My voice is getting softer by the day. I am growing weary of people saying, "Pardon?" or "What's that?"; you get the picture. The speech therapist referred me to an ENT doctor to make sure that it was not something else causing my voice problems - just PD.
Today I went to that doctor. He was quite personable and (drum roll) punctual!! I sat in a chair while he gathered up an instrument that looked like a black box with a kind of cable coming out of it.
"Sit back and I will have a look. OK, I am just going to freeze one nostril and stick this camera up into your nose and down your throat."
"What's that? You are going to do what?"
"I have to look at your vocal cords. This is a camera that will allow me to see them in action. Relax, it isn't as bad as it sounds."
I am no wimp when it comes to medical procedures, so I decided not to fuss. Besides, I once taught a student who could sniff up a string through his nose, swallow it and bring it out his mouth. He would then amuse the class by tugging at each end, one at the nostril, the other at his mouth. The students told me all about it and he offered to show me but I politely declined. Anyway, if he could do that, what's a little camera in comparison.
The doctor sprayed some foul tasting liquid into my nose, waited a second, and then inserted the camera. I could feel it travel up my nose and down my throat, like some insistent snake. He moved it around (somewhat uncomfortable) and told me to say "eeee". Then he removed the camera. It was no big deal. He told me all was good and sent me on my way. The only after effects were the taste of the liquid he shot up my nose and a feeling in the nostril, the one that had served as the gateway, that my nose was leaking. It wasn't. It was bone dry.
By the way, when he first entered the room and introduced himself, I couldn't hear him. He spoke too softly.
No comments:
Post a Comment