Reggie, there are a lot of good threads on this issue, and if you look at the top of the page in any of them you'll see links to more - the elves will probably do that with this one too when they get time. Below are a only a few of them, though unfortunately I'm in a tearing rush right now and don't have time to make blue clickies, but you can just copy-&-paste.

I'm not a doctor but I have experienced this, and from what I read I don't think it's permanent though it does take some months (not days) to heal. There's no real medicine for it except time - my doctor verified these same points when I spoke to him about my own condition, and experience bore it out.

Whatever you do DON'T STRAIN it, and don't try to sing at all if your throat is clogged up with guck. It will just put extra wear on your vocal cords, like forcing a car to drive with its hand-brake on. Take a look at my answer in the first thread below* which explains what I mean a bit more fully. Your situation really does sound similar. And she has how just put a CD out (there's a thread about that too, if you word-search her user name) which speaks (!) for itself. Lots of other excellent advice on offer too, so keep your spirits up. And let us know how you get on. Wishing the best of luck to you -

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=87401 *

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=88583

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4563

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=13976

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=59681