Wednesday 22 February 2012

In Muted Tones


Just imagine you are a normal human being.

Whaat???? You are????

Okay then you won’t find it too hard to imagine right???

Like I was saying, everything about you is normal. Maybe you are a little fat or a bit on the thin side but that’s not extraordinary that’s normal. U r dressed normally and nothing in your facial expressions indicates anything is amiss…..the smile is cheerful, u know like totally normal, the quizzical expressions which you give may be a bit more expressive than usual but still that also can be taken as normal. But when it comes to expressing your opinion or your wants in words, you use your hands to convey what you mean or better still whip out a piece of paper & pen to write what you want to say.

People who don’t know about your problem then mentally take a step back[yes you can see them do that if you watch carefully], attention which was half-hearted till then sharpens, they make an obvious effort to hide their curiosity and smile at you kindly. Oh the poor thing!!!! She can’t speak. Wonder if it is a birth defect?? An accident?? So terrible. Let me do whatever I can to ease her misery. My good deed for the day.

And from the back of the queue you are moved to the front. Your work finished in no time. I liked that bit anyway.

That’s what’s been happening in my life. I’m the you in the above scenario.

Remember the flu & other ailments  real and fabricated, I told you I had 2 weeks back. Remember I told you how I hate doctors and hospitals & that I rather swallow a whale than step into a hospital. Well I swallowed big-time. I swallowed my pride. And went to the doc 4 days back and got the required medical attention.

You see I lost my voice. Sometime last week there was a sandstorm in Dubai and I was smack in the middle of it. I guess I inhaled lot of dust that day and the flu which had almost disappeared came back with a vengeance and within 24 hours mY voICe wENt SQUEEEK somethEEEing like ThiSS.

And the next day….KABOOOM the voice was gone. Seriously, I open my mouth and no voice…..no noise…no nothing comes out. All I get for my efforts is a aaaaaah in a fierce whisper. The better-half bundled me off to the doc immediately. I didn’t put up much of a fight actually. "Oh my voice, my lovely voice what happened to you” I panicked.

The doc diagnosed it as “Laryngitis something something” meaning an inflammation causing hoarse voice or at its heights, loss of voice. I’ve mentioned earlier too[yep I love discussing my medical problems on my blog] that whenever I’m sick it’s my throat which gets affected first. During these phases I usually sound like a guy Usha Uthup but this time it went one step further. It rendered me voiceless.

Along with a bagful of antibiotics I was strictly advised by the doc to rest my voice atleast for a week. Nice doc, by the way. Actually cute doc. His wedding band had its wife’s name inscribed on it. And I was like…..awww…shooo cutttte. Beena, her name is Beena:-). 

Feeling a bit more cheerful now I emerge from the med-center with my mind buzzing with ideas.

I send out an SMS out to all my friends...
“Don’t call me, I’ll call you”.

Around 20 calls came in the space of 10 minutes.
Bad idea…….bad bad idea.

Sent out another SMS immediately…
Voice totally gone stop under medication stop 1 wks voice rest stop doctors STRICT orders stop available on email stop.

Atleast 10 of them called to check if it was true. Another 10 wanted to hear how I sounded when I couldn’t speak;-/.

Came back home to a sympathetic better-half and worried kids. The kids who giggled at my squeaky voice the previous day looked really troubled now.

I lapped up all the attention and practised mime.

From there it was dumb charades all the way.

And Pictionary.

And pretending that my vocal cords were connected to my limbs and hence will not be able to cook or do any other work.

That worked only for one day though;-(

Anybody who communicated with me said I reminded them of….

The lady who read news for the hearing impaired on Doordarshan[remember her]
An owl[because I got impatient when they couldn’t decipher my hand signals].
A toy with a run-down battery……squeEEeeek…….SCREeeETCH.

It was a novelty initially. My miming improved dramatically. 

But after 2 days I got tired of it.

