. Cooper and others say. You're breathing is symptomatic of not talking in the face. Once you get the resonance, and you put your voice in the face your breathing will open up and you just need to monitor it. This is true. This is why breath support is the last variable Dr. Cooper teaches because if you get the breath support before master the pitch and tone focus you're going to strangle yourself even more because you're "forcing" the words with proper breath support, but not proper tone focus--it's be too deep throat. I struggle with the same breathing difficulties you do. I can practice breathing until I'm blue in the face and then when I talk it reverts to holding my breath...it's all about the pitch/tone focus.

My buzz words are the Umm-hmm too. Yes, right, hello, really..those don't work to well for me either. I don't have any of Dr. Cooper's self-help videos. I think if you watch his You Tube videos they would be something similar to that. When you practice your Umm-hmm, do you feel the buzz in the nose and mouth area. If you do, that's a great sign. Just look for that same buzz when you talk.

I don't have Skype. I have Tokbox, but I will look into setting up a Skype account.
Talk to you soon!
Valerie

On Tue, Jul 5, 2011 at 6:49 PM, Maria Shellyn Chua wrote:

Hi Valerie,

Thanks for letting me know of Dr. Cooper's current condition. So that's why he's been so hard to reach! I was thinking that he was shunning me off. I've been emailing a lot and calling his office. I was able to speak and email with Lorna, it turns out she's his daughter.

I have bought Stop Committing Voice Suicide about 2 months ago. I'm doing the breathing exercise he taught there. Mike White's breathing exercises are more complicated. And I've noticed that my breathing did improve, but NOT while speaking. My observation is that I need to practice my breathing WHILE speaking. Because I already breathe normally when not speaking. Something just clicks and my breathing turns haywire when I start talking.

So to sum it up, the breathing technique of Dr. Cooper is the most effective in helping my voice.

I don't have enough saved to go to the US for treatment, the treatment plus the fare board and lodging would be a bit too much. Perhaps I could settle for phone consultation, which is already expensive for me, USD 1,000 for an hour with Dr. Cooper. But what I need is to find out my best pitch so that I can work on from there.

I have been doing the Hhhm One, Hhhm Two. The others like the Yes-One, Yes-Two and the Right-One, Right-Two dont work that well for my case. I've seen that Dr. Cooper finds out what the buzz words are for each individual. The Hmm One, Hmm Two works the most for me. Also, humming the Happy Birthday :-)

The book I ordered Change Your Voice Change Your Life has just arrived from the mail yesterday! I'll be reading it. I've been trying to ask Dr. Cooper's office how I can order his Self-Help Videos, there's still no reply.

I was wondering if you have his Self-Help Videos? Like a step by step demo or Dr. Cooper guiding you to do the humms for 1 to 2 hours. It's a bit hard to focus and concentrate doing it by myself.

Do you still do the exercises? Do you have Skype? :-)

Blessings,
Misty

--- On Wed, 7/6/11, Valerie Gabriel wrote:

From: Valerie Gabriel
Subject: Re: SD Outreach
To: "Maria Shellyn Chua"
Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2011, 1:19 AM


Hi Misty,

Yes, Dr. Cooper is in the process of relocating to Henderson, KY. Earlier this year he has had some health issues and wanted to be closer to his family, which prompted the move. I know he's adjusting to the different pace of life Kentucky is offering as opposed to Los Angeles. I'm planning to work with him again and his daughter told me to wait until the fall too. I was set to fly to KY next week to work with him for 3 weeks, but they cancelled my appointment because he had a set-back medically and is trying to get back into the swing of things. I pray he recovers well and soon.

I live in Los Angeles, CA. I've had SD for about close to 3 years now. Within 5 months of the onset I went to work with Dr. Cooper for a week. He told me I should stay 3 weeks, but at that time I could only afford 1. I'm sure if I would've stayed the entire time he recommend, I'd be "cured". Dr. Cooper doesn't guarantee cures, he just reports them.

