I had a cold last week. I thought I was over most of it yesterday (Friday). My voice got raspier all day, and today, it’s two octaves lower, and I cannot go out of a very narrow range without squeaking, harshing, or making no sound at all.
Anyone remember the Simpson’s episode where Milhouse’s parents divorce? Concentrate hard and think of the scene in Moe’s where Kirk Van Houten introduces his new floozy to Homer: “This is Starla; she’s gonna help me launch my singin’ career!” Starla drains her drink with her cigarette still in her mouth (sounding familiar?); the cigarette gets buried in the ice and fizzles out. Now tune in the audio part of your AV memory and listen to her say, “Can I have the keys to the car, lover? I feel like changin’ wigs!”
Got that fresh in your mind? Good. That is what I sound like. For real. Mr. Rilch said I sounded like someone on COPS, and I came out with that line. He howled, and I did the same thing for some other people later.
So my voice is wrecked, and my job requires me to talk on the phone. All day. And I already took two days off. And how can I look for another if I lose this one?
Maybe it’s the phone job that caused this, in a way. I noticed my voice getting kind of thick earlier, before I got the cold, and maybe my vocal cords weren’t able to recover as they otherwise might.
In a way, it’s kind of interesting. If not for the tendency for my words to kind of snarl up, like an old reel-to-reel cassette*, it’s like wearing a wig: a different persona. I think I could ease into it, act like it’s my real voice and just be this person until it goes away, but…
What if it never gets better? I’ve been taking cough syrup, to no discernable effect. I’ve also switched from pop to tea with honey. But what if this is permanent?
I work in a Call Center, and when I’m sick I’ll apologize to the caller if I’m going to be speaking to them for a while. Most people are very nice about it.
Yes, there is a nasty virus going around that takes your voice away for several days. I know two people who got it. Get some pencil & paper & live like a deaf person who can’t talk for a few days
I’ve not seen the episode of which you speak, but I can assure you, I think I know what you mean.
I have had this creeping crud (sinus infection + bronchitis + cough) on and off for about two months. [Get it, get rid of it, get it again, get rid, etc.] I normally have a deep voice, but I’ve been sounding like Barry White. Even my own boss hasn’t recognized me a few times.
And yes, 90% of my day is spent on the phones. And 7 sick days in 2 months is an awful lot.
So yup, I hear you (but barely, with this damned sinus infection, I can’t hear a thing).
I had the voice-loss thing twice last month. Eventually, it came down to the only thing that would make it go away was when I was silent for two days straight.
Of course, I almost forgot how to speak, but it was worth it.
Thank you all for the sympathy. It’s getting better by degrees. I worked a full day today, so at least I don’t have to worrry about my job. I still don’t like the way I sound, but as long as my employers don’t mind, I’m good!
I’m just coming down with something like that. I sound eerily like Harvey Fierstein. I’m just glad I got it now, because I just finished recording with my band, I finished my vocals on Saturday, and woke up all hoarse on Sunday. Good timing.
Well, that’s probably why you sound like that! Just as I have no doubt that my phone work is the reason my vocal cords didn’t recover from this cold when the rest of me did!
Tea with honey. And cough syrup. Much as I hate taking cough syrup, I tell myself I’d rather gag for one minute every four hours than harrumph every four minutes for a hundred hours.
Hey girl, I hope you’re feeling better. If not, well, you could always be the next Barry White. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, I always say. Well that’s what I say to other people anyway. When bad stuff happens to me, I whine like a two year old. To hell with that Pollyanna crap!
