Hey Everyone,
It's been exactly two weeks since having surgery, and my voice is well on it's way to recovery. Here's a recording: https://soundcloud.com/beccarosenthal/two-weeks-after-surgery.
Last week, I was able to talk for about five minutes an hour, which interestingly, is way harder than being a total mute. Going cold turkey on vocal use is way easier than trying to use my voice in a very minimal fashion. Think about it in terms of food, going from one of those crazy vegan only juice cleanses to weight watchers. I only drank fruit juice for a week--now I have access to an entire chocolate cake--but my voice could only handle a tiny crumb an hour.
I'm now up to 10-15 minutes of vocal use an hour. Because my vocal cords are still stiff from surgery, this week is about continuing to find the balance between using my voice (move my vocal cords) enough to help them loosen up and not too much swell and stiffen.
In my diet analogy, it means I can have a small slice of cake every hour, and since I can go to the gym again, I'm all for it!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
I Have A Voice!
Hey Everyone!
I am excited to tell you all that as of today (June 4), I am allowed to speak again. It sounds like death, but don't let me tell you - check it out for yourself.
https://soundcloud.com/beccarosenthal/my-voice-june-4-2013*
Here's why it sounds so bad: it's been a week since my vocal cords have moved, and just as any other muscle would be, they are quite stiff. Consequently, starting slowly, my goal for the next week or two is to loosen up my vocal cords, primarily by singing sustained ooooos, eeeeeeees, and mmmmms on the few notes at which my vocal cords vibrate properly. Because my voice hasn't been used in a week (not to mention my vocal cords were chopped up in a surgery a week ago), it gets tired very quickly, so I can't do this for more than 5ish minutes an hour.
I still can't do phone calls or talk over anything that makes pretty much any noise (noise pollution is a very real thing), but I can make short little recordings of me rambling, so I guess I'm making progress.
Til next time,
Becca
*I have a way funnier recording of my voice too, and if you text me, I'll send it to you.
I am excited to tell you all that as of today (June 4), I am allowed to speak again. It sounds like death, but don't let me tell you - check it out for yourself.
https://soundcloud.com/beccarosenthal/my-voice-june-4-2013*
Here's why it sounds so bad: it's been a week since my vocal cords have moved, and just as any other muscle would be, they are quite stiff. Consequently, starting slowly, my goal for the next week or two is to loosen up my vocal cords, primarily by singing sustained ooooos, eeeeeeees, and mmmmms on the few notes at which my vocal cords vibrate properly. Because my voice hasn't been used in a week (not to mention my vocal cords were chopped up in a surgery a week ago), it gets tired very quickly, so I can't do this for more than 5ish minutes an hour.
I still can't do phone calls or talk over anything that makes pretty much any noise (noise pollution is a very real thing), but I can make short little recordings of me rambling, so I guess I'm making progress.
Til next time,
Becca
*I have a way funnier recording of my voice too, and if you text me, I'll send it to you.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Things That Hurt A Mute's Ego
Hey Everyone,
I want to shed some light on the hardest part of this journey: my severely bruised ego. For those of you who know me, my ego can get pretty big, and I agree that it needs to be put in check. But this process is cruel.
1) Every time the phone rings, I want to cry.
I don't have to explain why this is depressing. You should know.
2) I can't breathe hard, so I can't work out.
A few weeks ago, I was in Vallejo, trying out for the Collegiate All American Rugby Team. Now, I can't walk for more than 15 minutes on a treadmill at 2.0 without my throat being aggravated. This should change in a few weeks, but in the meantime, I'm going crazy.
3) Typing/handwriting do not accommodate the speed of conversation.
I've given up on communicating complex ideas. it is too complicated, and typing or writing pronouns takes too long. Whatever I write will not be interpreted correctly, so I may as well not write it.
Luckily, today is my last full day of being a mute, and starting tomorrow, I get to speak for roughly 5 minutes per hour. This will be more difficult than this week, seeing as going cold turkey is easier than moderation. Progress is progress, though, and I have to try to stay positive.