I've never tried botox, nor while I ever. They don't know the long-term side affects on the body and I would rather rehabilitate my voice naturally. Plus, botox doesn't help the problem, only the symptoms. Many things that I will share with you about what I've learned of SD is from my working with Dr. Cooper, who also is an ex-SDer. It took him 10 years to recover from SD! But he had to learn on his own, no one guided him. He just didn't accept what he was being told and carved his own path. After my work with him the first time, my voice was really good--like it used to be. Dr. Cooper always says, what you have to change is the voice image. Once you do that you're recovery is inevitable and permanent. That's what I struggle with the most, which is why I've had set backs...vocal image/identity and certain vocal myths I have. I feel I need to sound a certain way or use my voice a certain way that hurts my voice--this is what has to change. He gave me a better pitch, not different from my old voice...only one note higher, but to me I feel like Minnie Mouse. It's crazy. Everyone tells me I sound great, but I think I sound like I'm 12 years old, and I fight this even though I know I shouldn't. This is the vocal image. My friends that I've meet through Dr Cooper would tell you they're "cured."

Have you tried any of the techniques Dr. Cooper shows in his videos? That's the basis of his treatment...and then tons of vocal psychotherapy, which is what gives you the long lasting change...and practice...tons and tons of practice.

I know you're in the Philippines, do you plan on taking a trip here? How are your breathing exercises helping you?

I don't have a URL just yet, as I was looking into it.

If you have any other questions, let me know.
Take care,
Valerie

Being in Touch with Another SD Patient (Valerie Gabriel)

On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 12:36 AM

Hi Valerie,

It's nice to hear from a fellow SDer! Yes, I'll be happy to stay in touch. I've tried to get in touch with Dr. Cooper for a phone consultation but he's in the process of moving his assistant said. Hence, he cannot do it now. I don't know what they mean by "trying again at a later time" but I will certainly try again perhaps end of this month.

Where do you live? How long have you had SD? Have you tried botox or other means? Can I have your blog's URL?

Blessings,
Misty

Being in Touch with Another SD Patient (Valerie Gabriel)

I've been receiving emails from other SDers inquiring more about my experiences, exercises, tips, etc. I believe it would be best for me to share on my blog a series of emails with another SDer, Valerie Gabriel. We have been sharing exercises, doctors, breathing tips, what works - what doesn't, even about our reasearches and observations on wasabi and apple cider vinegar.

With her permission, I am posting our email conversations on my blog. That is also her picture below.

Date: Friday, July 1, 2011, 3:17 AM

Hi Misty,

I just wanted to reach out to you as another fellow SD'er. A friend of mine
suggested I started a blog and that's when I stumbled across yours. You're doing great on it by the way! My name is Valerie and I'm battling to overcome SD (adductor) too. I also noticed that you're a subscriber of Dr. Morton Cooper on youtube. I am too. I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Cooper a couple of years ago for a week. I was doing really well, but a stressful few months have caused me to revert to some of my old habits...like holding my breath when I talk. As another friend who is cured of SD from working with Dr. Cooper....always reminds me it's a "forced changed of vocal image" and until you can over come the voice image, you can never be fully cured. So, I don't subscribe to the idea that it's a neurological dystonia...I know too many people have are cured of SD and I myself am working towards that too...I've just had a minor set back.

I was wondering if you would like to keep in touch we and support one another. We can share stories, ideas, tips etc.
Look forward to hearing from you,
Valerie

My ABSd Voice - Before and After recordings May 2011

It's been a while since I last posted. I sometimes get lazy to document here having a slow internet connection plus I lack knowledge on how to post a voice recording on blogger... Thanks to Christyleh who taught me how!

I did a recording of my voice May 4, 2011 before I started doing the exercises I saw on YouTube (of Dr. Morton Cooper) and another voice recording by end of May 2011.

Here's the BEFORE recording (May 4, 2011):


Here's the AFTER recording (May 30, 2011):

Spasmodic Dysphonia Cures (Video with Connie Pike)

I've seen some videos of Connie Pike with 2 of her patients. They emphasize the need to relax and not put "so much effort" in talking. That is also one of the things that help me, so I've noticed. The more I try to project my voice, the more it gets strangled and breathy and it actually totally gives out. These are encouraging videos:

The above video was with Shona. She sounded really breathy at the start, but now her voice is clear and lovely.

