Hi Barb!
I hope you still have that sexy voice! Hey,gang, she is a real knockout!
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>From: Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Bionic Barb
>Date: Tue, Jun 22, 1999, 12:14 AM
>
>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)
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>
