Thanks for the suggestions. It's Autumn here and typically around 30-40 degrees F (around -1 C I think) so A/C isn't a problem. But I'll keep that in mind when I'm out. The bed near the window actually has a perfect ledge that is great for keeping the water on so when I get up in bed it's right within reach.

I'm waking up every couple of hours, which sucks, but I'm noticing the pain and lump-in-the-throat feeling diminish significantly. I can't tell if I've coughed or anything in my sleep, but I assume everything's fine since there is no (additional) pain. It kind of makes it a little harder to not make a noise since it's not as easy to pay attention to it, lol. And it makes me think, "Is the suture still there?!?" But so far I think it's going well. Did you guys have that same feeling of wondering if the suture was still there because you couldn't feel it in there as much as it healed?

Dr. Kim showed me the suture yesterday right before I left. It's so clean and perfect looking. I would have expected it to look a little more...gross, I guess. He did 1/3, although I'm still a little nervous and hoping its enough to get my voice in the 200-225Hz range. I kept thinking I should have him do a little more just in case. Oh well, I'm sure it'll turn out good either way. I'm super impressed with Yeson. The private room was great, they were really attentive every time I pressed the call button, and the food and drinks they provided were good. The only thing is that I wish I brought my laptop to watch movies or something, or at least a book. Getting through the 7 or so hours in that room after surgery was a little boring at times. Also, waiting for the first meal after surgery, which was 4-5 hours later, was kind of hard. I tore through that food, haha.

Also, note to self, do not take a taxi during rush hour. Making the short walk to the subway would have been way better! And cheaper. Although it was still only $10. So tomorrow we're going to go shopping for food and stuff to stock up the kitchen with some items. Soup and oatmeal feels good in the throat. Apple juice as well. Oh, and ice cream (I have an excuse, they said it was good to eat ice cream, lol).

Anyways, that's my post-op follow-up report from the first day. I'll continue to post my experiences (and worries!) throughout the week. I can't wait to hear it for the first time!

Glad your experience was better than mine!

I also had only a 1/3rd reduction of my vocal chords, and like you wondered if it would be enough.  His work looks really nice when you see it.  I had two sutures and you could only just see some of the blue color.

I start my voice exercises in 1 month.

There is a world class Chinese Restaurant in the Hyundai Department store if you have time to visit there...beautiful food (to die for) and really inexpensive.  Top of the escalator just to your right

Kiwi, how is your voice coming along anyways? You can do general conversation now right?

Kiwi how is your recovery going? Have you started conversating at all? I forget the exact date of your surgery

Quote from: SarahR on November 12, 2013, 10:46:35 AM
Anyways, that's my post-op follow-up report from the first day. I'll continue to post my experiences (and worries!) throughout the week. I can't wait to hear it for the first time!

Sarah,

I was SO worried throughout my first week that I was messing stuff up, but as long as you don't notice any unusual or worsening pain I can assure you you have nothing to worry about

And I felt the same way when I saw my vocal folds only 6-7 hours after surgery. It was crazy how normal they looked, I assumed it would be a bloody mess haha.

I really wanna see mine now at 6 months post op. Maybe I will schedule a visit with a local ENT

Quote from: Jennygirl on November 12, 2013, 07:44:43 PM
I really wanna see mine now at 6 months post op. Maybe I will schedule a visit with a local ENT

Hah, that'd be cool to see how it looks now.

Quote from: abbyt89 on November 12, 2013, 06:51:02 PM
Sarah,

I was SO worried throughout my first week that I was messing stuff up, but as long as you don't notice any unusual or worsening pain I can assure you you have nothing to worry about

And I felt the same way when I saw my vocal folds only 6-7 hours after surgery. It was crazy how normal they looked, I assumed it would be a bloody mess haha.

Hehe, thanks Abby. I'm really trying to keep that in mind! Every now and then I'll accidentally have a short little cough and I'll get so worried! But so far I haven't had any worsening pain or anything, so fingers crossed! I'm really worried during this first few days. I just want it to be the weekend already so I can feel like it's had some time to heal.