The one below is Ron's video. He outlines the pattern of recovery he took:

Spasmodic Dysphonia Voice Therapy with Connie Pike

As mentioned in my earlier posts, I have contacted Connie Pike regarding her Free to Speak Voice Therapy. She’s a Florida-based speech pathologist, who had Spasmodic Dysphonia Adductor Type herself. But she was able to overcome it. And now when I heard her speak, it was very clear, no tremors at all, no effort in speaking. It’s as if she never had a voice problem!

She has been an inspiration. The mere fact that someone got through SD successfully is already an inspiration in itself.

Connie Pike, ex-SD sufferer

She conducts a 5-day Voice Rehab in the US. I’ve seen some very good testimonials of patients who attended. Since I’m from the Philippines and couldn’t fly to the US for the clinic, I asked Connie if we can do a Skype consultation.  She agreed – even though she doesn’t have a Skype account yet that time and she didn’t even know how to use it! I appreciate her being open to a different kind of set-up. I was quite impressed as well because it showed her openness and flexibility. I knew then that she’s not the usual rigid doctor/therapist.

Her hourly price is 6 times more expensive than my voice therapy here. But I needed to talk to someone whose expertise is SD. I figured after my 7^th session of regular voice therapy that conventional treatment wouldn’t be of much help for SD.

Connie asked me to fill-up a diagnostic voice assessment sheet prior to our Skype meeting. She listened to my voice and told me it wasn’t that bad. Actually, it wasn’t that bad yet when I first spoke with her. But I was already feeling the pressure, the unusual effort I needed to do to force my voice out. She taught me how to speak properly. She said that Breathing and Voice/Humming Exercises are key. Her recommendations included Mike White’s breathing exercises and Roger Love’s Voice CD. I got both kits. Both were very helpful.

These were my notes from our Skype consultation, dated January 09, 2010:

1. Say Err... going up and down: Not try harder but let go of the effort

2. Hmm... (no air in nose)

3. Ing.. (no air in nose)

4. Lip drills, say Brrmm, relax the face

5. Tongue drills, say Trrrll

6. 2x a month – have massage, neck muscles

7. Sing a phrase, then speak the phrase

8. We DONT speak from the diaphragm

9.  Put hands above my head, hold elbows, do side to side bend while counting

She also gav e me a list of R Words to practise on. And she shipped me a kazoo to blow into, for practice. I have SD ABductor Type, so I’m thinking she will advise a diff set of exercises for ADductor Type or any other type of vocal problems.

Out of the suggestions she gave, the most helpful (the ones that improved my voice) were the Hmm, the Lip Drill, Sing a phrase – speak the phrase. Also the Side to Side while Counting. I’ve been doing the R words but I get pretty tired easily, my voice gives out and my breath goes a bit unsynchronized..? For the kazoo, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Perhaps I'm not doing it correctly? So I’ve been doing the ones that work best for me. That’s also what Connie said, find out which ones work for you then apply.

Kazoo

I started the exercises. They’re time consuming, though, and I was busy at work. And so after about a month, I wanted the quick way out and had my 1^st botox injection – which unfortunately didn’t work for me. Connie mentioned in our Skype meet that in her experience, ABSds have a lower chance of getting better with botox. But I still wanted to try since I so wanted my voice back. I wanted my life, my career, my social life to just be normal again. So I had to have the botox shot. I don’t regret having it. If I didn’t, I will always be thinking What If. I really wish that botox worked for me. It’s so much easier. I know it’s poison and all, but sometimes you have to live with possible future side effects if you want something fixed immediately. I do know 1 ABSd patient who responded well to botox. Lucky her..

After that, I learned that I have to find out what treatment will work for me. I bought a copy of Connie’s book Free to Speak: Overcoming Spasmodic Dysphonia. It’s an easy to read book. It contains breathing exercises, vocal exercises, a little of everything you need to know about SD.

Free to Speak: Overcoming Spasmodic Dysphonia

Overall, Connie opened my eyes that there is hope for me. And her gentle and encouraging spirit gives me emotional strength. People with vocal disorders need to guard themselves (I’m talking to myself here..) from depression and feelings of hopelessness. And Connie is a good person to look up to and go to when feeling hopeless.

Breathing Exercise Video (Squeeze & Breathe) for Spasmodic Dysphonia

This video was shared by voicematters.net head administrator and moderator Andrea Hardaway. Thanks, Andrea!