Thanks for the support, and anything you got that can help unbruise my very bruised ego would be awesome (desserts delivered to my house always work).
Becca
I want to shed some light on the hardest part of this journey: my severely bruised ego. For those of you who know me, my ego can get pretty big, and I agree that it needs to be put in check. But this process is cruel.
1) Every time the phone rings, I want to cry.
I don't have to explain why this is depressing. You should know.
2) I can't breathe hard, so I can't work out.
A few weeks ago, I was in Vallejo, trying out for the Collegiate All American Rugby Team. Now, I can't walk for more than 15 minutes on a treadmill at 2.0 without my throat being aggravated. This should change in a few weeks, but in the meantime, I'm going crazy.
3) Typing/handwriting do not accommodate the speed of conversation.
I've given up on communicating complex ideas. it is too complicated, and typing or writing pronouns takes too long. Whatever I write will not be interpreted correctly, so I may as well not write it.
Luckily, today is my last full day of being a mute, and starting tomorrow, I get to speak for roughly 5 minutes per hour. This will be more difficult than this week, seeing as going cold turkey is easier than moderation. Progress is progress, though, and I have to try to stay positive.
Thanks for the support, and anything you got that can help unbruise my very bruised ego would be awesome (desserts delivered to my house always work).
Becca
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Life as a Mute
Hey Everyone,
In case you weren't sure, let me reveal a shocking revelation: being a mute sucks.
Just as with anything new, the initial stage of getting used to major adjustments is always the hardest. My family and I are constantly trying to find ways to involve me in conversation, allow me to share my ideas in conversation, and minimize the logistical awkwardness that conversations with a mute require.
Some things we've tried, and how they are super awkward
1) I text, you talk
This doesn't work very well. Firstly, the person talking to me instinctively tries to text back the answer. This leads to a very shallow (and slow) conversation. Second, I'm a very slow texter, and somehow, whenever I'm in a rush to get a message across, my phone has a different idea. Furthermore, my mother (bless her heart), is SO BAD at remembering to bring her phone anywhere, and unlike kids of my generation, she doesn't have a sixth sense about when her phone is ringing. This means she'll pick up her phone and see three very unrelated points from me, all of which made sense in context, none of which make sense now. Pronouns are annoying to type every single time.
In groups, this also means phones are passed around, causing a scene that looks like passing notes in middle school. The comment is generally intended to be a comment for everyone to hear, but for some strange reason, no one reads the message out loud. Instead, each person asks for permission to see the phone, then sees it and reacts separately.
The worst part of this mode of conversation is that EVERYTHING I SAY IS ON THE RECORD. For those of you know me well, you know how problematic this is for me. My sense of humor is crude I make snarky comments all the time, and I say things that are beyond politically incorrect way more often than any person should. Not anymore.
2) I write things down on sheets of paper, you talk
This also doesn't work. First, my handwriting is terrible. Second, handwriting is slow (although, interestingly, faster than texting). Third, by the time I've written down my "full" point, the conversation has moved on. I can't communicate nuance, can't stress different words to make a point, and worst of all, I simply don't want to write out full paragraphs all the time.
When people try to read my message out loud, generally, they misrepresent what I'm trying to say anyways, and then I get even more frustrated that I can't communicate what I want to say.
3) I acknowledge that I will not be able to participate in conversation, so I sit and listen
To most people, this is normal. For me, though, it's super annoying, especially when listening to my parents and their friends have conversations about my generation and the ways in which we view the world. It is INFURIATING to listen to them incorrectly talk about what we use facebook for, how we look at current events, what we want, etc. Political conversations get even worse, when comments are made that require a response from someone that did not grow up in the 1960s. I can't make those in time.
If people want to know why I often prefer to remove myself from conversations than stay and listen to them, this is often why. I am working on this.
