Back in December, I had a small hemorrhage on my left vocal fold.
Since then I have been back to singing, but things have not been really been
the same: My range is somewhat diminished and I tire easily.
My cantorial duties require that I sing for about 2.5 hours once a week.
It is not 2.5 hours of non stop singing, but it is quite a workout. I sing
very simple chant however, which covers about an octave (E to E about middle
C on the piano). I am a tenor.
Singing has always been difficult for me, but since the bleeding in
December, my voice gets rather tired when the 2.5 hours are over. The voice
remains thick and heavy for days, sometimes as long as 2 weeks.
I just returned from the ENT. He said that my vocal problems are really
caused by thick mucous and phlegm. I am going to do a 24hour PH test to see
if the mucous and phlegm are caused by reflux (which I doubt) or by faulty
technique (my vote) or both.
My main question, though, involves the vocal chord itself. The hemorrhage
is much improved. There is still a small dilated blood vessel towards the
back underside of the chord. The doctor said that this could be permanent.
When I asked if this would affect my singing, he said it COULD affect it,
particularly of the vessel swells due to excess pressure.
He said that the vessel is located in a place that is not an area of much
vibration. I will post a picture of the scope this evening.
I would like to know if anyone has singing experience with a "permenant"
dilated vessel. If I should learn to sing with absolutely no pressure,
would I be able to sing on these chords, throughout my range? I used to be
able to vocalize up to the "high C" (just a few months ago), and I used to
regularly sing in performance a G (the G below the "high C"). I can do
neither now. I cannot sing above the E without really forcing.
I have been working on techniqe for 18 years ( I am 37 years old), but I
never quite "got it" and my technique is poor. I have been working with a
new teacher who is helping me quite a bit.
How much will this "permenant" injury affect me?
Thank you all, as always, for your helpful comments.
---------
-brian s
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