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From:  Linda Fox <linda@f...>
Linda Fox <linda@f...>
Date:  Tue Sep 4, 2001  8:25 am
Subject:  hiatus hernia and the vanished head voice



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


  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
13916 Re: hiatus hernia and the vanished head voice Lloyd W. Hanson   Tue  9/4/2001   3 KB
13918 Re: hiatus hernia and the vanished head voice Greypins@a...   Tue  9/4/2001   2 KB
13924 Re: hiatus hernia and the vanished head voice John Messmer, M.D.   Tue  9/4/2001   3 KB
13930 Re: hiatus hernia and the vanished head voice Ian Belsey   Wed  9/5/2001   3 KB
13935 Re: hiatus hernia and the vanished head voice Linda Fox   Wed  9/5/2001   8 KB
13948 Re: hiatus hernia and the vanished head voice Jennifer   Wed  9/5/2001   2 KB

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