Hi Jana,

I don't know...Maybe I did it wrong...I'm supposed to take a deep breath, then count 'while' I'm exhaling, right? Or do I take a deep breath, exhale all the way, then count as I inhale?

Oh yeah! EVERYTHING comes out of my nose when my speech gets nasal. This is actually kinda gross, and sorry for the image, but since I've developed the tongue/palate weakness, I've vomited, once because of a stomach virus, and another time because I brushed my teeth and gagged. Anyway, both times, all of the vomit came out of my nose...none from my mouth...When I drink liquids, they drool from my mouth (can't close lips all the way) and they come out of my nose...Even food has come out of my nose! lol...

Oftentimes, when I brush my teeth, I check on my throat, and make sure I brush back there because there is always food lodged in the folds where my tonsils are. It's gross, but it's my daily maintanance routine...lol...

I also sound like I've had a stroke all the time too...

Hey, when your voice is nasal, do you ever notice weird ear symptoms? I get a lot of crackling and whooshing when this happens...It makes my speech even worse...

Oh yeah, has your gag reflex ever been paralyzed when your speech was really bad? This used to happen to me all the time...That's one thing that the prednisone got rid of...It happened once when I had an exacerbation, and went to the hospital. I didn't even know about it until the doctor stuck a spatula and touched my ovula, and I didn't respond at all...Kinda scary!

ttys!
Nicky