Ways to Make a Mute Really Uncomfortable
This section is mean, because everyone I interact with is trying really hard to make this difficult situation less sucky. Each person has great intentions, sincerely cares about me, and has no interest in making me feel uncomfortable. Having said that, I'm going to rip on them anyways.
1) "Hey, I know you can't talk so don't answer, but...?"
In case you weren't sure, let me reveal a shocking revelation: being a mute sucks.
Just as with anything new, the initial stage of getting used to major adjustments is always the hardest. My family and I are constantly trying to find ways to involve me in conversation, allow me to share my ideas in conversation, and minimize the logistical awkwardness that conversations with a mute require.
Some things we've tried, and how they are super awkward
1) I text, you talk
This doesn't work very well. Firstly, the person talking to me instinctively tries to text back the answer. This leads to a very shallow (and slow) conversation. Second, I'm a very slow texter, and somehow, whenever I'm in a rush to get a message across, my phone has a different idea. Furthermore, my mother (bless her heart), is SO BAD at remembering to bring her phone anywhere, and unlike kids of my generation, she doesn't have a sixth sense about when her phone is ringing. This means she'll pick up her phone and see three very unrelated points from me, all of which made sense in context, none of which make sense now. Pronouns are annoying to type every single time.
In groups, this also means phones are passed around, causing a scene that looks like passing notes in middle school. The comment is generally intended to be a comment for everyone to hear, but for some strange reason, no one reads the message out loud. Instead, each person asks for permission to see the phone, then sees it and reacts separately.
The worst part of this mode of conversation is that EVERYTHING I SAY IS ON THE RECORD. For those of you know me well, you know how problematic this is for me. My sense of humor is crude I make snarky comments all the time, and I say things that are beyond politically incorrect way more often than any person should. Not anymore.
2) I write things down on sheets of paper, you talk
This also doesn't work. First, my handwriting is terrible. Second, handwriting is slow (although, interestingly, faster than texting). Third, by the time I've written down my "full" point, the conversation has moved on. I can't communicate nuance, can't stress different words to make a point, and worst of all, I simply don't want to write out full paragraphs all the time.
When people try to read my message out loud, generally, they misrepresent what I'm trying to say anyways, and then I get even more frustrated that I can't communicate what I want to say.
3) I acknowledge that I will not be able to participate in conversation, so I sit and listen
To most people, this is normal. For me, though, it's super annoying, especially when listening to my parents and their friends have conversations about my generation and the ways in which we view the world. It is INFURIATING to listen to them incorrectly talk about what we use facebook for, how we look at current events, what we want, etc. Political conversations get even worse, when comments are made that require a response from someone that did not grow up in the 1960s. I can't make those in time.
If people want to know why I often prefer to remove myself from conversations than stay and listen to them, this is often why. I am working on this.
Ways to Make a Mute Really Uncomfortable
This section is mean, because everyone I interact with is trying really hard to make this difficult situation less sucky. Each person has great intentions, sincerely cares about me, and has no interest in making me feel uncomfortable. Having said that, I'm going to rip on them anyways.
1) "Hey, I know you can't talk so don't answer, but...?"
- Always make sure the question is not a yes or no question
- Always make sure that the topic of the question requires miming so bizarre that it will have to be repeated
- Stress that you know I can't talk to you. The more times you mention I'm a mute, the better this tactic works
2) When I hand you a note written on a piece of paper, ask for a pen so you can write back your answer
- Even though it is instinct to respond to a note with a note, you can still talk. DO IT.
- You'd be SHOCKED at how often this happens
3) Every time you use an expression that uses the words "hear," "scream,""talk,"or other speech related verbs to refer to communication, apologize for making me feel uncomfortable.
