I'm sure this has been dealt with before on Vocalist, so you may find it easier to point me to a URL.
I finally got to go back to ENT in Cambridge (UK) three and a half months after they had got me to do a barium swallow to test for reflux. I had assumed there was nothing to show as I had heard nothing. However, the doctor told me that although there was not a lot of reflux in evidence at the time, they did find I had a hiatus hernia.
I also got to see my cords on the little monitor, which was a new experience, and was told there was still a fair amount of oedema, but no damage (lesions, nodes, etc). He said I had probably had the hiatus hernia for a long time and that it was probably causing what he termed "silent reflux" (symptomless) and put me on Zoton (lansoprazole) until further notice (next appointment is in three months)
I told him the history of my vocal problem, which in a nutshell was the gradual disappearance, over twelve or thirteen years, of the head voice, and that I hadn't done anything about it for years because I had put it down to a combination of my technique (but that was _good_ till this started) and the fact that I was steadily piling on weight and getting more and more unfit.
He said he wasn't going to make any promises (wise man!) like "Yes, Cinderella, you _shall_ be a soprano again", but did say that if we were lucky, in a few months there should be some improvement in the head voice. At the moment, if I try to produce _pure_ head voice, aiming for a specific pitch but using only head voice production they way I can still remember it, nothing at all comes out. From C an octave above middle for about a major third I can get good strong tone but only loud. And as I'm trying to teach a young kids' choir, I find myself having to keep apologising. I can probably manage a good ringing F but once a week is all I'm prepared to try :)
I immediately went to the library and looked up the condition and the drug. I read that lansoprazole "can completely remove all acid from the stomach for a full 24 hours". What I'm curious about is, how do I digest my food if that is happening? I've only been on it for a day.
My other question is, does hiatus hernia affect the breath management? Mine, once very good, is now _terrible_ (ok, all things are relative, my young pupils are still impressed) in spite of my doing what I know are all the "right" things. I worked out that in 18 years I have put on 5 stone (that's 70 pounds, we still count in base 14 over here!) but over the past 5 months I have shed nearly 3 stone and feel a _lot_ better for it!
So: what can any of you tell me that will inform and encourage me? I feel fairly buoyant at the moment, isn't it odd how you can come out of a hospital and think "this is good news, because he didn't just tell me I was fine"?
cheers
Linda
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