I do it whenever I feel my stomach area tighten. It’s a physical reminder for my stomach muscles to relax while breathing. SD patients tend to hold their breath (I’m so guilty of this!) while talking. It’s a bad habit common to us, based on books and posts I’ve read and my personal experience plus the experiences of other SD people I’ve communicated with.

Break!! I have to break that habit!!

Breathe.. Every 2 (two) words in my practice sentence, I breathe.. That’s just for now. Just to train myself to remember to breathe. And anyway, no sound comes out when I don’t breathe every two words..

Good luck to me! 

Breathing Exercises for Spasmodic Dysphonia

According to the doctors I’ve consulted, breathing is a major part in managing spasmodic dysphonia (SD). I have also noticed that I easily get out of breath when talking. This is quite surprising for me since I’ve been with the varsity swim team during college, and I still do laps every now and then.

It was pointed out to me that I tend to stop breathing while talking. And when I’m stressed, I don’t notice it, but my breathing becomes shallow. It’s like I have this different pattern of breathing in the pool from my pattern of breathing while speaking and under stress.

It wouldn’t hurt to improve my breathing anyway. And I truly believe it is foundational to good speaking. Breath is the gas that fuels speech.

So after doing a free online breathing test to see how my breathing is (it was targeted and scientific), I ordered Mike White’s breathing kit. I got the one specifically for stress management. I received 1 CD called 176 Video which shows basic breathing exercises. Plus another CD for combating stress with breathing. The stress release CD is very relaxing. It’s guided breathing with Tibetan (?) music in the background. I follow Mike’s breathing for 20mins. It regulates my breath intake and I oftentimes fall asleep being too relaxed!

Breathing Exercises CDs

Booklet

Brown Strap and Blue Strap

Then there’s a brown strap for the strapping exercises, to give more room in your body for the air. Also I got the Blue Velcro Strap for use on the chest area. Same benefit as the brown strap but this one you can wear at night. Lately, I haven’t been using the blue strap since it’s so (and I mean so) hot here in Tuguegarao City. We even reached 39.5 Celsius.

I also have the Diaphragm Strengthener which is a big purple tube with a ping pong ball inside. You blow into it and try to keep the ball afloat. The exercise helps to strengthen the diaphragm muscles. When I first used it, my tummy area felt a bit sore.

Diaphragm Strengthener 

Me using the DS (sorry, hard to keep a still hand)

I’ve noticed that with the improvement in my breathing, there is a proportionate improvement on my voice as well. Not phenomenal, but it’s a start.

What I’m Doing Now/ Treatments

After botox did not work for me, I pretty much continued with my normal life, although as the days passed by I was becoming more and more quiet. At gatherings, table conversations. I stopped going to my Victory Church Fellowship small group because it was frustrating not to be able to converse well. I was fortunate to work with very professional and medically literate people and I was given non-speaking work in the office. By end of the year (2010), I had decided to take a long break from work. Jan 2011 to July 2011. No salary , of course. But I’m very grateful for the chance the company has given me to focus on my  healing.

My Whiteboard, being played by my roommate Chin

Because of the swelling and the trauma caused to my vocal cords, I had to take a couple of weeks voice rest. Believe it or not, I really stuck to it. I used whiteboard, magic slate, notebook and pen. I learned American Sign Language (ASL). I am determined to do whatever is needed to have my voice back.

My Magic Slate, artwork made by David

A Thinner Whiteboard, the one with the yellow sun.

Using it to talk with bday boy Pat.

I also bought Connie Pike’s book Free To Speak: Overcoming Spasmodic Dysphonia, Mike White’s Breathing Kit, and Roger Love’s book Set Your Voice Free (with CD). While on voice rest, I had been doing Mike White’s breathing exercises.

Purple Notebook & Pen, with bf Mark

My Sign Language Instructor Allan (pls come back to the Phils!)

Now on my 3^rd month of healing, I can feel that I can already start with voice rehab. I’ve begun to slowly incorporate Connie Pike’s humming and other exercises, the kazoo exercise, and Roger Love’s CD. It has just been over a week since I started on April 20, 2011. So far, I saw improvement on my singing voice. But none on my speaking voice.

I hope and fervently pray that my speaking voice will improve by mid July 2011 - when I need to get back to work.

