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Paralyzed vocal cord: Why see an audiologist?
My ENT was out for the day but nobody called to say he canceled the appointment. They gave me a new date of 3 months away. I have a paralyzed vocal cord and went through a barrage of tests
My right vocal cord is completely shut and no longer functioning. I have a hard time breathing and eating as breathing goes through your voice box. The recent day I was there he had cancelled again so when I got there they sent me to my audiologist. What the heck does that have to do with a closed vocal cord.
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Hi @andytheman, I moved your post to the ENT support group and am tagging fellow members like @imallears @hopeful33250 @jbell22 @ensign60 to weigh in.
How frustrating that your cancelled appointment has been scheduled 3 months away. Did you ask if you could be added to a wait or cancellation list?
Did you see the audiologist? What did they do?
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1 Reaction@andytheman
Run from that ENT practice as fast as you can. Not only is this unprofessional, uncaring behavior, it obviously shows that whoever the schedulers are do not know what to do and are only foisting you off.
An audiologist can do nothing for you. You need to see an Otolaryngologist . They are routinely in ENT offices and they specialize in vocal cord dysfunction. An audiologist would refer you to one...that's how that works.
Since you are having trouble breathing I would go asap to the nearest ER....Emphasize the problem breathing and then you can explain the situation to the ER doctor. They should refer you to a specialist as soon as possible if one is not on call. At least they can refer you to the proper provider and maybe intervene and get you an expedited appointment. Whatever you do, be insistent....(with a smile). Eventually get your records from wherever you had the tests done. When all has calmed down, I would write to the head of that practice, citing names and what occurred.
Stories like this make me so angry.
For reference, I routinely see Audiologists because of my profound loss. But several years ago, under a routine colonoscopy, I vomited under anesthesia. No there advised me what to do until I lost my voice and had my daughter call my ENT practice. They immediately scheduled an appointment with their Otolaryngologist who diagnosed vocal cord abrasion (after tests) I would up going to speech therapy for weeks and it was almost a year before I got my true voice back. This is an excellent example of what an ENT office should do.
Let us know how things work out.
FL Mary
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3 ReactionsHello @andytheman,
I'm really sorry to hear that you have had such difficulties with an appointment to deal with a paralyzed vocal cord. I have a little bit of understanding about this, as I also have a paralyzed vocal cord. As Mary, @imallears, said the correct specialist to see would be an Otolaryngologist. This is an ENT specialist who deals specifically with vocal cord disorders and is best able to diagnose and treat a paralyzed vocal cord.
Like Mary, I'm also confused as to why you were told to see an audiologist. Are you experiencing any hearing loss?
I would encourage you to look for an Otolaryngologist as soon as possible. If you are near a Mayo Clinic facility, this would be a good place to get a consultation. Here is a link where you can find appointment scheduling information, http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63.
If an appointment at Mayo is not possible for any reason, then search for another multi-disciplinary health care institution with a strong ENT department. In my situation, I traveled about 3 1/2 hours to consult with Cleveland Clinic and had my surgery there. In my case, the surgery involved putting an implant into the paralyzed cord so that it would close up with the non-paralyzed cord. This procedure vastly improved my speech, swallowing and breathing difficulties.
Is a consultation at another health care facility something you might consider?
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3 ReactionsHello @andytheman.
Both my vocal cords are paralyzed due to having radiation and/or Covid. You can look at my past comments for more detail. I agree with the comments already made...A good ENT will not include the money-making. useless (for vocal cord problems) Audiologist. My ENT is a University Doctor. There is no Audiologist. Please get this taken care of immediately. I barely made it to my tracheotomy surgery as my breathing was getting almost impossible. Having a tracheotomy is the best thing I have ever done in regard to staying alive! It is like wearing socks, comforting and no big deal to maintain. Best wishes to you.
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2 ReactionsI suggest going to the emergency room because it is impairing your breathing and then they can refer you to a Dr. that you may inquire about getting a faster appt. with. Ask for multiple Drs. they would refer you to.
Hello @andytheman
As it has been about a week since you posted about your paralyzed vocal cord and difficulty breathing, I just wanted to check in with you to see how you are doing. Were you able to get an appointment with an Otolaryngologist? How are you feeling now?
I look forward to hearing from you. Will you post again with an update?