- This situation is already uncomfortable enough that pointing out the awkwardness really doesn't help
- I know what you mean
- I CAN SCREAM TOO...or not
Life Could Be Way Worse
Being a mute, I am constantly reminded of how much worse life could be. I can't yet go to the gym and run my problems away (breathing hard still aggravates my vocal cords), but I can walk. I have so many forums through which to communicate with people, so I am not stuck as a total hermit. I have a family that loves me and supports me. During this difficult time, I have the luxury of not needing to work--I have the luxury of recovering. I have amazing communities, Jewish and not, pulling for me, keeping me in their thoughts, and praying for a speedy recovery (Shoutouts to Temples Beth Abraham and Beth Israel, and CMC).
Most importantly, I can still eat. So long as I can eat, I'm totally fine.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Readers in Qatar?
Hey Everyone,
It is day three after surgery, and I am feeling good. This may be the most anti-climactic recovery ever. Seriously--within a day I felt fine, and that trend has continued. To all of you that have read this blog and sent me kind words of support thank you.
Here are some stats I'm learning about my readership:
1) People all over the world are reading this. Seriously. People in Qatar, South Korea, the Netherlands and Argentina are reading about this journey. It's kind of cool, but I'm also curious who you are. If you are in an exotic place, let me know who you are and where you're reading from.
2) Most people are reading this blog on either a mac or an iPhone. I guess I'm not surprised by this information--I'm more surprised that this info exists. Furthermore, someone reading this blog still has a Blackberry. WHY?
3) I haven't talked to many of you in years, and receiving messages/emails/texts feels really great. It is a nice reminder of what it means to be in community with people. Seriously, if you're reading, reach out and say hi. I'd love to know who is reading.
4) If there are particular questions you want me to answer about recovery/vocal cords/this whole process in this blog, just let me know. I'm going to run out of ideas really quickly. I already am.
On a closing note, it is only day three, and I'm already realizing how long this summer is actually going to be. PLEASE send me suggestions for movies to watch, TV shows to get into, or other random things to waste my time with. I have three months to kill, and I know between the nearly 500 people that have read this blog in the last two days, some crazy suggestions will exist.
Thanks for all the support, and here's another song for you. It's called The Plan:
https://soundcloud.com/beccarosenthal/the-plan
It is day three after surgery, and I am feeling good. This may be the most anti-climactic recovery ever. Seriously--within a day I felt fine, and that trend has continued. To all of you that have read this blog and sent me kind words of support thank you.
Here are some stats I'm learning about my readership:
1) People all over the world are reading this. Seriously. People in Qatar, South Korea, the Netherlands and Argentina are reading about this journey. It's kind of cool, but I'm also curious who you are. If you are in an exotic place, let me know who you are and where you're reading from.
2) Most people are reading this blog on either a mac or an iPhone. I guess I'm not surprised by this information--I'm more surprised that this info exists. Furthermore, someone reading this blog still has a Blackberry. WHY?
3) I haven't talked to many of you in years, and receiving messages/emails/texts feels really great. It is a nice reminder of what it means to be in community with people. Seriously, if you're reading, reach out and say hi. I'd love to know who is reading.
4) If there are particular questions you want me to answer about recovery/vocal cords/this whole process in this blog, just let me know. I'm going to run out of ideas really quickly. I already am.
On a closing note, it is only day three, and I'm already realizing how long this summer is actually going to be. PLEASE send me suggestions for movies to watch, TV shows to get into, or other random things to waste my time with. I have three months to kill, and I know between the nearly 500 people that have read this blog in the last two days, some crazy suggestions will exist.
Thanks for all the support, and here's another song for you. It's called The Plan:
https://soundcloud.com/beccarosenthal/the-plan
Thursday, May 30, 2013
My Voice Over The Years: Why I Had Surgery
Hey Everyone,
Before I get into the meat of this post, I just want to give a brief update on how I'm feeling the day after surgery: I feel great. My throat is a tiny bit sore, but not bad at all. Plus, the amount of love and support I am getting from everyone is making this whole process easier. Thanks for your support, thoughts, and prayers. It means a lot to me. Seriously. Thanks.
