Another Yeson thread - I'm booked for Feb 26

[megan2929]

For easier comparison:
Pre-op voice (my normal, everyday, trained voice), AND my old, original manly voice at about 1:21 (this is NOT the same video I posted earlier in this thread):


5 weeks post-op. Note that this isn't quite my chest voice. I could go lower, but I'm used to talking in my trained voice so this is sort of similar, although I don't feel like I'm squeezing as much as I used to. Basically this feels pretty natural to me:


I'm not entirely thrilled yet about the results but as I said in the video, I'm still being patient and hopeful that it will get better (higher, clearer, more natural sounding) in the next month.

[Boca.Lisa]

Hi Megan,

First of all, try to be patient. I think your voice sounds higher and while I agree its not an earth shattering change yet, the others have gotten higher post 2 months.

Perhaps some of it is your trained voice was good. Do you recall what thw hz level of your trained voice was?

I'm still in the "no talking" phase but please feel free to contact me if you feel you want a sounding  board or an unbiased opinion.

So sorry you're not happy yet. My fingers are crossed for you!

Lisa

[Expressgirl]

Hi Megan,

I definitely notice that your voice is higher in the 5 week video post op than your old trained voice. Maybe it is hard to notice when you hear your own voice. I think you just need to give it more time. You still sound a little hoarse like when you have a cold (which causes it to sound deeper). I think you should wait until the full 2 months to start judging. Even then you have to be patient. Dr. Kim drew me a graph/timeline and the slope (pitch) start to increase the drastically at 2 months. From what he explained to me it will continue to increase after 2 months. I understand how hard it is to be patient. When I tried to say a couple of words all that comes out is a croak, so I need to take my own advice and be patient. Ill try again in a week, by then it will be 4 weeks post op. But keep us updated on your progress.

[megan2929]

Perhaps some of it is your trained voice was good. Do you recall what thw hz level of your trained voice was?

Hi Lisa, I think my pre-op levels were 117 Hz (old voice), and 145 Hz (trained). Thanks, I know it's all about patience at this stage!

[abbyt89]

Hey Megan,

I had VFS with Dr. Kim back in August and I have to tell you it definitely 100% does get better.

You are only at 5 weeks and your voice already sounds great, much better than mine did when I was at 5 weeks. It took me around 6 months to see my final result, so please give it some time. Scar tissue does take a while to heal after all.

It's definitely okay to feel unhappy about it but please just try to remember that your voice is only going to get better from here.

As for the person that said that to you, that's terrible of them and I'm really sorry. I can't imagine how I would feel if someone said that to me.

Anyway good luck with the rest of your recovery and please let me know if you have any other questions!

Abby

[AmyBerlin]

Dear Megan,

I've listened to both videos and must say the change between the two videos is very evident. In the second video, despite the hoarseness and softness that's still there due to the healing process, the voice has a much lighter quality that is much more feminine than the old one. It is true, however, that the basic timbre hasn't changed a lot, which seemingly is the case with all of Dr. Kim's patients. Jenny also reported that the voice remains identifiable, with just the bottom end removed.

So don't let anybody scare you or tell you differently, the surgery was a success and you'll see the full benefit of it a few months down the road when the healing has progressed, the Botox worn off and the swelling fully gone down.

Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery,

Amy

[anjaq]

What I notice ist that the biggest change is not so much in the pitch, which I believe may have increased slightly, but in the quality. You have much less low resonances, it seems - in the old video you can basically constantly hear a low undertone to your speaking voice and that is gone in the new video. Also if you really can use that new voice without doing much in terms of changing the voice to sound as it does, it come snaturally, then that is a great benefit too if you did have to dothat befoer (did you?). My guess would be that the points where your voice gives out in the video may be where your new lower limit is, so there you may be hitting the bottom of your voice capabilities which is desired I guess. But that means that eventually a good voice would be higher than your present average speaking pitch so you can speak some semitones above that lower limit. As far as the progress in terms of natural untrained pitch at this point goes the others can say more I guess. In part I believe it may be a bit psychology as well - daring to just speak a little higher - now that it takes less effort to do so than before. Are you allowed to talk for that long after only a month already? I thought up to the two month timepoint you are supposed to only use the voice in a limited way, but I remember it was the first 4 weeks that were basically the no-speak zone.
Anyways - its way too early to judge for your friends if it was wasted money plus they do not know how it feels for you in terms of it being a lot easier maybe for you to speak with this voice now than it was before to get your trianed voice. Did that get a lot easier?

