Vocal Cord damage! Now what?

[dilynn58]

Hi there, I really enjoy reading all the posts on this forum it is great. I guess it is my turn to ask for some advice.

I work in hospice as an rn for a small 8 bed residence..wonderful job. I am going to be 50 and have been nursing for almost 15 years.

I had an ACDF (anterior cervical fusion) on January 28th. I am on FMLA. I was planning on being off about 6 weeks..The surgery went pretty good. I did however have a major complication. Somehow there was damage to my nerve going to the larynx and now I have a paralyzed right sided vocal cord. I am able to talk. My voice however is very breathy and it takes effort some days to really talk. I am not able to project my voice and hard to talk in a room with alot of noise either background or foreground noise.

At this point it is almost 5 weeks they don't know if or when my real voice will come back. I am going to voice therapy next week. I am worried about my work.

I can go back with no restrictions in a couple of weeks for the fusion part of my neck. But when I talked to my supervisor, they told me to call back in a few weeks after I got my voice therapy evaluation and then the big boss and supervisor and myself would talk...Remember this is a very small organization. At this point I will be either at 6 or 7 weeks of FMLA.. That does leave me with another 6 weeks to work with before they can replace me. What sucks is I have no short term disability...

Long story short...........what are options that I have to work as a nurse. I have done 10 years of er and now the hospice..?? It is scary to think that at age 50 I am going to have to make some major changes..

this is not a pity party. I am just frustrated.....any advice please!

Thank you very much.