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Paralyzed Vocal Cord


ursol

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Hi all,

For many months (probably since surgery in October) I have had a terrible cough that I have not been able to get rid of. It happens mostly when I eat or drink. I end of choking alot and vomit my food sometimes when I cough too hard. I drink much less water than I should as a direct result. I have complained about it for awhile and the dr.'s did not have an answer for me. Sent me through an Endoscopy in December which showed nothing. Last month I was sent for a swallow test which also showed nothing. I finally said to my doctor that I couldn't take it anymore and infact one night I choked badly and thought I was going to die so he decided I should see a Ear, Nose and throat specialist. Well after sending a camera up my nose and down my throat I have been diagnosed with a paralyzed vocal cord. They say due to surgery or radiation. The good news is that they can fix it. I will have minor surgery at the end of July. I'm sooo happy, this cough and choking gets really old fast.

Just had a follow-up Brain MRI. Results all clear.

Lilly

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Hi Lilly,

I am really excited to hear that your mri came back good! I just love to hear the good news when it happens.

The paralyzed vocal cord happened to me too. Your experience sounds exactly like mine. For a short time, the choking was so bad that I thought I was going to die, NOT FROM THE CANCER, but from drinking water :evil: .

I had two surgeries on my throat. Initially I was given a collegen injection into the cord as a temporary fix. Some patients have had the severed nerves regrow and fix the paralysis on its own. The collegen only worked for about 2 months on me.

Eventually I had a montgomery thyroplasty implant inserted into my vocal cord. Overnight I was no longer choking and gagging.

You don't mention if you had problems with your ability to talk louder than a whisper or being out of breath/exhausted after a short conversation. The surgery helped improve these issues, but honestly they didn't disappear after surgery.

At the end of the day, would I recommend the surgery? Definetly!!

I would be happy to give you more info or answer any questions you have, just let me know.

Wendy

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That is just swell Lily. I am glad to see something positive come your way. I know how much a pain a cough can be. My cough is persistent and sometimes I go into a spasm that almost makes me puke, but not quite. I think my cough is getting better though. I have been able to manage it with codeine and cough drops.

Kudos on the clear mri too.

Don M

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