Treatment Options for Spasmodic Dysphonia

I’m a Senior Research Associate in a Hong-kong based executive search firm. I’m based in Manila, Philippines. So it’s no surprise that when I was diagnosed with sulcus vocalis, then later on changed to spasmodic dysphonia, I did all the research I could. What it is, symptoms, causes, what else can aggravate it, treatments – both conventional medicine and alternative, success rates of the different treatments, doctors who specialize on spasmodic dysphonia (SD).

In my first post, I have mentioned details of my consultation with leading doctors in our country. I had undergone various medical tests (from laryngoscopy to MRI. Yes, I had MRI to rule out neurological brain damage).

MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14646075@N03/

 My doctors recommended botox injections to the vocal cords. I’ve researched about SD cases and learned that botox is the most medically acceptable treatment for SD. I wasn’t too excited about having botox so I asked my doctor if we could try having voice therapy first. He agreed and referred me to the Voice Rehab Dept. of Makati Medical Center. 

I did about 4 sessions of voice therapy which were mostly Press Exercises (Push your hands against the side of the chair then make a sound), Head Manipulation then making a sound (chin on the chest then make a sound, chin on the right shoulder then make a sound). My speech pathologist was still young. I would say with about a year or 2 of experience. In our first meeting she admitted that I was her first case of SD and she said she’ll research on it. We exchanged email addresses and I sent her my research about SD. She’s very kind and supportive. But well-meaning as she was, I needed someone with more experience so I respectfully requested a referral from my doctor.

Regular Voice Therapy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24256351@N04/

Professor Bal Ligot’s name kept coming up in my conversations with different doctors. He is a professor in the University of the Philippines Medical College and is the pioneer in voice therapy in the Philippines. I made a schedule with him and he quickly earned my respect. His knowledge on voice and its mechanisms is extensive. He is insistent on recording my voice before and after sessions, which is a wonderful tool in feedback. I have had about 5 sessions with him when I couldn’t stand the prospect of getting healed slowly. So during the Christmas break, I decided that I would take a botox shot first quarter the next year. During that time, I’ve also come across Connie Pike, a speech pathologist in the US who has had spasmodic dysphonia herself and has overcome it by a specially designed voice therapy. I had consultation with her via Skype, she gave pointers. Still, her course was the slow and steady one. I needed something fast and effective because my voice disorder was affecting my career and my social life. I also battled with frustration bordering depression. And so I wanted to end the torment as quickly as possible.

February (or March) of 2010, I had my first botox shot. Done by the doctor who has been referred by 2 other ENTs as the specialist who has done the most number of botox injections (with success) in our country. I would want nothing less.

Botox Injection

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96526303@N00/

No need to give details of the injection. It just didn’t work for me. No effect whatsoever. It didn’t turn worse, it didn’t get better. Later on, I learned that spasmodic dysphonia ABductor type does not get as much successes from botox (compared with Adductor). In short, I got the rarer form of SD, and the less responsive to the only suggested form of treatment – botox. Of course there is still surgery which would cut some nerves, but that is the last resort. And no one, as far as I know, does the procedure in the Philippines.

Given no other option, I had to search for more treatments available. I’ll mention them in my next posts.

Coping with Voice Disorders

With permission, I am sharing an excerpt from a post on April 21, 2011 in a vocal disorder forum. The writer has requested it to be a bit anonymous for the reason that he is not looking for pity or anything like that. He was writing this to a group of fellow voice patients:

"Unfortunately, things are now worse than before the surgeries. The theory is that during the time when my cords were not medializing adequately, I developed a compensatory mechanism of engaging extra pharyngeal muscles. This is a big problem as now I can't get out a quality voice at all. My voice is just downright strange, I can't even stand to hear it.  

My day consists of stares, winces, double-takes, "are you sick remarks," and even outright rude inquiries/comments. I had a person actually say to me, "I can't hear a ##@$ thing you're saying..."Another situation recently involved me having a small conversation with a classmate then as we broke away, I turn around to her and another person laughing as they look back at me.  

Needless to say, the last few years of my life have been among the worst of my life. I get the feeling that people treat me differently, don't take me seriously, and mis-characterize me, based on how I sound. Humans are hardwired to treat people according to how they view that person. Unfortunately we seem to be hardwired to make that classification based on outward/superficial measures.  

