The thyroid cartilage is what protects the vocal cords. SNIP

Did you know that rheumatoid arthritis can limit the motion of the cricoarylenoid joint, leading to hoarseness because the vocal cord cannot move well. SNIP

Flipping heck. 2 strikes against me then. Autoimmune hypothyroid disease and rheumatoid arthritis. But hey, I wanted deeper grittier voice. So maybe this is a good thing. So long as I can maintain control of notes.

Ah well! C'est la voix!