What you might want to capture on video is how it compares now to just speak without any control or using a trained voice and using that new trained voice - to see how much that effect has changed. Basically before you had that really deep "man voice" if using it untrained, now that is gone - so that difference would be part of the success. I gues sits too eraly now but after 2 months plus you could do what I think Sarah did and try to do your "man voice" now and find that it is definitely sounding like a woman trying to do a man voice

[barbie]

Megan,

Yes. I can definitely tell the difference of your voice between pre- and post-op. It is not a dramatic difference, but your voice has been feminized further, significantly. Your voice is not yet strong and fully recovered, but I wait for listening your fully-recovered voice. I guess your surgery was successful.

barbie~~

[Jennygirl]

Megan all these girls are right. Don't worry. You still probably have another octave up top to gain over the next couple of months

I really couldn't even speak in sentences until 7 or 8 weeks and even then it was very difficult. The recordings I made early on were with the mic about a foot away from my face, so I could talk quietly and not strain my voice to reach a certain volume.

Once you are able to start doing the vocal function exercises at 2 months, you will likely notice a huge difference from month 2 to 6. It takes quite a bit of time for your upper range to settle.

On top of everything, I would say without a doubt your voice passes. You sound like a cis female! It might sound like you have a cold, but that is understandable as your vocal cords are still trying to adjust to their new shape. At this point it would still probably benefit you to limit the amount that you talk every day (or at least the volume level). Keep it very very soft... no yelling or talking loudly until 2 months That will help greatly in healing and realizing the resting pitch of your voice.

[Jessica15]

I think you're being too hard on yourself.  I definitely notice an improvement.

[Expressgirl]

Megan, I am curious, did you find that talking helped you to gain some volume and an overall better sound quality? Or did you just rest it as much as possible? I am right at the month mark now, and I sound like I have the worst case of laryngitis ever! Did you notice a big difference from the 4 week to 5 week mark? Any insight is much appreciated!

[Jennygirl]

Don't worry, I felt like that pretty much all the way up to the 2 month mark. Just take it easy, the less you try to talk now the faster it will heal. At 2 months you can start re-strengthening your voice. Until then, just try to keep as quiet and low volume as you can... I know it's hard!

[FalseHybridPrincess]

Megan I think that your post op voice sounds much more feminine already

and since its supposed to get even better ...I can only imagine

[f_Anna_tastic]

Well I just had a listen and for what it's worth I would have definitely guess CIS woman. 

[Charlotte]

Hi Megan,
Thank you for doing this thread and posting your videos. I wanted to say how much it helped.

If you feel like it it would great to know how you feel about your voice now that you're nearly 11 weeks post-op.
I'm off to Korea in four weeks so starting to get nervous!
Thanks again for sharing all this.

Hugs

Charlotte

[megan2929]

3 month update:

My normal day-to-day voice:
(http://vocaroo.com/i/s09X8x3NdT15)

With more resonance:
(http://vocaroo.com/i/s1XEXQnZDFTX)

No resonance, lowest possible voice:
(http://vocaroo.com/i/s1ZEXmEDhMCc)

[anjaq]

this sounds really great already. I dont hear any hoarseness or any other odd things in the voice, I had by listening to it th eimpression thet pitch in the three recordings was rather similar. But if this is the lowest, then you had a good success, for sure. I am happy for you!

[Shantel]

this sounds really great already. I dont hear any hoarseness or any other odd things in the voice, I had by listening to it th eimpression thet pitch in the three recordings was rather similar. But if this is the lowest, then you had a good success, for sure. I am happy for you!

Me too Megan, kudos!

[anjaq]

Oh but one thing - I think you are doing something I am doing as well and that I was told is not so great - trying to talk too fast - like saying words very short, without break etc. Plus I think you have some slight oddness in the intonation maybe, although I am not sure about english. You do have a bit of a creaky sound in the voice which I presume can be a result of botox wearin goff or still being a bit active, it is an indicator , as I understand it, of a lck of control over the vocal muscles.. Anyways - just wanted to be a bit nitpicky and not just be boring and just say that you sound great, which you do, but I guess you might want to hear something about ways to improve . Nothing about the part on the surgery though, those things are unrelated , just some things I was told by others about me myself who hassimilar oddities in the voice .
But to have a relaxed voice like that, i think its great. I doubt you get misgendered on the phone for it at all and if you can do it effortless now and could not do so pre op, thats all worth it then

[anjaq]

One thing that I just noticed - your voice in the video sounds better than in the audio only recording - maybe its the equipment? Or did you use the voice a lot now and it is a bit tired? Listening to it again, I feel more certain that you are at the low end of your new voice and will need to tell your brain and throat to use that new voice properly at a higher pitch. Maybe you want to do a video update again to see how it all sounds with the same recording equipment?
Someone told me that at 3-5 months, the botox will wear off, not at 5 weeks. She had some issues with the voice at that time and had to take some pills , Dr Kim gave her for that time.