I just had a good 3 hours of sleep and feel so refreshed. I've still been unable to sleep a whole night, waking up every couple of hours or just waking up at like 2am or 3am and not able to get back to sleep. So that felt good to at least get another few hours of solid sleep.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but now that the pain is gone and I don't even have much of a lump-in-the-throat feeling I keep on thinking that maybe the suture came undone but isn't causing pain for some reason. It's weird wanting pain, but I kind of want something to let me know its still there, lol.

Abby/Jenny, did this happen to you too? Were you worried because you couldn't feel it in there anymore? It's probably not the case at all, and I knew I'd be worried about everything, it's just being here now in this position and waiting to find out is so hard! I'm sure you remember that feeling.

Oh, and not talking is hard! Even though a lot of people couldn't understand me anyways, it's still hard to not even be able to try to talk. Plus, just getting things across to my sister is sometimes difficult. I don't always have my phone handy or a free hand to type to her.

Quote from: SarahR on November 12, 2013, 11:19:59 PM
I know this sounds ridiculous, but now that the pain is gone and I don't even have much of a lump-in-the-throat feeling I keep on thinking that maybe the suture came undone but isn't causing pain for some reason. It's weird wanting pain, but I kind of want something to let me know its still there, lol.

Abby/Jenny, did this happen to you too? Were you worried because you couldn't feel it in there anymore? It's probably not the case at all, and I knew I'd be worried about everything, it's just being here now in this position and waiting to find out is so hard! I'm sure you remember that feeling.

I remember it as if it were yesterday. You are fine Sarah

Quote
Oh, and not talking is hard! Even though a lot of people couldn't understand me anyways, it's still hard to not even be able to try to talk. Plus, just getting things across to my sister is sometimes difficult. I don't always have my phone handy or a free hand to type to her.

Yeah I remember that, too. After the surgery I became a lot more expressive with my hands, and it has kinda stuck with me. Also, I probably doubled my words per minute typing on touchscreen keyboards

Ok cool! Thanks for the reassurance.

I'm becoming super expressive with my hands now too, haha.

It's crazy how fast things start to feel normal again! Just 2 days post-op and there is barely any sign I had surgery. Up until now I would also have a lot of phlegm that would seem to aggravate my throat whenever I leaned back into bed or leaned over or anything like that. Those are the times where I would get an urge to cough. Now I am noticing that diminishing a lot as well, which is great. However, I think I'm now at the tickle stage that I remember Jenny talking about. I am starting to get a slight tickle in my throat that is usually calmed with water.

I think I'm going to continue to take it easy today and stay local and really pay attention to everything. Tomorrow I have the city tour, which will be 3 days post-op and I'll feel a lot more confident being outside and having to brave the different smells and sensations that seem to aggravate the throat and make me want to cough. After the tour and going into the weekend I think I'll be confident enough to continue exploring Seoul again more deeply.

I have this weird feeling in my mind. Because the pain and stuff is really minimal, I don't even feel like I've had surgery. Since I can't yet talk or make any sound my brain is still using my old voice in my head, which is totally throwing me off a bit. Since I know that's likely not what my voice sounds like anymore, but I haven't heard what it does sound like yet, I have this weird feeling that it's still that same old voice!

It's kind of throwing me into a very slight dysphoric state. I know I should be ecstatic because my voice *is* different, at least it will be when I can hear it, but without hearing it all my brain can do is fall back to what it knows, so I'm still having to deal with my horrible old voice in my head! Arg, I wish I could at least hear it a little bit so I can ease my mind that it's actually different. I know I can't, and I'm definitely not going to try, but it's something I hadn't considered in all this. I know some people don't really have a head voice, but I do and it definitely has a sound to it...my old voice!

Ugh, I think I need to get out and get my mind off of it.

That's a new twist on the old "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around........" I will probably react much the same after I make it over there. It will be like being a kid and waiting for Christmas again and worrying that all the gifts are socks and underwear.

Except this time around the surprise should be truly wonderful.

