Working with Lost Voice

[spud912]

Long story short, I am no longer contagious, but my voice has been completely 100% gone for 3 days now. I'm off today for MLK but the dck's are coming back tomorrow. Have any of you ever worked with no voice whatsoever? Any tips on how to make it through?

Everything I've read states that when it gets this bad it can take up to 2 weeks to get it back, especially if you're not "resting" your voice completely.

[Josiegirl]

Rest your voice as much as you can and drink tons of water. I have worked when all I could do was whisper, not sure if it's the same thing. It was actually kind of cute because everybody whispered back or would be really quiet so they could hear me.
Hope you feel better!!!

[e.j.]

Rest your voice as much as you can and drink tons of water. I have worked when all I could do was whisper, not sure if it's the same thing. It was actually kind of cute because everybody whispered back or would be really quiet so they could hear me.
Hope you feel better!!!

I've done the same and found the kids were much better behaved, for some reason. I think they felt bad for me! I just tried to speak as little as possible. I didn't read books to the kids like I usually do - they looked through the books themselves. Instead of craft activities that I would have to explain or give directions for, they did easy activities like Play-Doh, coloring or painting.

I hope you're feeling better and your voice returns soon.

[Ariana]

Eat raw lemons! I lose my voice with every cold and this does wonders for me. I agree with the others to just talk as little as possible and I find the kids adapt pretty well to miming

[redmaple]

I too have done a few of the only able to whisper days and they went remarkably well. Not sure how not being able to talk at all would go. How good is your miming? Hope you are feeling better soon!

[NoMoreJuice!]

Hope it comes back quickly! It's a necessary tool of our trade, !

A few months ago I began whispering to get my preschool class quiet. They expect me to clap or raise my voice or whistle, so when the whispering started, they were shocked, and they all quit talking and leaned in to hear me. It's been working like magic, and I hope you get the same reaction!

[spud912]

We'll see how it goes! I have a tidbit coming back already so I hope it comes back more overnight . Thanks for the lemon suggestion, Ariana.....just got a bucket full today from my mom's tree in her backyard . I sound like a chronic smoker going through puberty and the only "voice" I have is in my lowest possible tone at a hushed voice, but hey that's better than the whisper I had this morning.

It's weird because I actually feel much much better today, but I think people at the grocery store thought I am on death's door.

[daycare]

I don't want to put all my personal info out there but I loose my voice about 90-95%every week due to my condition. I think everyone gets used to it that knows me and those that don't I tell them I was cheering in happiness and lost my voice. It's always by Wednesday that it starts to go and by Friday it's almost gone,Saturday completely gone. I rest on Sunday. Normally that's enough to get me back to Monday but not always.

Been surffering like this almost 7 years. But I'm ok. 🤗

[Ariana]

We'll see how it goes! I have a tidbit coming back already so I hope it comes back more overnight . Thanks for the lemon suggestion, Ariana.....just got a bucket full today from my mom's tree in her backyard . I sound like a chronic smoker going through puberty and the only "voice" I have is in my lowest possible tone at a hushed voice, but hey that's better than the whisper I had this morning.

It's weird because I actually feel much much better today, but I think people at the grocery store thought I am on death's door.

That is the worst! You feel fine but sound horrific! When my voice comes back I sound like Fran Descher from The Nanny for at least a few weeks ::

[Ariana]

I don't want to put all my personal info out there but I loose my voice about 90-95%every week due to my condition. I think everyone gets used to it that knows me and those that don't I tell them I was cheering in happiness and lost my voice. It's always by Wednesday that it starts to go and by Friday it's almost gone,Saturday completely gone. I rest on Sunday. Normally that's enough to get me back to Monday but not always.

Been surffering like this almost 7 years. But I'm ok. 🤗

Do you mind if I ask you what condition you have? I actually had to quit a job because I had to talk a lot and by the end of the week I would lose my voice. The Dr said I had developed polyps on my voice box...but I swear my voice hasn't been the same since.

[daycare]

Do you mind if I ask you what condition you have? I actually had to quit a job because I had to talk a lot and by the end of the week I would lose my voice. The Dr said I had developed polyps on my voice box...but I swear my voice hasn't been the same since.

I have a very large tumor on my thyroid and over the years it has grown so large that it is pushing on my vocal cords. The doctor told me that unless it starts to affect my health they won't remove it. At this point it only affects my voice and I don't care to have surgery just to have a better sounding voice. it does not hurt at all.

it was once classified as a goiter and has grown to a slowly growing benign tumor. Sadly you can see it in my throat area protruding out. BUT if if Never told you most people don't really take note of it.

mostly doctors, dentist or chiropractors will see it and ask what is that.

[spud912]

I have a very large tumor on my thyroid and over the years it has grown so large that it is pushing on my vocal cords. The doctor told me that unless it starts to affect my health they won't remove it. At this point it only affects my voice and I don't care to have surgery just to have a better sounding voice. it does not hurt at all.

it was once classified as a goiter and has grown to a slowly growing benign tumor. Sadly you can see it in my throat area protruding out. BUT if if Never told you most people don't really take note of it.

mostly doctors, dentist or chiropractors will see it and ask what is that.

Oh that is awful! I have hypothyroidism and my thyroid does get a little swollen when it's completely out of wack, among several other minor autoimmune conditions that flare up at the same time. I actually was thinking that was maybe the cause of this since I wasn't having a ton of other symptoms except for the first 2 days.

Ugh, I can't imagine having a lost voice like this every week though. I feel for you :hug::hug:!

[spud912]

So my day went fine.....my low-tone voice was doing well enough to the point where I could actually talk on the phone and communicate to some extent happyface.

The biggest problem is reading. I read a ton everyday to the kids and also at night to my own children. I tried to today since my voice was doing slightly better and lo-and-behold I lost my voice again in the process . I couldn't even finish half of a quick book for the daycare kiddos or 1 page of Charlotte's Web with my daughters! I would say that is the most frustrating thing because what am I to do . . . not read to them for awhile? My daughter's school requires 10-20 minutes of reading a night. I am ready to be done!!

[Unregistered]

Oh my gosh....I had this happen for years. Doesn't happen any more. I would go close to a month with problems. One year I was teaching kindergarten and couldn't talk for a few weeks...well at least barely talk! It was difficult. Hope you're doing better!

[Josiegirl]

Spud, has your voice returned now? It's frustrating. Then, like you did, it starts to return so you use it and poof...gone again. Hope you got to rest it and you feel lots better!