Trish....

The collagen injections have worked just fine.  The vocal cords are meant to
be kind of like a rubber band that has been pulled from each end so that each
side of it is taut.  The PD makes the 2 vocal cords relax and they become
slack, permitting air to escape as words are being spoken.  The collagen
tightens the cords up once again.

The initial injections last from 3 to 5 months and subsequent ones last closer
to a year.  There is an initial office visit for evaluation (takes maybe 10
minutes) and if the patient has flaccid vocal cords, AND NO OTHER SPEECH
PROBLEMS that are expected to be corrected by the collagen, ('cause they won't
be!) then a collagen allergy test if performed.  That's simply a tiny
injection into the inner arm (o pain at all 'cause the needle's soooooo thin)
of the collagen and water mixture which is used.  If, after a month, there's
no allergic reaction to the collagen (my MD has only had one patient have an
allergic reaction in the time he's practiced), then the patient is set to have
the injections.

The patient's nose and throat are sprayed with a fine mist of  xylocaine and
benzocaine which briefly numbs the area.   An unbelievably little video camera
is threaded thru the nose (one nostril only) and down into the throat.   I
have a strong gag reflex yet had no problem with this at all.. The injections
are made one at a time into the throat from the outside in.  There's no pain
nor any discomfort.

I watched the whole thing on the video monitor as it was being done and it was
really interesting!   It took about 5 minutes from start to finish.   I was a
bit hoarse for a few hours (everyone kept commenting on my sexy voice!)
<giggle>, and had a sore throat later that night, but that was it.

By the way, this procedure IS available for those with Medicare (or at least
it was as recently as this past May 19th, the day I had the injections.

Barb Mallut
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-----Original Message-----
From:   Parkinson's Information Exchange  On Behalf Of Patricia Scarmuzzi
Sent:   Sunday, June 29, 1997 8:30 PM
To:     Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject:        Re: FW: Voice Recognition Software?

Barb:
        My father and I would like to know more about the bovine collagen
injection
that you had. How have you been since you had it? Dad has found a Dr. Burke
and a Dr. Burns at Cleveland Clinic who are also doing the injection. We
noticed that his voice problem started a few years ago immediately after he
had double bypass heart surgery. He and Mom seem to think that the vocal
cords may be stretched. Any info. You could pass along to me will then be
passed along to him. Thanks! Trish