Quote from: SarahR on November 13, 2013, 06:50:58 PM
I have this weird feeling in my mind. Because the pain and stuff is really minimal, I don't even feel like I've had surgery. Since I can't yet talk or make any sound my brain is still using my old voice in my head, which is totally throwing me off a bit. Since I know that's likely not what my voice sounds like anymore, but I haven't heard what it does sound like yet, I have this weird feeling that it's still that same old voice!

It's kind of throwing me into a very slight dysphoric state. I know I should be ecstatic because my voice *is* different, at least it will be when I can hear it, but without hearing it all my brain can do is fall back to what it knows, so I'm still having to deal with my horrible old voice in my head! Arg, I wish I could at least hear it a little bit so I can ease my mind that it's actually different. I know I can't, and I'm definitely not going to try, but it's something I hadn't considered in all this. I know some people don't really have a head voice, but I do and it definitely has a sound to it...my old voice!

Ugh, I think I need to get out and get my mind off of it.

Sarah I don't start my voice exercises until the 8th of December.  Jessie has told me I cannot expect to hear a pitch increase until I do, and then it will be a gradual increase...If you try and laugh (in your throat) you'll notice the pitch is very high.  I know what you are saying about the same voice.  I can talk now, and there is no difference to me, just a couple of people on the phone said it sounded different.

It takes time...and patience, I am assured. 

Kiwi- you can't talk, laugh, or cough at all during the first week (or 2 if you have the botox injection). That is the most important requirement of the after surgery instructions. Sarah is just 3 days post op so I wouldn't be encouraging her to have a laugh

I'm sorry to hear that your voice doesn't sound different. Perhaps it has something to do with the talking during the silent recovery period you mentioned in a previous post? I think you even mentioned having pain- which is not a good sign after trying to talk to early. Have you contacted Jessie about it?

Hopefully you are just healing differently and when you start exercises it will all iron out. Either way, getting ahold of Jessie would be a good idea for the interim.

Quote from: Jennygirl on November 13, 2013, 09:16:55 PM
I'm sorry to hear that your voice doesn't sound different. Perhaps it has something to do with the talking during the silent recovery period you mentioned in a previous post? I think you even mentioned having pain- which is not a good sign after trying to talk to early. Have you contacted Jessie about it?

Hopefully you are just healing differently and when you start exercises it will all iron out. Either way, getting ahold of Jessie would be a good idea for the interim.

Yes, I have emailed Jessie and I'm pretty sure I will be OK.  No question my Seoul experience wasn't a good one and yet I am sure I am just healing differently...feel like I have a frog in my throat.  She tells me it will "happen" when I start my voice exercises.

And NO Sarah, don't talk!

Quote from: Jennygirl on November 13, 2013, 09:16:55 PM
Kiwi-
I'm sorry to hear that your voice doesn't sound different.  I think you even mentioned having pain

No Jenny, no pain...I just had a sore throat for a while.  I don't think it is that different (yet) but other's think it is...

Kiwi, maybe you can have Jessie send you the pre-op recording and you can do it again now and listen to the difference. Maybe you just don't remember how your voice sounded before now that it's (potentially) different.

And yeah, I'm definitely not going to talk at all. I just have to focus on the future and remember that I'll be able to hear it in a little more than a week and a half, since I have to get the Botox. That's not a long time to wait, I'm just being silly and impatient!

I thought I had my botox injection 7 days after surgery.  As for speaking (I could only whisper) and didn't do it much (I didn't want to destroy Dr Kim's work)

I am excited for you Sarah!

Yes he does the botox injection at the 7 day mark. If you get that, you shouldn't try to talk for another week. That second week was the killer for me, because I was expecting to be able to hear my voice on day 7. By day 14 I was going a little nuts with anticipation.

Whispering is another one of those strict don'ts actually- it's all outlined on the post-operative care sheet. Those instructions are a key component to recovery, and they expect you to be serious about it- especially early on. No talking, whispering, coughing, sneezing, laughing, clearing of throat, spicy food, greasy food, overly salty food, overly sugary food / drink, caffeine, or alcohol.

Using a whisper too early is almost as bad as talking. It puts tension on the vocal cords which is exactly what you don't want to do to the tiny little sutures holding everything in place.

Sarah I recommend you follow those instructions to the tee! I'm sure you are! Please don't try to whisper!