Would you have an operation to make your voice prettier?

[CappuScreamO]

I have a nasal intonation

I got a bit of speech therapy for it so I didn't pass it onto my kids like an accent (one of dd1s therapist had flagged it as concern)

the therapist referred me onto a hospital where they may offer me surgery on my soft palate to make it better as speech exercises won't do enough

There is a question about whether or not the thing is not being passed onto my kids as an accent, or whether it is hereditary (ie they have a funny shaped palate as well) so if I did decide to get it done it would be for me, not them

My voice is okay (if motherinferior or Gobbledigook or NadineBaggott are around they can tell you how bad it is)

if you had asked me as a teenager when I was really aware of it I would have jumped at it. But at 37 it seems silly to take NHS resources for bit - it feels a bit like plastic surgery and obv there are risks with that

but part of me goes 'woohoo I could not hate my voice anymore'

so what would you do?

Golly how does it SOUND? I can't imagine?

DS was born with a cleft lip and palate and has had limited speech therapy. He knows that there are words that he doesn't say clearly, but isn't bothered enough to continue with speech therapy, although he knows we would support him. He's now 15. If you're a confident person and it doesn't worry you, maybe leave it, if it does, then I would certainly think seriously about having it done.

Thing is ... does anyone REALLY like their own voice (especially if you tape it and play it back to yourself). Well, apart from politicians, obviously

What if you had the operation, still hated your voice and worse... it didn't sound like you any more?

mp it sounds as if I have a cold

people are always asking me if I have a cold

hmm rubber you have a point there

I am imagining it sounding all sexy and Anna Ford

but I would just sound like a slightly less nasal, prob still strident Yorkshirewoman

Nothing wrong with sounding like a strident Yorkshirewoman

You could go for my patent decision making technique?

... toss a coin and then see if you're really disappointed with the result. If you are, switch to the other option. If you're actually relieved, then the coin picked the right one

(apologises for any verging on the offensive flippantness... I'm in a funny mood this morning)

I am always wary of elective surgery...

A fine decision making method

FB: it's never failed me yet

God no! What if it went wrong and you either lost your voice completely of ended up sounding even worse

That's a very good decision-making method.

Voices are tricky. Mine is artificially low (caught it off my mom, who had voice training to lower hers), and sounds incredibly fucked-up to me, but fine to anyone else, I think.

maybe I should ring you all up

Is there any way you can listen to a preview? A bit like you get those funky computer displays which show what you'd look like pre nose job surgery...

Depends on how much it bothers you cappy.

If it bothers you a LOT, then why not?

now it was a nose job there'd be no question

I have a quite spectacular hooter

The other thing to research is the success rates of the surgery (particularly of the surgeon in question) and what the possible complications and likelihood of complications might be.

I'd got used to it Mama, but grudgingly

but it is like someone coming and going "Well we could do something about that thing that you always didn't like but just got along with"

it is seductive

If it is making you miserable and you can change it, then I say change it.

do you sound like you have a peg on your nose?

I wouldn't have an op, no

i would.

Then do it. If its bothered you for years, even though you're used to it, it can be changed now! I'm fat, I'm used to it but I'm trying to do something about it - not quite the same but YKWIM

I am not miserable no

but it is a bit like someone offering you a free facelift or tummy tuck or something

your voice affects how you feel people see you in the same way that any physical defect does