Damage to vocal cord from Thyroidectomy

mstein9922

Vocal Cords

Thyroidectomy in 2008. Voice cuts out or I have to clear my throat alot. That's not good or fun when you give sales pitches for a living. BUT I can hit high notes better (almost Steve Perry like) than I could before.   Now if only I didn't sing off key  :-)

There's good and bad to everything.  Look for the good and minimize or compensate for the bad. Although I would NEVER sing the high notes for anyone else, I sound amazing to ME singing in the car!  :-) 'Don't Stop Believin!

 

 

Zippertootsie

Just joined today!

Hi All!

I wish I had found this site years ago. I had my surgery for Thyroid Cancer in Sept. 2003. I was told there was a possibility of issues with talking. After reading the responses and experiences from fellow survivors, I finally did not feel so alone and isolated. Many of the after symptomes described here I have....difficulty projecting my voice, certains sounds being difficult to produce accurately, inability to sing in tune anymore, difficulty swallowing, choking episodes, etc. I have learned to live with these after effects,but I still wish that one day I will wake up and be "normal" again! I do try to keep in mind that although i have these difficulties and they have not gotten better through the years ( perhaps a bit worse) I am still living....and that is a big plus! But I have withdrawn a lot because of the difficulties with lack of ease talking, especially to strangers and on the phone. I finally got a part time job but i work with the public and often customers I don't know suggest that I am sick and should be home in bed. I have felt a certain discrimination unfortunately. It does sadden and sometimes angers me, however I try to educate them and explain, but wish I did not have to.

Thank you for "listening " to me!

jretwav

alapah said:

vocal cord damage

I lost the use of my right vocal cord because the surgeon had to sever the laryngeal nerve as it was encased by the cancer. In my case, I am fortunate to have the cord stuck in the middle position which means speaking is decent and I also swallowing without any issues. Downside, as you know, is that breathing suffers with a frozen cord. I also will choke if I try to guzzle drinks - I have adapted how I swallow though and it has minimized those issues. In the beginning, I found out the hard way that I can't do shots (not that I feel I am missing anything there!).

I did have six weeks of external beam radiation to the neck just a few months after my surgery because my tumor had not been encapsulated. I had mine done at Mayo Clinic and before they had me do the radiation they sent me to their ENT department and a physical therapist who conducted a swallow study which included a real-time xray of my throat as I ate and drank different viscosities of liquiids and a some solid stuff. This was done to determine if I was aspirating as I swallowed, which, apparently, can be a problem for people with vocal cord paralysis. All was well so I went through the radiation and was also given some vocal and neck muscle exercises to do to help improve my working cord. The radiation did not have any impacts on my cords at all. Before radiation I asked the radiologist if the one good nerve could be damaged by the radiation and he felt strongly that it would not. They can actually do a lot to target specific areas, and with specific amounts, and they can minimize or even avoid other areas.They don't just beam the whole area entirely and with one level. It's pretty amazing how complex the beam pattern can be.

After radiiation I had a follow up visit with the ENT and physical therapist, with another xray swallow study, and all was fine. I have never heard of the clipping thing but I would be a bit concerned about how that may affect swallowing or even speech. Did your ENT provide you with pros and cons of having that done?

If you can, get a second opinion, or even three or four. I had six before I decided to go ahead with the radiation.

I was jogging prior to the cancer diagnosis but I don't do that sort of thing anymore because the cord paralysis does interfere with my breathing. It must be so much rougher for someone such as yourself who makes a living exercising. I wish I had answers for you - the best I can do is encourage you to talk to a few more specialists to determine the best course for your particular situation.

Best to you.

eileen

Living with Vocal Cord Damage

Hi Alapah and others -

I suffered from bilateral vocal cord paralysis in 12/2009 after my total thyroidectomy. It has been devestating to my breathing. I used to love jogging before the injury but now I have trouble just walking from one room to the other. I just wanted to say "hello" on this board and get linked up with others who have BVCP. I am learning to live as "normal" of a life as I can but I'd be grateful for support from others who know the specific challenges that stem from this type of restricted breathing. 

My ultimate goal is to build a support group that can travel together and nurture each other. I envision outdoor adventures and laughter. 

Best of wishes to all of you for continued healing -

Julie

Missy757525

Zippertootsie said:

Just joined today!

Hi All!

