Conclusion

As my throat surgery comes to a close, all I feel is daily relief and happiness. It's been a year and a half after my surgery, and the last time I blogged I was heading in the right direction, but not perfect. Here's an overview of the last year and how I'm doing today!

Argentina
I spent 3 months in Argentina after my last appointment. Immediately I joined a rock band and had a blast! For a while... Eventually my throat was tired and a bit sick and it lasted for a few weeks. I did a radio show that went well, and in South America the shows are very short. I'd asked my band mates how many hours a typical gig was and they looked at me like I was nuts. 30 minutes is the norm. I couldn't believe an entire culture understood how delicate and special vocal chords and musicianship are! 

Uruguay
After a few months I moved to Uruguay. There, my voice was better than EVER. I mean it too. It felt even better than the days before I needed surgery (probably due to the tips I got in vocal rehab and therapy). This is the first time I felt confident in a really long time. The doctor had told me that I may recover 90% but not to expect 100%. I was determined, and lucky. In Uruguay I made a living singing at various locations and was on the television... People stopped me daily in the streets and said "You're the singer!" Well... In Spanish haha. I even got some free bus rides when the bus drivers recognized me. I relaxed a bit in social environments even though the smoke in the clubs still bothered me.

Argentina
I went back to Argentina and had some problems for the first few weeks. It became very obvious to me how much the weather and pollution effects my voice. Being by the sea in Uruguay was much easier on my throat than the polluted city. I still had some shows and eventually I adjusted to the air and felt fine. During the week sometimes I taught at summer camps which I never would have considered before due to having to shout all day. While my voice would get tired, it also healed quickly. I was able to work the camps during the week, then belt out country music on the weekend. My voice wasn't feeling perfect, but I chose to try and keep relaxed about it. I had a couple of the best shows of my life while I was there.

USA
I returned back to the States and immediately was ill the moment I got off of the plane. I think I'm allergic to Idaho. I could hardly speak for 3 weeks and wondered if I'd ever feel better– wanting to jump back on a plane to South America. Finally my body adjusted to the environment after about a month, just in time for a show. From that point on, my throat has been improving. The good thing about Idaho is that i can do my vocal warm-ups and practice songs at the top of my lungs without people hearing. (We have a lot of space.) It occurred to me a couple weeks ago that I was babying my voice when it came to belting. That had been my strong point before, and now I was doing a blend instead of going for it. I decided to utilize the privacy of driving in the car and singing in the shower to really test out my belt voice. Had I lost my ability? Or was I just scared? Thank God as it turns out, I was just out of practice. I can now, as of today, two years after my first doctors appointment, say that I am one hundred percent cured. Better than ever. I can socialize like a normal human. I can even be loud, or drink, or be around smoke, and the anxiety and extra care that I had to take is gone. I can sing more challenging songs and have the knowledge to protect from further injuries. I hope if you are reading this due to concerns of your own, that you can finally feel at ease knowing that sometimes, things actually go exactly as planned. 

Please follow me on my website to see where my voice will take me now that nothing is holding me back!!!
Shellypagemusic.com