And if you still want to send me emails, texts, fb messages, etc, I won't complain.
Onto the bulk of this post:
Why did I have surgery?
I figured the best way to do this was to show (not tell), how my voice has changed over the years to help give you an idea. Each of the links goes to a mashup I made from various songs written during the time period provided. They are all between 2-3 minutes and you can jump through them. If you want to hear the whole song, just let me know. I'll happily send it to you.
Here is my voice in High School:
This is a mashup of a few songs off my first CD that was written during my Senior year of high school. My voice isn't raspy, I can belt, and my vocal stamina at this point was incredible. People who met me in college, I promise, this is me.
Here's my voice in Israel (Yes, even the least musical person in the world can hear a difference)
In Israel, I lost my voice. While at camp or on retreats, I always lost my voice, it would come back within a few days. The same did not happen in Israel. I recorded a CD while I was there, and my voice had changed a tremendous amount. You can hear that it got lower, more raspy, and that it sounds like I'm working much harder to get sounds out. All of those things are true. I just didn't realize what that meant.
My Voice Freshman Year of College (As Bad as it Got)
When I got to college, I sort of assumed that my voice would get better, just like it did in High school. To say the least, it didn't. Here are some highlights (really lowlights) of what my voice sounded like at that point, before I went and saw the incredible team at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing center and got diagnosed with cysts.
This song is vocal rock bottom as far as my voice goes. It is written in memory of Ricky Normington
Lyrically, this one's fun, but vocally, it's not much better
Here are some other songs from Freshman Year. They're better, but not very much.
My Voice As it Started Getting Better
Last summer, I was diagnosed with Bilateral Vocal cysts . Here's what that means. I went to the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center (which exists) and started working with an INCREDIBLE speech pathologist named Soha Al Jurf. She helped teach me how to properly utilize my breath, redirect the vibrations in my vocal tract, and reshape my relationship with my voice. A few weeks after working with her, this is what my voice could do:
As I kept working on what she taught me, my voice could do even more, and I felt myself writing music that sounded and felt like me again. I'm going to post a few songs that I am particularly proud of because I'm sick of making mashups. Flip through stuff if you're interested. If you're not, I won't take any of this personally.
My voice a month before surgery
Neither of these songs are really done, but they show how far my voice has come. The reason I am getting surgery is so that I can continue to sing like these songs show I can, but with increased vocal stamina.
To Wrap Up
If you read this far and actually listened to these songs, give yourself a pat on the back. This was a long post, and it took me a ton of time to do. I hope you all appreciated it.
Thanks again for your support, and be in touch,
Becca
Before I get into the meat of this post, I just want to give a brief update on how I'm feeling the day after surgery: I feel great. My throat is a tiny bit sore, but not bad at all. Plus, the amount of love and support I am getting from everyone is making this whole process easier. Thanks for your support, thoughts, and prayers. It means a lot to me. Seriously. Thanks.
And if you still want to send me emails, texts, fb messages, etc, I won't complain.
Onto the bulk of this post:
Why did I have surgery?
I figured the best way to do this was to show (not tell), how my voice has changed over the years to help give you an idea. Each of the links goes to a mashup I made from various songs written during the time period provided. They are all between 2-3 minutes and you can jump through them. If you want to hear the whole song, just let me know. I'll happily send it to you.
Here is my voice in High School:
This is a mashup of a few songs off my first CD that was written during my Senior year of high school. My voice isn't raspy, I can belt, and my vocal stamina at this point was incredible. People who met me in college, I promise, this is me.
Here's my voice in Israel (Yes, even the least musical person in the world can hear a difference)
In Israel, I lost my voice. While at camp or on retreats, I always lost my voice, it would come back within a few days. The same did not happen in Israel. I recorded a CD while I was there, and my voice had changed a tremendous amount. You can hear that it got lower, more raspy, and that it sounds like I'm working much harder to get sounds out. All of those things are true. I just didn't realize what that meant.