I wish I had found this site years ago. I had my surgery for Thyroid Cancer in Sept. 2003. I was told there was a possibility of issues with talking. After reading the responses and experiences from fellow survivors, I finally did not feel so alone and isolated. Many of the after symptomes described here I have....difficulty projecting my voice, certains sounds being difficult to produce accurately, inability to sing in tune anymore, difficulty swallowing, choking episodes, etc. I have learned to live with these after effects,but I still wish that one day I will wake up and be "normal" again! I do try to keep in mind that although i have these difficulties and they have not gotten better through the years ( perhaps a bit worse) I am still living....and that is a big plus! But I have withdrawn a lot because of the difficulties with lack of ease talking, especially to strangers and on the phone. I finally got a part time job but i work with the public and often customers I don't know suggest that I am sick and should be home in bed. I have felt a certain discrimination unfortunately. It does sadden and sometimes angers me, however I try to educate them and explain, but wish I did not have to.

Thank you for "listening " to me!

I have to say I'm going

I have to say I'm going through the same affects of the surgery. My 3 daughters make fun of me- my voice has a deeper sound to it- almost as develop as my husbands. An aunt of mine said that she hopes I keep my may west voice- I hate it. People don't recognize my voice anymore either. Howe do you deal Edith it.

sarah99

voice returned after 6 months

I had a total thyroidectomy in Oct 2011 and by about April 2012 my voice was improving and eventually returned to normal. When I had a follow-up with my surgeon in November 2011, he told me my voice was permanently damaged, but I went to see an ENT, and he said there's no way to know if damage is permanent until after about 9 months or so (and this is just for my case, which was likely the superior laryngeal nerve). While I was having voice problems, I'd lose my voice by the end of the day and it took a lot of effort to speak. I couldn't project, and I couldn't sing, and it was exhausting to talk. When I'd try to raise my voice, it would sound like a kazoo. Apparently it can just take time sometimes. My concern now is that it looks like my cancer is back and they will want to do another surgery, and I feel like I just scraped by with my voice the first time. Has anyone had multiple thyroid-area surgeries?

turtleman0802

It's been five years since my

It's been five years since my surgery. My voice never completly recovered. Lost the higher range of my singing voice.  Still have cancer...still alive praise theLORD.

turtleman0802

mstein9922 said:

Vocal Cords

Thyroidectomy in 2008. Voice cuts out or I have to clear my throat alot. That's not good or fun when you give sales pitches for a living. BUT I can hit high notes better (almost Steve Perry like) than I could before.   Now if only I didn't sing off key  :-)

There's good and bad to everything.  Look for the good and minimize or compensate for the bad. Although I would NEVER sing the high notes for anyone else, I sound amazing to ME singing in the car!  :-) 'Don't Stop Believin!

 

 

I wish I could sing like I

I wish I could sing like I did before surgery. I sound likee Louis Armstrong after teaching 20 mins of sunday school. But hey still alive after five years being diagnosed stage 4.Best of luck to you!

turtleman0802

jretwav said:

Living with Vocal Cord Damage

Hi Alapah and others -

I suffered from bilateral vocal cord paralysis in 12/2009 after my total thyroidectomy. It has been devestating to my breathing. I used to love jogging before the injury but now I have trouble just walking from one room to the other. I just wanted to say "hello" on this board and get linked up with others who have BVCP. I am learning to live as "normal" of a life as I can but I'd be grateful for support from others who know the specific challenges that stem from this type of restricted breathing. 

My ultimate goal is to build a support group that can travel together and nurture each other. I envision outdoor adventures and laughter. 

Best of wishes to all of you for continued healing -

Julie

Hello Julie I just found this

Hello Julie I just found this place today and it is nice.

turtleman0802

jretwav said:

Living with Vocal Cord Damage

Hi Alapah and others -

I suffered from bilateral vocal cord paralysis in 12/2009 after my total thyroidectomy. It has been devestating to my breathing. I used to love jogging before the injury but now I have trouble just walking from one room to the other. I just wanted to say "hello" on this board and get linked up with others who have BVCP. I am learning to live as "normal" of a life as I can but I'd be grateful for support from others who know the specific challenges that stem from this type of restricted breathing. 

My ultimate goal is to build a support group that can travel together and nurture each other. I envision outdoor adventures and laughter. 

Best of wishes to all of you for continued healing -

Julie

Hello Julie I just found this

Hello Julie I just found this place today and it is nice.

candid

hello everyone
i had surgery

hello everyone

i had surgery 5.5 years ago and my voice did not return to its pre-op levels. It was pretty bad right after the surgery, hoarse and like whispering, hardly loud enough to be heard. My ENt had said one vocal cord was not moving but it was going to be okay.. well it took it 1.5 years to gradually become at a "normal" level - normal means something hearable...

i cannot sing or scream, but I can at least laugh now - i was not able to laugh either in the first few years after the surgery.

of note, my ENt never mentioned about speech therapy; I am also happy to see here there are other treatment options, such as the vocal cord transplant. looks like there are things to help improve it.

