Day Seven

Wow, a week already...tomorrow I will be able to have hard foods again. I think I will try and find a place that sells streaky bacon. In the UK, they serve a different type of bacon than the US. It's funny how you miss the little things.

I am continuing to try the humming, but every time I get into my regular vocal range or higher it's extremely painful. I have been allowed a few words a day (about 5-6) in order to start exercising the vocal cords.

One of my friends said that she thought about being silent for a day or so to see how it felt, but then she said she couldn't think of a convenient time. Then she said she supposed that was the point, that there was no convenient time. This is the most frustrating part; I had to cancel my dance classes and am unable to do much of anything but my proposal and dissertation since I do not need my voice for either, but most employable skills involve the use of your voice. Therefore I have been fortunate to have received some donations and was able to pay a couple weeks' rent at least, so I thank those who have donated; they have been lifesavers.

I saw Robin Hood last night; it was good, an interesting take on the story prior to the Robin Hood we are all familiar with. The lutes featured quite prominently so I am proud and happy for my friend and his father. They also manufactured the gut strings used in the film Walk the Line. It is nice to see people you love succeed in such a spectacular fashion.

The generalized pain seems to be less today, but the headache is still there. I find that sunlight hurts my eyes a great deal, which is a feeling I am not accustomed to. I'm not sure if that has to do with the surgery or the painkillers. I was very exhausted after my friend took me to see Robin Hood, though, so I think I am still healing. I only hope that my voice will return after the weeks have passed.

After my three weeks of silence, I will have three more of combined talking and writing on a pad. So it is a six week recovery time, and I am told that even after that it will take a while for my voice to be whatever it will end up being for the rest of my life. I can say that I have learned a great deal about the value of hand pantomime and skywriting (writing in the air with your fingertip to spell out letters) during this time, and how to distill a thought from the several you are thinking about so you only need to say one thing.

A friend of mine wondered, after this, if I would go back to how I used to communicate or would decide I enjoyed being quiet. Only time will tell.