Help: Rehab after surgery

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 09:02 AM

I was somewhat right, I was somewhat wrong all along
I was somewhat right, I was somewhat wrong all along
I was somewhat right, I was somewhat wrong, but I knew - well I guessed there was a possibility I was somewhat wrong
I was somewhat right, I was somewhat wrong all along

Interesting - the only type of pathologist I've heard of that isn't a doctor. (I might be wrong about there not being others, but I'm definitley right about not having heard of them.)

Oh, and when the splint came out, I had this ointment to rub on the septum. It's the only time a doctor's ever told me to stick a finger up my nose. I've wished a doctor would put a tube in my ear. One of my eustation tubes is completely blocked much of the time, and it makes airplane rides sheer hell.

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 09 Jun 02 - 06:05 AM

Yep, Jeri, you're right: you're wrong. Speech pathologist = speech therapist, just a fancier term. Actually, they're correctly called "speech/language pathologists", but people still say "speech therapist". Most SLP's have a Master's degree with a "certificate of clinical competence" in speech/language pathology. In the US, both speech pathologists and audiologists are certified by the same organization, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and some people are dual-certified. So a qualified person's name tag might say "Richie Rich, M.A., CCC-SP" or "CCC-SP/A". Here's a website with lots of good basic information on Speech-Language Pathology, including voice disorders.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 08:51 PM

Pathologists normally deal with the causes of disease. Therapists deal with...um, therapy. I'd guess that a speech pathologist might be a doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating speech problems, and a therapist doesn't diagnose or prescribe treatment - just carries it out. Could be wrong.

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 08:44 PM

OK Don, what ever re the differences.

I of course wish you all the best.

Jon

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 08:38 PM

Don, the only advice I have regarding sneezing would be to open your mouth and make sure the air comes out there and not through your nose. That's how I normally sneeze anyway.

I was awake for my surgery. My doctor finally told me to close my eyes because she might drop something into them. I had goggles on. I figured that she didn't much care for a drugged-up cross-eyed patient staring at her from a distance of about 3 inches.

Honestly, the recovery probably depends on how much and what type of work you had done. I'd so many sinus problems that my recovery actually felt somewhat miraculous. About a week after my surgery, my sinuses felt better than they had in years. The septum (end of nose) stayed tender for quite a while, though. I also remember I had some numbness on the end of my nose and just below it which went away.

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: DonMeixner
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 08:20 PM

Thanks all, I have patience but only to a point. But for this I'll just let others sing for awhile. The surgery was Thursday AM and I haven't sneezed yet. Thats an experience I hope to avoid. Any suggestions as to how to derail a sneeze?

Don

Jon,

I can't tell you the for sure difference between a pathologist and a therapist other than to say it is possible to be one or the other or both. I work with several each day and I'm not sure of the difference.

Sorry.

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: Jeri
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 08:15 PM

I had sinus surgery in 1985. Had polyps and constant sinus infections, and my septum was deviated. I had "windows" but in to let my sinus drain properly. (I now have two more holes in my head than most people. Explains a lot, don't it?) I remember I healed VERY fast, but much of that was my Dr's technique - as I recall, she'd come up with a little plastic thingie sewn through my septum to splint it. Sounds painful, but it wasn't. The worst part was when she removed the rubber drain tubes that were protruding attractively from each nostril. I say "removed" but the process involved her putting one hand on my face and yanking with the other. For about 2 tenths of a second, it felt like she was pulling an anvil from the back of my head using barbed wire. Then, all better.

She also told me not to sneeze. Like I had a choice.

I wasn't singing at the time, but if it happened now, I KNOW I would have felt the difference. Your sinuses are part of the sound system, and when it's right, you can actually feel the vibrations in them. More air, less obstruction, is good.

Did you have tubes down your throat during the surgery? Those are likely to temporarily affect the voice

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 07:58 PM

Drifting but... What's a "speech pathologist"? is that the same thing as a "speech therapist" in the UK?

Jon

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 07:46 PM

Don, from what you've said, I would imagine your voice would be unchanged or better. If there are any voice problems after you're healed, ask your doc to refer you to a speech pathologist who specializes in voice rehabilitation--but I doubt it will be necessary. Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, take vitamin C, and, as kat says, be patient. You might also consider taking a few minutes several times a day to imagine or visualize your ears, nose, and throat as fully healed. Get a strong mental picture of yourself as whole and healthy, and keep it in mind often. It really does help!

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 07:18 PM

Good wishes for you, Don. The only thing I would say, without any direct experience, is be patient while your body adjusts and give the swelling plenty of time to go down. Sometimes we can get so impatient to get back in gear that we set things back. Not saying you seem to be doing that, at all, it's just as observation I've made over the years, in various situations, my own and those of others.

kat

Subject: RE: Help: Rehab after surgery
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 06:21 PM

What the Doc said is true Don. I have a prolapsed septum and wish to God I could have it fixed....Dont worry when the swelling goes down you will find it better.

Subject: Rehab after sinus surgery
From: DonMeixner
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 12:30 PM

It became neccessary for me to have reconstructive surgery to my sinuses and nasal septum. Scar tissue had built up over the years as a result of a major trauma when I was child. The end reult was a major excavation and a tube inserted into my remaining functional ear. I have a lot of post-opp swelling but very managable pain.

So what do I do next? Is there a specified therapy to get back my voice? (I reccommend Luigi's Real Italian Lemon Ice.) Will my voice be greatly affected? My Doc says there should be no problem with the voice. In fact, the enlarged sinus should improve resonance.

Anyone with a similar experience? Thanks in advance.

Don