My Voice Freshman Year of College (As Bad as it Got)
When I got to college, I sort of assumed that my voice would get better, just like it did in High school. To say the least, it didn't. Here are some highlights (really lowlights) of what my voice sounded like at that point, before I went and saw the incredible team at the UCSF Voice and Swallowing center and got diagnosed with cysts.
This song is vocal rock bottom as far as my voice goes. It is written in memory of Ricky Normington
Lyrically, this one's fun, but vocally, it's not much better
Here are some other songs from Freshman Year. They're better, but not very much.
My Voice As it Started Getting Better
Last summer, I was diagnosed with Bilateral Vocal cysts . Here's what that means. I went to the UCSF Voice and Swallowing Center (which exists) and started working with an INCREDIBLE speech pathologist named Soha Al Jurf. She helped teach me how to properly utilize my breath, redirect the vibrations in my vocal tract, and reshape my relationship with my voice. A few weeks after working with her, this is what my voice could do:
As I kept working on what she taught me, my voice could do even more, and I felt myself writing music that sounded and felt like me again. I'm going to post a few songs that I am particularly proud of because I'm sick of making mashups. Flip through stuff if you're interested. If you're not, I won't take any of this personally.
My voice a month before surgery
Neither of these songs are really done, but they show how far my voice has come. The reason I am getting surgery is so that I can continue to sing like these songs show I can, but with increased vocal stamina.
To Wrap Up
If you read this far and actually listened to these songs, give yourself a pat on the back. This was a long post, and it took me a ton of time to do. I hope you all appreciated it.
Thanks again for your support, and be in touch,
Becca
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Surgery is Done
Hi Everyone,
I had surgery this morning, and my doctor (the wonderful Dr. Courey), removed cysts from both of my vocal cords. Going in, he wasn't sure if he would be able to get them both, but he did, and I'm thrilled. It went really well.
Here's what my recovery is going to look like:
This week: I'm a total mute
Next Week: I can talk about 5 minutes per hour, including vocal exercises
The Week After: I can talk 10 minutes per hour
And after: 15 minutes
Then: 20 minutes
All the way up to 40 minutes per hour (which no one should be talking that much anyways).
It is at 2 months, when that happens, patients normally go back to school and work, still being VERY cautious about their voice when that happens. For me, though, at 2 months, I'm going to be getting in the final preparations for next year, where I'm spending the fall semester abroad in Jordan, and the spring semester abroad in Israel. I picked this time for the surgery to give me maximal time at home.
If I talk more than that, my vocal cords have the potential to scar over, meaning the whole surgery will be basically undone. I don't want to do that. Skyping, using the phone, and any of those platforms require me to speak more loudly than I'm going to want to given the sensitivity of my vocal cords, so don't take it personally when I refuse to do that.
I expect to be able to sing again at the end of this recovery process. Based on how my voice was doing pre-surgery, this is a likely outcome so long as I take care of myself. My voice sounded better in the weeks before surgery than it ever had in my life. I kid you not. I sounded freaking awesome.
HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME
https://soundcloud.com/beccarosenthal/heard - THIS IS WHAT MY VOICE HAS SOUNDED LIKE RECENTLY. This song explains how I plan on communicating in the next months. Listen to it, and be surprised at what my voice sounds like now. It has changed a tremendous amount in the last few years.
I won't talk, but that doesn't mean that you should be discouraged from getting in touch with me. I can type on skype while you talk (it's weird at first, but then it's totally fine), I can text, fb chat, gchat, respond to emails (beccarosenthal@gmail.com), or write on a pad of paper while you sit next to me (if you want to brave my handwriting).
Don't hesitate to reach out.
Though I do have some work things happening, I will largely be spending my summer on my butt watching netflix with Emma, my sister. If you have any suggestions for good movies, TV series' (Game of Thrones is already on the list everyone, calm down), or random things to watch, send them my way.