My jaws ached because they were stationary.
My head ached because I was thinking so much.
My thoughts which were verbalised on a minute to minute basis were now going izzzzzzzz inside my head & giving me a migraine.  
I no longer could just yell from one corner of the house and get the kids at my elbow in the next minute. 
And for goodness sakes I lost my voice, not my hearing so please leave the miming to me.

For the 1st time in its life I think my sub-conscious realised it had the upper-hand. It gently prodded me into noticing a few things about myself….

I noticed that I interrupted people while they were speaking to add my two-bits worth. I need to stop doing that. Like immediately.
I didn’t need to answer every question which was put to me and definitely not those which were put to others.
Sometimes a look can convey what a 100 words put together can’t.
And sometimes being not able to talk is not such a bad thing……just for little while though.

My voice…..it’s precious. It’s as important as my arm if not more. When it comes back, it's going to get the respect it deserves. 

75 comments:

  1. Get well soon :) And I think not being able to speak can work to your benefit if people are assuming you can t hear either ;)
    And wow! Cute doc ahem ahem. And name of the wife inscribed in wedding band. K too has my name, but I wonder if people can read it. I wish they can - ;)
    Oh no look at silly trivial me. Take good care. And once again get well soon.

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    1. Hehe Amrita now thats a point I didn't consider;-D.
      And ofcourse they can, if there is a written word, people will even squint to read it[like I did];-D.
      Thank U....am on the mend now but voice still squeeeky err shaky;-D

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  2. Oh you poor thing. While TLC is being given in plenty ......

    N Jrs and B must be secretly rubbing their hands in glee. Peace and quiet reigning. No yelling to finish the food, or do homework or go to bed. No crib crib. Waaaah Blisssssss.

    Of course joking. Just to get you a bit mad and sport a smile at the same time.

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    1. Haha N juniors got fed up of decoding mama's hand actions & prayed fervently for the voice to come back...so booo to u;-D
      But yeah H darling's expressions are harder to decipher;-/. But...but...his actions speak louder than words, sooo BOOOO to ya once again Ramesh;-D
      And thank ya:-)))))!!!!!

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  3. gosh! that sounds terrible. I remember reading about how you sound like Usha Uthup when your throat gets affected.
    Hope you are feeling better now.
    Trust you find humour even in such situations..:-)

    and,congrats on changing the browser!

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    1. Oh yes much better the voice is back all shaky but the gruffness is reducing by the day:-).

      Phewwww.....I wdnt have ever thought of it if my new post page wasn't giving me problems. U knw there was a note on top of the IE browser clearly stating tht some of bloggers features were not supported by them and to try GC....just happened to see it and clicked....and voila u see the majik;-D

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  4. Oh God! U take care lady, and loved this post :P

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    1. Thanks A:-))!!!
      Err....any particular reason you are A and not your name;-o

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  6. Oh my goodness- please do get well very soon!!! I love how you are able to see how precious your voice is- and say that when it returns you will give it the respect it is due. You always do find the silver lining in everything. I'm so glad you finally went to the doctor- and as I said- PLEASE GET WELL SOON!!!

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    1. It is really true isn't it...that until we lose something we never realise the value of it...I learnt it the hard way;-P. Thank U:-))!!!!

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  7. get well soon.
    Great post. Loved it :-)

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    1. nancy, sorry to use the reply feature here. i am not able to post a comment otherwise these days unless i refresh the page a few times. not sure what is wrong. i do hope you will feel better soon nancykins. if i were ill i'd feel a lot better just reading your jovial post on this downer scenario!!

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    2. Thanks Preeti;-D!!!!

      Lan are u using IE??? Believe me when I tell u that it is the cause of all our blogger problems. Admitted defeat yesterday and installed Google Chrome....and voila everything works perfectly;-D

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  8. So, did you find the sand-storm or did the sand-storm find you? :P Not giving orders via hand gestures/ writing for a week will cure your condition sooner. No, I was not bribed by anyone for suggesting this :)

    Destination Infinity

    PS: I wish you get well soon - this is the real comment :)

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    1. LOL DI you have my best interests at heart eh;-D.

      ps: Thank U;-D!!!!

