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.