JEWS - Put me in your Mi Sh'berach Prayers Please
If you want to say a refuah shlema for me, my Hebrew name is Rivka bat David v'Leah.
Non Jews, you can (and should) keep me in your prayers too. The sentiments are no different--you just don't generally ask me for my Hebrew name.
What this Blog Will Have
I'm going to use this blog as a forum to keep people in the loop of how recovery is going, what exactly has been going on with my voice, and what kind of trajectory I'm on. In the next post, I plan on posting a recording of my voice over the years with bits of different songs I've written that show the changes. I don't know how much I'll actually use it or if I'll post a few things and then give up with I get into Game of Thrones (I hear that happens to people), but I'll give it a shot.
In the mean time, though, thanks to everyone for their love and support, and feel free to ask questions, say hello, and check up on me. Talk to you soon,
Becca
I had surgery this morning, and my doctor (the wonderful Dr. Courey), removed cysts from both of my vocal cords. Going in, he wasn't sure if he would be able to get them both, but he did, and I'm thrilled. It went really well.
Here's what my recovery is going to look like:
This week: I'm a total mute
Next Week: I can talk about 5 minutes per hour, including vocal exercises
The Week After: I can talk 10 minutes per hour
And after: 15 minutes
Then: 20 minutes
All the way up to 40 minutes per hour (which no one should be talking that much anyways).
It is at 2 months, when that happens, patients normally go back to school and work, still being VERY cautious about their voice when that happens. For me, though, at 2 months, I'm going to be getting in the final preparations for next year, where I'm spending the fall semester abroad in Jordan, and the spring semester abroad in Israel. I picked this time for the surgery to give me maximal time at home.
If I talk more than that, my vocal cords have the potential to scar over, meaning the whole surgery will be basically undone. I don't want to do that. Skyping, using the phone, and any of those platforms require me to speak more loudly than I'm going to want to given the sensitivity of my vocal cords, so don't take it personally when I refuse to do that.
I expect to be able to sing again at the end of this recovery process. Based on how my voice was doing pre-surgery, this is a likely outcome so long as I take care of myself. My voice sounded better in the weeks before surgery than it ever had in my life. I kid you not. I sounded freaking awesome.
HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME
https://soundcloud.com/beccarosenthal/heard - THIS IS WHAT MY VOICE HAS SOUNDED LIKE RECENTLY. This song explains how I plan on communicating in the next months. Listen to it, and be surprised at what my voice sounds like now. It has changed a tremendous amount in the last few years.
I won't talk, but that doesn't mean that you should be discouraged from getting in touch with me. I can type on skype while you talk (it's weird at first, but then it's totally fine), I can text, fb chat, gchat, respond to emails (beccarosenthal@gmail.com), or write on a pad of paper while you sit next to me (if you want to brave my handwriting).
Don't hesitate to reach out.
Though I do have some work things happening, I will largely be spending my summer on my butt watching netflix with Emma, my sister. If you have any suggestions for good movies, TV series' (Game of Thrones is already on the list everyone, calm down), or random things to watch, send them my way.
JEWS - Put me in your Mi Sh'berach Prayers Please
If you want to say a refuah shlema for me, my Hebrew name is Rivka bat David v'Leah.
Non Jews, you can (and should) keep me in your prayers too. The sentiments are no different--you just don't generally ask me for my Hebrew name.
What this Blog Will Have
I'm going to use this blog as a forum to keep people in the loop of how recovery is going, what exactly has been going on with my voice, and what kind of trajectory I'm on. In the next post, I plan on posting a recording of my voice over the years with bits of different songs I've written that show the changes. I don't know how much I'll actually use it or if I'll post a few things and then give up with I get into Game of Thrones (I hear that happens to people), but I'll give it a shot.
In the mean time, though, thanks to everyone for their love and support, and feel free to ask questions, say hello, and check up on me. Talk to you soon,
Becca
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