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I've lost my voice. Am I going to be able to sahm tomorrow?

7 replies

itsboiledeggsagain · 02/12/2018 18:28

It has completely gone. Dh and my 6 year old have been doing all the talking today. 6yo is good with gestures and written notes and then tells everyone else what to do. Dh is putting them to bed as I just realised I can't read a story!

But I have suddenly realised that I might not manage tomorrow if no better as 3yo cannot understand anything other than words. His comprehension is not great and amusingly I have to take him to speech therapy in the morning too. I guess I am going to have to write them a note as it is initial assessment.

Am I going to manage this?

OP posts:
Frieden · 02/12/2018 18:29

What about having some flash cards? Green for yes, red for no, photo of toys to show tidying time ect. Try to make it into a game?

itsboiledeggsagain · 02/12/2018 18:53

i dont think he would understand the photo idea. tidying is fine as we can just leave that :)

i am more worried as he is prone to tantrums if he doesnt get his own way and I wont be able to talk him down, or answer him - eg he will ask for sweeties for lunch and i wont be able to distract him so he will just ask a million times and then kick off. He is that exact age where you dont just use words you manipulate every situation by diverting, distracting etc. it might therefore be a grim day for him!

it is also going to be hard on the school run etc as people will think i am very weird just waving, but I genuinely cant do much else and it really hurts to whisper so i cant use that too much.

OP posts:
Blackladybug · 02/12/2018 19:06

It doesn't sound like it's going to be an easy day. You could still make the movements with your mouth so he should be able to recognise the mouth movement. Maybe over exaggerate it? Could you also use an app of some sort so you can type the phrase and it will talk to him? Record your DH saying "mummy has a poorly voice and cant talk" and play that during the day if hes getting frustrated? Could any of that help?

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CurlsLDN · 02/12/2018 19:11

Yep you'll be just fine. I am a single mum and regularly lost my voice completely, before having an operation on my throat this year which stopped me talking for 3 (long, boring, quiet) weeks. I'm not saying this for an 'always someone worse off' moment, but rather to reassure you that I have some experience!

I think you are underestimating both your children's ability to read non-verbal language. After all, especially with the three year old, it was not so long ago that he could neither speak not understand English but you managed to communicate with eachother then. Those skills are still being used by you both every day, the verbal language is just another layer on top.

Make it easy for yourself, let 3yo be the boss for the day. If that means sweets and cbeebies so what, sounds like you could do with a rest anyway.
And yes, pre-type some notes in your phone for random people you meet (sorry, I have lost my voice) and for the appointment

itsboiledeggsagain · 02/12/2018 19:27

thanks that is both reassurance that it wil be ok and the idea of DH recording some notes is genius.

i was thinking of carrying a post it note around with me all day too. I will be a wierd woman!

hope the op was ok curls and all sorted now for you

OP posts:
smurfy2015 · 02/12/2018 20:30

You can do this OP.

I was working thankfully in an admin/ pr / practical support at the time. At home one Sunday afternoon, I dozed in front of the tv and woke up with barely a squeak that could be understood. Every word I tried to say even short ones, my speech broke before I could get a word out esp if 2 syllables or more.

I pre-wrote a series of texts to send to people. The initial ones said I had laryngitis (which was confirmed by the GP, however, my only symptom was lack of voice, no inflammation and best of all no pain) and explained that while I was happy to receive longer texts that I currently was resting as much as possible and would reply when I was able to.

It started on a Sunday and I saw a GP on the following Tues morning, it made me a better listening and I used a lot of hand signals. I worked through the time as well, on that Monday once everyone had stopped teasing me about "how they had never seen me so quiet" lol.

I went to visit my mum as couldn't speak to her on phone for obvious reasons and it was then she chooses to reveal definitely laryngitis as the same thing happened her when she was approx that age. She had lost her voice numerous times the shortest being a week and the longest 11 months. My bout of laryngitis lasted 100+ days.

I have had it once since but wasn't true laryngitis, it was caused by me trying to ignore vocal cord strains after aspiration of vom into my lungs and not dealing with it, so I had an almighty lung infection as well with vocal cords which were soaked in acid

You will not be strange with pre-written texts, or a notebook and pen. Get others email addresses and numbers so questions like after the S.A.L.T appointment can be forwarded on to them.

Good luck, if I think of more I will come back to this thread

smurfy2015 · 03/12/2018 16:04

If your throat is sore and vocal cords strained, I recommend a good coating of honey, a squeeze of lemon (I have a jif squeezy lemon), hot water and sugar. It will also warm you up and a bit of honey at the end coats your throat and vocal cords and kinda protects them with a healing balm (in my experience but that's just my non-technical explanation)

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