technical note / amendment:
Daniel inspired me to do this (thanks to you!), making the updates on this topic and this blog in general more RSS-friendly – something I’d been planning to do for quite some time anyway. Therefore, updates are now (26.03.2026) separate posts that appear chronologically on the main page or can be found in the “Science → Medicine” category.
I always link to this main post that I have used for these updates so far at the end of the new posts on this topic.
tl;dr –
Planned thyroidectomy: The right vocal cord nerve was damaged intraoperatively due to stretching — the procedure was terminated after the first half, leaving the vocal cord paralyzed. Cortisone proved ineffective. Speech therapy is ongoing, and progress has become undeniable: near-normal speech is now possible in quiet environments, and even loud laughter has been achieved. Strangers are already making spontaneously positive comments about the voice. Vocal fold closure remains incomplete. Ten additional sessions scheduled through the end of April. The second surgery is on hold until the vocal cord can bear the strain.
update 24.03.2026 –
This time the saleswoman at the checkout in a different store said out of the blue, not knowing the background: “You have such an interesting, wonderful voice!” That left me speechless at first 🙂 Daily tangible progress and confirmations like these are truly very satisfying.
Thanks to new exercises, I’m now penetrating deeper into possibilities of vocal production that I hadn’t discovered before. Anyone who needs radio hosting or storytelling in about six months’ time, please let me know 😉
update 21.03.2026 –
Just in time for the beginning of spring, I’m quite thrilled about the progress of the last three days – something has happened that allows me to speak with other people in an almost normal voice when the surroundings are quiet. This is the first time since the surgery.
Yesterday, the clerk at the supermarket jokingly asked if I was going through voice change (after I explained the situation, she apologized profusely – hehe). Today, as it appears so far, I’ve taken another step forward and am even gradually leaving that voice-breaking quality behind.
But the vocal cord closure still isn’t completely restored – I need a lot of air and the fatigue symptoms still appear after talking for a while. Nevertheless – probably thanks to the excellent speech therapy and daily valuable exercises – this is a giant leap forward. I even managed to laugh out loud yesterday, perhaps the greatest success of all – wonderful!
update 19.03.2026 –
Progress happens drop by drop, but it does happen – though there’s still a long road ahead. Anyone who meets me in real life should prepare for the fact that in the future, if I speak at all, I’ll be speaking much less, more slowly and more quietly, taking time to consider exactly what I want to say. Following the old motto that used to hang by phone booths: “Keep it brief!” Completely contrary to the current general trend of blasting endless amounts of empty, meaningless, and perpetually uninteresting nonsense into the world at breakneck speed without pausing for breath. This is because speaking requires tremendous effort from me, as during the speaking process much air passes through the vocal cords that should actually be closed at that moment. It’s still unclear whether this will ever change, but I remain optimistic. I know you’ll understand – thank you so much in advance!
update 16.03.2026 –
Demonstration effect: Yesterday and today morning I was still forming nearly crystal-clear, relatively loud and distinctly comprehensible sentences with my largely “original” voice, which I record almost daily for documentation purposes and proudly presented to the speech therapist today. She was very impressed by it – however, during the afternoon speech therapy session, I couldn’t manage any of that. Instead, I gained valuable insights into Zen Buddhism that are helpful for voice training only upon second glance, specifically into the technique of Kinhin (経行).
update 13.03.2026 –
Each speech therapy session brings another step forward – it’s just a pity that the progress doesn’t last immediately. Usually my voice breaks down right after a session and needs time to recover. The next morning, the latest achievements can often be repeated effortlessly, until the damaged vocal cord tires out again. This takes quite a toll on one’s patience. Another ten sessions are now arranged – so I’ll continue training in a professional setting at least until the end of April.
update 10.03.2026 –
Brief update: The very deep registers of my voice are showing up more frequently and clearly. Not enough for conversations yet, but at least for amusing self-talk, so I’m heading in the right direction. Mental and physical balance play the crucial role in these successes. Less encouraging is my general condition: my circulation is acting up again, just like I remember from before the surgery…
update 07.03.2026 –
I haven’t spoken this much in a very long time. What was fascinating wasn’t just the content of our relaxed, quiet discussions with a friend, but also the strange and uncontrolled, surprising changes in how I was forming sounds. I don’t remember my voice breaking in the late ’70s being quite so dramatic.
update 05.03.2026 –
“the vocal cord base closes.”