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    2. Why doesn't this blog have a follow by email box?

      Destination Infinity

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    3. Because I have no clue how to do that;-D

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    4. Go to Dashboard -> Layout -> Add a gadget (sidebar) -> It should be available in the top, otherwise search for 'follow by email' in one of those listed widgets and select it.

      Destination Infinity

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    5. Aaaaah ok I'll do it, thanks DI;-D.

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  9. get well soon..lovely post as usual... m speechless..lost my words! i know its doesnt even count as a PJ!

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    1. Not PJ Lilac....never PJ, it's apt play of words showing your feelings, thank U:-))!!!

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  10. awww it's soooo hard to be all concerned and sympathetic when i'm rofl-ing :P

    anyway, this is what popped up in my head ;-)

    A friend of mine joined a Trappist Monastery, where monks are not allowed to speak. They are allowed to say three words every five years.
    At the end of the first five years my friend stood up and said, “Need new shoes”.
    At the end of the second five years he stood up and said, “Need new mattress”.
    After fifteen years had passed he stood up and said, “I am quitting!”.
    The Abbot said, “It’s probably for the best. You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here.”

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    1. Hahahaaaaaa Snow......this is no friend of urs, u picked this up from a jokebook....came across it long back. But it was a good laugh. I made you laugh, so you returned the favour huh;-D

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    2. hehehe of course, i'd never let any of my friends join a monastery ;-)

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    3. Hahahhaaaaa...but ofcourse not;-D

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  11. Trust you to dish out a funny post even while your are in such a miserable state :)

    But glad to hear that you are back to screaming at the kids.

    psst psst...I think I am coming down with some kind of new Comment Flu coz my mind seems to go buzz buzz right now and hence the shortest comment ever :(

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    1. By your standards it might be small but by mine its the right size and complimenting;-D.

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  12. Goodness, hope you get your voice back soon, Nance and may it get the respect it deserves :D

    The weather has been acting so weird lately hasnt it? Here too the kids and grown ups alike have been caught in the whiff of flu!
    Hope the girls are fine :)
    Take care and get well soon!

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    1. Seriously..blowing hot for 2 days, misleading us into thinking summer has started and then an about-turn with cold winds;-/. Heard Qatar was colder;-o.

      And heyyy thanks;-D!!!!

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  13. LOL @ at "I lost my voice, not my hearing so please leave the miming to me"

    I dunno how I will manage had I been in your place. Sympathies dear & take care.

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    1. Oh you would have managed.....there is a first time for everything and we always manage don't we:-)). And thanks Smita:-D!!!!

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  14. Seriously " talk to me" sounds very ironic.. but well.. we can talk.. cat we ?/;)
    Get well soon Nancy!! and give a loud howl like tarzan..for my sake when you are truely and wholly able to talk!!
    - Swathy.
    P.S: this is my new home.. see the URL.. :)
    hope to write more soon.. :)

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    1. Hehe I dont have to get well to yell like Tarzan, I can do that now coz my voice is in that perfect state...later on I might not get that perfect yodel-like, nasal-like twang from my throat;-D

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  15. Get well soon nancy..to me it sounds most scary to loose the voice even temporarily..

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    1. I think I would have been if it was new to me, I had a friend in college who had this problem but then I never quite believed her totally. Now I know;-P. And thank U Renu:-))!!!!

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  16. hey hey....whats this?? hope ur better....take good care of urself!

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    1. Oh don't ask, the antibiotics I was prescribed had side-effects, the whole week was lousy;-(. Anyways I'm slowly getting better now, thank U:-)).

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  17. are you really sure the better half is worried... !!! ???

