I'm so glad to HEAR it!
In a message dated 6/22/1999 3:11:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> Dear List-family....
>
> YYYYYEEEEEHHHHAAAAAWWW!!! <---Barb, yelling LOUDLY in excitement>
>
> As of tonite, I have my REAL voice back! Back, and LOUD, if
> that's how I wanna speak! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> UCLA's Dr. Gerald Burke injected collagen into both vocal cords
> this afternoon, and now at 11:45 p.m., my "normal' speaking voice
> has returned!!!!!! Well, "returned" for
> 3 to 6 months, anyway.... till the collagen's absorbed by my body.
>
> But HEY - guess what? Next time my "normal" voice starts fading
> away to a breathy whisper I'll have not one option, but TWO.
> Yup folks... TWO, as in 1-collagen injections lasting 3 to 6
> months, or, 2- a long-term ("long-term," as in as long as the PD
> stays slow moving as it's been for almost 25 years) tiny,
> man-made, hammer-shaped thingee implanted into my vocal cords via
> the passage thru the thyroid capsule (inserted right THRU the
> capsule AROUND and/or past the thyroid).
>
> The tiny "thingee (has a long medical name which I can't recall,
> but I'll get it from Dr, Burke tomorrow and List-post it)
> procedure accomplished in a 1/2 hour operation in the doctor's
> office and has been performed on folks with vocal cord problems
> for about 10 years or more, according to Dr, Burke and also by
> many other neck and throat specialists all over the world.
>
> Only recently has this type of surgery been done on Parkies, and
> WHICH Parkie gets it is decided by their own neck and throat
> specialist/surgeon, based upon their PD being rather slow moving
> (as in slowly degenerating rather than swiftly moving). I'm not
> too sure what constitutes "slowly moving" to the DOCTOR, but to ME
> that means the vocal cords are stable enough to permit the "tiny
> thingee" to remain implanted for at LEAST a year or longer before
> needing to be replaced by a new one cut to fit the changing vocal
> cords.
>
> Since I won't be a candidate for this procedure till the collagen
> which I got today is absorbed by my body (3 to 6 months),
> obviously I cannot share more about this surgery till I've had it.
> But since it's apparently so well known by neck and throat
> specialists, if you'd like to know more about it (like cost -
> Medicare covers it, by the way), I suggest ya call the nearest
> teaching hospital/university and ask for their neck and throat
> clinic... They 'll no doubt be able to fill ya in on this
> relatively minor operation.
>
> OH.... and ya might hear some MD's saying this surgery ISN'T for
> PWP's, but Dr. Burke SWEARS it CAN be successful when performed on
> a Parkie, provided the doctor makes sure BEFORE the operation that
> the patient's PD is indeed slowly to degenerate.
>
> (NON-proofed for errors or typos)
>
> Barb Mallut (written in haste, 'cause I'm awfully tired now)
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
