Hello List,
I haven't been too active on the list of late due to the usual flurry of
activity that is my life, but am facing a situation that I am very worried
about. In January my 18 year old daughter competed in our state "JUNIOR
MISS" scholarship program (you can't call it a pageant anymore.........).
She was there for 10 days, and about midway through the week she became
ill-fever, sore throat, hoarseness, etc. They took her to an ENT doc who put
her on an antibiotic, tamiflu, and gave her a steroid inhaler (asthmacort)
and told her to use it 8 times a day and not to sing until the day she was to
perform her talent. This was a Wednesday, she was to sing on Saturday. I
was not allowed to talk to her during this time but her host mother did call
me and tell me what was going on. I called my local ENT because I was afraid
that the inhaler was a little much, but he agreed that it was the right thing
to do. He also called her in a medrol dosepak. She was much better the next
day, and by the time I saw her, on Friday, she felt better but sounded
"Breathy" when she spoke. Her performance was a nightmare. She literally
had no voice. She sounded hoarse and bone dry. Needless to say she didn't
win anything............As soon as we got her home I took her to a doc in a
nearby town who works a lot with singers, and he felt like the inhaler just
really dried her out. He put her on modified voice rest for 10 days and said
that she would be fine but to come back in 2 weeks if she was not. It has
been 2 weeks today and she just called me crying from a chorale rehearsal,
she says she can't sing at all. She does have a sore throat, but she has
been sore ever since she used the inhaler. She is sore all the way down into
her chest. There is a lot of crud going around here, and she may just be
sick, but we are afraid that the inhaler may have permanently damaged her
vocal cords. Anybody have any words of wisdom? Should I take her to
Nashville to the Vanderbilt Voice Center or is this something that will go
away?
I am furious because I really questioned using an inhaler 8 times a day for 3
days!!! I have used them before, in an emergency and only once or twice a
day for a day or 2.
Please help!
Leslie Christopher
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