At school there are many situations in which I get overlooked completely such as group assignments. If I mention a point to the group it goes unnoticed, or at best I get a quiet and scanning look from another group member before they look away, only to fully engage with another person fully. If I run into a person I know and initiate conversation, that person seems very uninterested, as if they are doing me a favor by listening. That is until someone else comes along and now I don't exist. That's when I slip away unnoticed.  

Another everyday example is at the grocery check out. I get a smile and greeting from the cashier, in which I return the smile and hello, only to see the other person's smile convert to a puzzled expression and momentary stare. In these moments I feel so judged, and inappropriately classified as odd. Or answering the phone only to have a 2 second pause on the other end followed by "hello?!," followed by another pause when I respond. At this point 10 seconds or more have progressed and this becomes the point where I hang up, feeling ripped down again. Happens very often, I avoid answering the phone most days unless I know the person.  I think I have gotten to a point where I actually speak less than 30 minutes a day. 

Even though I communicate well with my wife, and close family, I feel alone. That's what prompted me to look for groups that had other individuals in similar situations. I've tried keeping a journal, meeting with school counselors, but these things have done very little. I feel my situation is seen as insignificant or others don't have the ability to see things from my pov. It's easy to show empathy to a person that you can relate to. I haven't met another person that has my problem, I can only imagine this from another person's viewpoint. I don't think most view it as a situation that deserves sensitivity.   

Apologies for the lengthy narrative. I guess I wrote most of this out for myself after having another bad day out in the world that leaves me feeling "sub-everyone else." I am writing this as it comes to me so I am sorry if it isn't clear and wordy. I joined yesterday after a bad day, I decided to write this after another bad day out of hundreds.  Would love some advice on how others have dealt with similar feelings, experiences." 

Let us try not to be mean to other people. We don't know what they are going through. Sometimes what we think as weird may actually be a medical condition or a physical disability of that person. Treat others as you would like them to treat you.

Article Source: a forum from a voice group. If you have a vocal problem or have a family member/ friend who has, you can connect with us and be a member of http://www.voicematters.net/

What is Spasmodic Dysphonia? with Video and Voice Recording

Spasmodic Dysphonia is a voice disorder resulting from involuntary movements (or spasms) of the voice box muscles. These spasms interrupt normal voice (dysphonia) in "abrupt spurts" with a strained, strangled voice, with breathy, soundless voice, or with a mixture of both.

• Spasmodic: spasms or involuntary movements
• Dysphonia: abnormal voice

• SD is a type of dystonia, a disorder of the central nervous system that causes involuntary movement of the vocal folds during voice production.
• SD is not a psychiatric or psychological disease.
• Swallowing and breathing, the other important functions of the voice box, are almost never affected.

Three (3) Types of Spasmodic Dysphonia

Type	What Happens	How the Voice Sounds
Adductor SD (80% to 95% of cases)	Vocal folds come together (close) tightly at the wrong time during speech, making it difficult to produce voice	Strained, strangled breaks while speaking
Abductor SDM	Vocal folds move apart (open) at the wrong time during speech, causing air leaks	Breathy or soundless breaks while speaking
Mixed SD	Combination of abductor and adductor SD	Sometimes strained, strangled breaks; sometimes breathy or soundless breaks

Unknown Cause–but Treatment Can Improve Voice Problem.

For spasmodic dysphonia, like all dystonias: 

• the cause is unknown
• there is no specific test for diagnosis
• there is no known cure–but treatment can and does improve symptoms

What I have been diagnosed with is ABductor Spasmodic Dysphonia (ABSd), the rarer kind, wherein I sound breathy and whispery, NOT hoarse. It sounds more like when you’re shy to talk in front of a huge crowd.

I found a video by Dr. Robert Bastian which helped me. It describes SD, it’s different types, shows actual video of vocal cords while speaking plus it  has voice demonstrations of the different kinds of SD.

Dr. Bastian used the script Man’s First Boat – “Long ago, man found that it was easier to travel on water than on land.”

I have also attached a record of my voice clip reading Man’s First Boat. This clip was recorded 01/31/2011. I'll post my latest voice recording soon.