candid

 

bouncer

candid said:

hello everyone
i had surgery

hello everyone

i had surgery 5.5 years ago and my voice did not return to its pre-op levels. It was pretty bad right after the surgery, hoarse and like whispering, hardly loud enough to be heard. My ENt had said one vocal cord was not moving but it was going to be okay.. well it took it 1.5 years to gradually become at a "normal" level - normal means something hearable...

i cannot sing or scream, but I can at least laugh now - i was not able to laugh either in the first few years after the surgery.

of note, my ENt never mentioned about speech therapy; I am also happy to see here there are other treatment options, such as the vocal cord transplant. looks like there are things to help improve it.

candid

 

Vocal cord damage warning

Prior to my operation, I was given a full run through of all of the problems that might occur during surgery. Before the operation could go ahead, I also had to sign a consent form, that repeated those warnings. This is standard for the UK National Health Service, and no operation will go ahead without this. As far as I was concerned, the loss of voice or needing to take calcium tablets for life was of little consequence - I wanted the cancer out.

Baldy

bouncer said:

Vocal cord damage warning

Prior to my operation, I was given a full run through of all of the problems that might occur during surgery. Before the operation could go ahead, I also had to sign a consent form, that repeated those warnings. This is standard for the UK National Health Service, and no operation will go ahead without this. As far as I was concerned, the loss of voice or needing to take calcium tablets for life was of little consequence - I wanted the cancer out.

Consent

You have to sign a consent form in the US too, {lawyer requirement here, there too I bet,} which also lists the possible side effects and complications.  The difference is if you don't ask questions they don't volunteer anything, at least my surgeon didn't.  I'm not sure, for me it was over three years ago, but I think the possible para-thyroid / calcium complication was explained without me asking.

Alan

imnsayne

Very Little Voice After Thyroidectomy

My first surgery was on 6/13/14 in which the right side of my thyroid was removed because they found Huerthle Cell Carcinoma (which turned out to be benign).  After removing right side, final pathology revealed active Papillary Cell Carcinoma with margins to tight to know if they got it all.  I had very little hoarseness after the first surgery.  So, on 8/6/14, I had the left side removed.  No cancer, thank God, but I can barely speak and as others have stated in this forum, I seem to run out of air when I do speak.  My surgeon said to give it 6 weeks and if my voice doesn't come back, he will send me to an ENT.  In the mean time, should I limit talking?  Are there any foods or beverages I should or should not eat/drink?  Thank you!    

Family-Man

3 Years Later

 Had thyroidectomy over 3 years ago.  Before the surgery I was having trouble doing any physical activity causing difficulty breathing.  After several rounds of X-rays and antibiotics there was no improvement.  I finally lost my voice and doctors started looking in my neck.  They found nodules on my thyroid. They suspected thyroid cancer and scheduled me for surgery for the following week.

 

During  surgery the doctor had to cut the nerve to my left vocal cords. Found out I had stage 4 Thyroid cancer.  I started working with a voice therapist the same month.  At the first meeting with the therapist he did all kinds of tests and evaluations  Said he is a professor at MSU for more than 30 years and said he has never had a patient 1 month after surgery able to speak as well as I did at that time.

 

Let me put this in perspective - I was 56 years old.  I was in bicycling races a couple times a year.  I am a manager so I do a good deal of talking.  Immediately after the surgery I was having the same problems listed by others: husky voice, poor breath support, difficulty breathing, problems swallowing and sore throat.

 

So this is where I am 3 years later:

I am working harder than ever in the gym to become a stronger bike rider.  Last year I was in a large race and finished 15th in my age bracket.  I am working to be top 10 in the same race this year!  The difficulties breathing can be worked through.  I have had to practice breathing and now am doing well.

 

I hear the difference in my voice.  I am sure I always will.  In the past year I have had comments from friends about how good my voice quality.  Periodically I will have a very hoarse voice.  Not a whisper but difficulty understanding me.  Will also get hoarse if I have to talk a lot in any day.  When it gets like this it hurts the talk.  Usually gets better over night.

 

The swallowing problem still happens once in a while.  I had to learn to be careful when swallowing.  If I drink carelessly then I will choke from fluid going into my lungs.  That will be permanent.

 

I am more breathless.  What I mean is I can’t talk as long in a breath as I used too.  What I have learned to do is take more breaths.  It now is part of how I talk.  I don’t know if anyone notices or not, but it is pretty normal for me now.

 

I want to give you encouragement to stay with doing exercise.  It helps with breath support and breathing.  I have worked through the wheezing and hardly ever have that happen. 

Hope this provides some hope and encouragement to others!