hey barb
  i looked up alloderm on internet and all i found was you could get it to
give you fat lips. i laughed so hard reading some of plastic surgeons
remarks i had to tell my mutual left-handed nite owl about it.
 connie

----- Original Message -----
From: "Barb_MSN" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2000 1:06 AM
Subject: Re: Voice Improvement


> Hi Eddy and Carolyn...
>
> I'm 57 and have had PD for almost 26 years,  I had a successful
> unilateral pallidotomy (brain surgery on one side of the brain for
> relief of PD symptoms in Oct. 1994.
>
> I had collagen injections into my vocal cords initially performed
> by UCLA'S Dr. Gerald Burke with a near perfect return of my
> "normal" voice.  The injections last from 3 to 6 months, and mine
> lasted the whole 6 months and cost me $500.
>
> I asked Kaiser  of they offered this procedure to their patients
> and they didn't know if rhey did or not.  I called all the Kaiser
> facilities in the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area  - one
> after another as the Kaiser I regularly go to is in Woodland
> Hills, CA - till I found ONE that said they  did that  procedure,
> and what's more, the MD who did the collagen  injections and been
> trained in this procedure Dr. Burke!
>
> I drove to the Kaiser Metropolitan branch and their MD piddled
> around, turning a 5 minute procedure into an HOUR long procedure
> that didn't work.  And it didn't work the 3 or 4 OTHER times he
> tried to do it! AND it  didn't work when Dr. Burke did it again!
> It seems my body ABSORBED the collagen with 12 hours of getting
> it!
>
> That's my story.... SO FAR.
>
> Barb Mallut
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eddy Arden <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2000 8:37 PM
> Subject: Re: Voice Improvement
>
>
> >I'm so sorry that I missed the original conversations
> >re "Voice Improvement"...My wife, Carolyn, who is 59,
> >and who has Parkinsons for 23 years now, desperately
> >needs all the help and advice we can get concerning
> >this subject. What is this procedure your referring to
> >[ foam and gortex ]and how does Kaiser, our HMO also,
> >fit into the picture? We would really appreciate
> >either Barb or Elizabeth elaborating on this topic.
> >Thank you, Listserv
> >--- Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >> Liz... )Mopping up tears)
> >>
> >> I'm SOOO happy for you! (Jumping outta chair and
> >> dancing wildly
> >> 'round living room  with joy for ya))  In fact,
> >> you've inspired me
> >> to call UCLA's Dr. Burke  once again to see if HE'S
> >> updated his
> >> procedure by adding the foam and the gortex.
> >>
> >> IF he hasn't updated the procedure. THEN, by golly,
> >> I'll start
> >> working on Kaiser to send me into your part of the
> >> world and go
> >> for it h that way.
> >>
> >> YOU GO, GIRL!  I salute you...
> >>
> >> Barb Mallut
> >> [log in to unmask]
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Elizabeth Southwood <[log in to unmask]>
> >> To: [log in to unmask]
> >> <[log in to unmask]>
> >> Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2000 2:19 PM
> >> Subject: Voice Improvement
> >>
> >>
> >> >Barb shared her experiences with working with her
> >> voice with us,
> >> a great
> >> >inspiration to me.  Here's what's happened to me so
> >> far, with my
> >> voice.  I
> >> >was referred by my ENT doctor to another ENT
> >> doctor.  This was
> >> about a year
> >> >ago.  He said that because of what he found when he
> >> examined me
> >> that he
> >> >thought he could improve my problem, a Parkinsonian
> >> weak,
> >> whispery voice, and
> >> >also improve my swallowing and breathing.  In the
> >> meantime I got
> >> sick, then
> >> >tripped and fractured my hip.  By the time I saw
> >> him again, about
> >> a month
> >> >ago, the operations used different and improved
> >> materials.
> >> >
> >> >Yesterday I was given a general anesthetic and my
> >> vocal chords
> >> were injected
> >> >with gel-foam which will be absorbed but meanwhile
> >> show me if the
> >> procedure
> >> >is worth doing on a more permanent basis.  My
> >> husband is
> >> delighted that I
> >> >have a voice, an honest to goodness voice again and
> >> feels that
> >> 'the permanent
> >> >procedure' is definitely a go.  The final material
> >> lasts 2+
> >> years, I think
> >> >the doctor said.
> >> >
> >> >Thanks heavens for this listserve!!  This is only
> >> one of the
> >> things I have
> >> >read that has improved my quality of life with this
> >> dumb
> >> disease -- another
> >> >is the two people (one was Rita) who told us about
> >> Ecco shoes at
> >> Nordstroms
> >> >-- they feel great and are cute or good looking
> >> too.
> >> >
> >> >I sang last night and recited some poetry and read
> >> some
> >> Shakespeare (the
> >> >greatest use of English) and read the cooking and
> >> garden sections
> >> of today's
> >> >paper.  Even an improvement that's not a cure, I
> >> realized, can
> >> make a
> >> >difference.
> >> >
> >> >Thank you, Barb, and listserv...Liz S.
> >
> >
> >__________________________________________________
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