SMAAACK! <--- Barb smacks self on forehead)  CHOCOLATE??  Now why
didn't _ I _ think of that? <smirk>

In case you never knew it, Darwin, you are SOOO wickedly funny!

Barb Mallut
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Hawkins, Darwin <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2000 6:49 AM
Subject: Re: Voice Improvement


>Only explanation I have is that it probably contains some
component of
>chocolate!
>
>> ----------
>> From:         Barb_MSN[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent:         Thursday, September 28, 2000 3:06 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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>>