2 weeks after BSidesSF/RSA & I still don’t have my voice back. Tell me all your voice recovery tips! So far I’ve tried:
* hydration (esp throat coat tea)
* humidifier
* cough drops without menthol (Luden’s)
* 48 hours of near-total vocal rest
* ibuprofen
* gargling salt water
Anything I missed?
2 weeks later, greetings from the ER 👋
Still don’t have my voice back, and now I’m having shortness of breath, so that’s a “do not pass go, go immediately to the ER” kinda moment, sadly.
I packed snacks, though it’s actually not too busy this morning, mercifully…
@wendynather it turns out “chest pain and shortness of breath” is the unlock code to get seen quickly even in our overburdened ERs… small mercies…
But yeah I’ve been worried about “walking pneumonia” for a while now 😓
@leigh @wendynather Years ago, I walked around with walking pneumonia (unknowingly) for far too long before someone with more sense than me told me to take some sick leave and get it seen to. Thankfully the antibiotics worked quickly.
I hope whatever you have is resolved quickly 🤞
Bleeding from the ears also gets immediate attention in Emerg. Follow me for more hot tips!
@leigh <waves away clouds of gloom>
… what snacks did you bring?
@leigh Not sure if it helps to get your voice back*, but ginger tea** with honey, and (optional) mint is great for a sore throat.
If it doesn’t help, at least it tastes great.
* Never payed attention to voice recovery
** Use fresh ginger, cut into thin stripes
@leigh Once the shortness of breath gets squared away (yikes and godspeed!) it might be helpful to try a bit of humming:
1. take a few of whatever kind of breaths you take to relax
2. inhale with a breath that pushes your belly button out (does not have to be huge! can actually be quite small)
3. retaining as much breath as possible (keeping belly button out), gently hum a few sirens. no need to get carried away on going super high or low, just wiggle around a bit like a lil ghostie :)
@leigh i'd do this for maybe a minute at a time, a couple of times a day to start. if it seems to be helping, you might work up to doing more frequently. if you notice your voice "sticking" at a certain point, hum in some other pitch ranges and come back to it later.
and of course, stop if it feels bad or causes other problems!
@aschmitz @leigh
For future reference: I bring Singer's Saving Grace (throat spray) and Throat Coat tea to every speaking engagement or major business meeting, and I use Throat Coat in general when I have a sore throat or scratchy voice
The spray is a strong herbal flavor that takes some getting used to (partly licorice but not a tasty flavor). But it's reliably magical at scavenging a scratchy voice after an hour of speaking.
The tea is not quite as effective at holding off scratchiness but brilliantly soothing for a sore throat or COVID. More pleasant flavor also. Slippery elm, marshmallow root, licorice, fennel, cinnamon, etc. They also have excellent non -menthol lozenges (also pectin, like Luden's)
https://herbsetc.com/products/singers-saving-grace-lemon-honey-non-alcohol
https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/throat-coat-tea
https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/throat-coat-lemon-echinacea-lozenges
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