Well, we finally have an answer to my three-month-long hoarse voice. I have vocal nodules, and yes – acid reflux.
I had the visit to the ENT today, and it was quick and horrible. The doctor was incredibly nice, and we chatted pleasantly as I tried to ignore that he was putting a lighted probe into my throat, ears and *jibblie* nose. That was embarrassing enough, but then came the time for the endoscope (tiny camera on a long tube). I confessed to him that I was worried that I would throw up due to gagging, and he assured me, “No, you won’t.” He showed me how he swabbed the tip of the scope with anesthesia and I wouldn’t feel a thing. Then, after assessing that my left nostril would be a better route, he put a camera on a tube in there. BLEAH!!!! *jibblie jibblie jibblie* It actually wasn’t so bad until it actually was in my throat, and I could feel it when I swallowed.
“I can feel it!” I said worriedly.
“No, you can’t” he calmly replied.
Thanks to his Jedi mind tricks I was able to go through the process – “Breathe deep. Say a high-pitched ‘e’. Say a low-pitched ‘a’. Cluck like a chicken.” (Ha. Just seeing if you’re paying attention.)
And then it was over. Less than a minute of trauma, and then he handed me a tissue to wipe the ‘anesthesia’ from my nose. I have some small nodules, probably from trying to talk past the original laryngitis, which was probably caused by the acid reflux. So, it’s limited talking, keep taking stomach medicine and sleeping on an incline for another month, and if that doesn’t work, I have to see a speech therapist. Seriously – that’s not a joke. Apparently I’ve been talkin’ wrong for 39 years. Drat his Jedi mind powers…..