Medical Update #3

Hello, so earlier today I had my appointment with my new doctor, and he confirmed that I do have vocal nodules! Since he's a voice focused ENT and this office has a whole voice department, they had more tech than my normal ENT (higher quality cameras to see my voice box, sound machines to detect my voice issues, etc) so it was wild. I learned a lot about how vocal nodules work, and due to the nodules on my vocal folds touching before my vocal folds do, that's what's causing my hoarseness/pitch issues. I also found out that because of the nodules, I'm having to put extra force into speaking, which is also affecting my voice and making it unnaturally deeper and painful to speak at times.

My new ENT is currently postponing my surgery and having me go on vocal rest and get voice therapy instead. My voice therapy will be weekly and I'll be doing vocal exercises that I will also have to do at home 3 times a day and learn how to go back to using my voice the normal way (orally/nasally) and not the throat-heavy voice that's happening from the nodules. I also have tenseness in my neck for the same reason so they want me to use a heating pad on it daily.

This also means I have to keep my speaking to a minimum, but so I'm aiming for like 95% vocal rest (my speech therapist wants me to keep my speaking to a minimum and to speak softly when I do) outside of my voice therapy and 3x a day exercises for the next few weeks.

If the voice rest, voice therapy and vocal exercises work, I should be seeing improvement within the next 2-3 weeks and would see my doctor in 4-6 months for a checkup to make sure everything is fine and that the nodules aren't redeveloping.

If I have no improvement after 2-3 voice therapy sessions, they'll be giving me surgery. Usually they would put someone through therapy for longer if the nodules are fresh/more recent, but since I've had nodules for almost a year + my voice is my entire work, they're taking it as a priority.

I am hoping the rest and therapy works, because the doctor did mention that naturally recovering my voice is the ideal situation due to the fact that there's always a small possibility surgery could alter my normal voice along with taking the nodules away, so of course I'd only want that as the final "we have no other choice" option. T^T But if nothing changes then surgery it is.

My first therapy session is on June 18th, so I'll only be speaking when necessary and during the weekly sessions and my daily 3 exercises. I should know around the end of June or beginning of July if I'm making progress or not! Also just realized if I get surgery I'd probs be recovering on my birthday which will suck ;-; But hopefully things go well regardless of whichever route they have to take!