    No just asking... I mean :P

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    1. Hehe nowhere did I say the H was worried....sympathetic, the exact word I used was sympathetic Mr. Hitchwriter;-)
      Ask away, ask away I have no problems, all I'm worried about is whether u can handle the answers;-D

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    2. U knw Hitchy u've taken Rakesh's place now, he used to pull my leg all the time;-D. I miss him;-(((((

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    3. I have tagged him and tagged you so lets hope he comes back and you come back too :D

      chalo abhi... shrug off the laziness and get on with it :D

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  18. Oh my god... Thats really sad... Hope the voice is back by now... Only you can write such hilarious posts on topics like this ;-D U r a rockstar Chech :P

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    1. Awwww Sulo....if I wasn't well by now, ur comment wd have been just the tonic to make me feel all charged up:-))

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  19. Hugs dear!!! Get well soon...Take the medicines on time...take rest too. Really loved the way you wrote this post :-)

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  20. I send out an SMS out to all my friends...

    “Don’t call me, I’llcall you”.

    I was Obedient Madam!!!!

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    Replies
    1. LOL Maddy if there were more people in the world like u;-D

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  21. Hey Nance, Get welllll soooooooon...

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  22. I hope you feel better soon. I was pleasantly surprised by your note. I will certainly read through when I have more time...gotta rush now. I am throwing a baby shower for a friend. You're my first blog buddy Nancy..I am thrilled.

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  23. You're funny Nancy, BTW how did the mouthful of dust taste?Get well soon!!

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  24. You without VOICE..????lol. Get well soon dear..

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  25. And oh yeah..Thought of letting ya know...My hubby has my name tattoed on his shoulder. :)

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  26. Oh no....Get well soon ! If I were you right now, my hubby would have been more than happy...cos that would be the time when I'd let other people talk ! Take care, convince the kids that Mama is gonna be better and will start screaming soon !

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  27. Hahahaaa thats what u think....after 2 days of silence ur H wd be climbing the walls, which ofcourse will make u feel so good;-D
    Thanks U, am much better now:-))!!!

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  28. If its any consolation, this happens at least twice a year to me. Family friends eagerly await and actually plan to celebrate these events!
    And you know why this happens in my doctor's words? "Errr....how do you sprain your legsor arms? when you over exrt it or o something that you shouldn't have, right? Well...its more or less similar" And he says this with a sly smile...and I say baah!

    Hope you are better now and thanks a lot for looking up on me, the past few months were tough, things are looking up now, though :-)

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    1. Heyyyyy sooo good to see U;-D!!!!
      Sheesh.....twice a year, gosh that sounds awful;-o. Yeah the doctors words makes sense....my voice without a doubt is one of the over-worked equipment in my system;-P.
      I'm so glad u r back Bindu:-))!!!!

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  29. awwwwwwww-Get well soon Nancy!
    Some things are better appreciated when we loose them :)

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  30. Hi Nancy,
    Went through your comments(plus the post), looks like you are better now :)
    Get completely well soon and good to see the things you finally noticed, we humans deserve a handicap to understand more about our selves. God bless :)

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    1. Yeah agree, sometimes we need to lose it to understand the value:-). Oh yes the voice is backkkkk;-D. Thanks!!!!!

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  31. nancy, hope the voice is fully back. you were right. chrome fixed it. i was a faithful firefox user but chrome seems to be inevitable if you are using google services. thanks for the tip!

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    1. Glad to be of help;-).
      And the voice is good, thanks;-D!!!!

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  32. Wow Nancy - beats me how u can be so hilarious when you cannot speak! I doubled up with laughter:-) Hope you are well now:-) TC!!

    (Iam Sulo Badrr's friend to set context) !

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    1. Hi Preethi, Sulo's friend is my friend....good to blog-meet u:-))!!!

      I dont know abt hilarious but I was just being myself, glad u liked the post;-D

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  33. Well since it wasn't really a post, this isn't really a comment.

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  34. Hey chech... PM told me that she is now following ur blog, n i was like, "what"... so now u owe me big time cos u got a follower, is all i wanted to tell...

    but when i told this to pm, she is saying that i cant take all the credit cos its bcos of the way you write it seems ;) now, u owe me doubly for the compliment ;D ha ha :)

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    1. Thank u, thank u....there, all debts paid in full;-D

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