A not entirely literal statement from the speech therapist regarding successes achieved today in very specific exercises. This doesn’t refer to speaking itself, just those particular vowel training exercises. Excellent!
update 04.03.2026 –
Today I caught the speech therapist red-handed as she revealed her true intention through special exercises: to train me as a singer! I managed to present all the vowels to her loud and clear. This matched beautifully with the lovely weather in Potsdam. Ordering breakfast at my current favorite café in town, however, failed miserably – with a broken, scratchy voice that was far too quiet. But patience and consistent practice will set things right, of this I’m increasingly convinced.
update 02.03.2026 –
The voice has been in no better condition since the operation three weeks ago than it was this morning. I seem to be slowly advancing from whisper-like sounds into louder regions of word formation – i Like that.
update 28.02.2026 –
Today’s self-conversations are working quite satisfactorily – unlike yesterday. But when people show up who need to be addressed verbally, my voice goes underground. On such a beautiful spring day, the best medicine by far is clear: relaxed cruising on the motorcycle.
update 26.02.2026 –
The endocrinologist confirms with his analysis of my current blood values my subjective impression of a slight improvement in my overall health condition. No additional hormone medication is necessary – the remaining remnant keeps working away. He’s also right in his assumption that I’m not particularly keen on having the second procedure done. Apart from that, it would be rather dangerous at the moment anyway. The next check-up will take place in May.
update 25.02.2026 –
I won’t go into detail here about the new postoperative pain issues I’ve never experienced before, which are currently keeping me awake at night.
I’m not yet taking any replacement medications that would substitute for the hormone cocktail produced by the thyroid gland. The remaining half is still producing hormones, but whether that’s sufficient and well-balanced is doubtful. For although an overall improvement seems to have occurred, I certainly have more pleasant memories of my sense of well-being and fitness. Well then, the coming days will bring medical clarity on this matter. Here too, the body apparently needs several weeks to adapt to the new situation.
update 24.02.2026 –
Give patience room.
update 22.02.2026 –
No particular progress, but that’s alright. I’m convinced by the speech therapist’s approach: through stable, conscious and controlled breathing, one can influence the speaking process. This doesn’t sound like a particularly new or groundbreaking insight, but how difficult the implementation is can probably only be understood by someone who faces such a challenge. or Clearing one’s throat and coughing is totally counterproductive for possible healing of the vocal cord. I have to learn other techniques to fulfill the purpose of clearing my throat or coughing– one of these is beautifully demonstrated by the magnificent Matthew McConaughey in the first 20 seconds of this clip from “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
I may not be providing daily updates here anymore – please bear with me – but I will continue the documentation.
update 21.02.2026 –
breathe on.
update 20.02.2026 –
breathe.
update 19.02.2026 –
The cortisone therapy proved futile and brought no improvement. The focus now shifts initially to 10 speech therapy sessions. The first took place this morning and was both pleasant and instructive in terms of both the setting and therapeutic approach. I gained and experienced insights into the interplay between breathing and musculature, along with its effects, which had been largely unknown to me until now.
The examination of the damaged vocal cord showed minimally stronger vibration and fluttering during activation (through the attempt to pronounce an “e”) than last week – considering the overall situation, a tremendous (!) success!
A doctor gave me a small ray of hope when she shared her own experience with the same problem in a clear, bright, and cheerful voice: during spinal surgery, her nerve had been stretched and damaged just like mine, and in her case it had recovered after very, very (!) fast six weeks.
Furthermore, analysis of the removed thyroid lobe revealed no malignancy of the autonomously functioning freaked out hot nodule.
And what about the other, still remaining, larger lobe with its conglomerate of many cold nodules, which can only be removed and analyzed once the damaged vocal cord has recovered sufficiently to make another procedure justifiable? Let us remember: Even if (…) I can eventually speak somewhat normally again, this matter is far from over.
but we’re nowhere near there yet…
update 18.02.2026 –
I was quite pleasantly surprised when I heard the hint of an inflection in a brief conversation with myself last evening. That gives me hope. Today, however, it’s gone again.
Here’s the medical background to my situation.
update 17.02.2026 –
even the referring thyroid specialist has never seen such an impact on the voice in his practice before.
I thank everyone for their sympathy, good wishes and recommendations, however I have had enough of expert, luminary and specialist recommendations for now – please forgive me.
update 16.02.2026 –
A first preliminary appointment with the speech therapist was sobering — there is no indication of any swift recovery for the time being. Perhaps in six to eight weeks I will be able to speak in a somewhat functional way again, but only if I am very mindful and careful about the factors that influence my voice — no phone calls, for instance.
I have by now come to terms with the likelihood that my former voice will not return.
update 15.02.2026 –
cortisone therapy doesn’t help it seems, voice is not much more then a whisper. the right vocal chord is paralysed. speech therapy starting these days.
there are a few slight indications that the purpose of the thyroid gland removal was fulfilled, some painpoints are just gone or heavily reduced which is good but for the cost of a lost voice?
09.02.2026 –
removal of thyroid gland was only halfway successful today, the vocal cord nerve on the right side didn’t send any signals any more when it has been stretched a lot and the surgery had to be stopped because of danger of shortness of breath. other half removal in a couple of weeks…