Barry White.

OK, I'm not the 3-time Grammy award winning composer and crooner with that distinctive bass-baritone voice.  However, someone did describe my voice as a very hoarse version of his.  "Thanks", I guess?  I'll take any semi-compliment that I can get related to my voice though. 

For those of you who have talked with me over the past year and a half or so know what I'm talking about.  Hoarse and low volume.  It started out with minor hoarseness and then steadily increased to where it is today.  I went to a local ENT doctor and found out that it is caused by vocal cord paralysis.  Yep, one of my vocal cords doesn't work.  Kaput.  Inoperative.  Done for.  Goner.  Finished.  Non-functioning.  Out of commission.  Down for the count, and wait for it..., Down the tubes.  "Down the tubes"?  Get it?  Larynx.  Tube.  A bit of a stretch.  Stretch?  The vocal cords are stretched from back to front over the larynx.  Boy, this is getting really cheesy now!

 The initial course of treatment was voice therapy to learn how to talk better with one vocal cord.  Six weeks of daily facial and neck massage techniques including "laryngeal massage" (don't ask- it causes clicking noises due to pieces and parts rubbing together- freaky stuff!), and pages and pages of phrases to speak out loud.  Did it work?  Not to the extent that I had wanted.  I did learn how to increase my volume a bit and how to be more aware of opportunities to help others hear me better. 

You're probably asking yourself right about now, "what does this have to do with running?"  Here's how.  I ended up going for a second opinion a couple of weeks ago to find a more permanent solution that would hopefully get my voice a bit closer to what it used to be (it will never be the same again though).  The good news is that there is an implant that I can get.  No, not that kind of implant!  An implant made of Gortex which is surgically inserted into the paralysed vocal cord.  The bad news.  I have to be awake during the procedure so that they can hear me speak with it in place and tweak it as needed.  The even worse news.  It will require 6 weeks of downtime from running.  Decisions.  Do I focus on getting my voice better now and pass on this great opportunity to run the Boston Marathon as part of the Miles For Miracles team since the downtime would cut right into my training?  Do I go all in and fulfill my commitment to Boston Children's Hospital?  In the end, I have to finish what I started.  The marathon it is.  I've put way too much into this already and am committed to the cause to let any personal gain get in the way.  What is another 5 months of this raspy voice belting out Barry White classics in a dive bar on Wednesday karaoke night?

Until next time, keep on runnin'!