Did your voice change?


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I just listened to a recording of myself on my new boss's voicemail and before sending it, I though to myself boy I hope he doesn't think he made the wrong choice in hiring me. I sounded like I was 5 years old. My words kind of slurred and my voice was so soft. I have listened to myself before (my recordings of my home voicemailbox and of course my graduation speech and interviews which was through a microphone). I've always kind of cringed at my voice because I mean who doesnt? lol But today hearing myself sounding so different made me wonder if my stroke affected my voice. I hit puberty at 11 and stroked at 12 so I never really thought about the stroke affecting my voice especially since I didn't have to take speech therapy. But now Im thinking of that rude lawyer that told me I sound sleepy and told me to put some base in my voice, Im thinking of how my dad always tells me to stop trying to sound like a baby and speak up. But about a month ago, my dad told me he is going to stop picking on me about my voice because he was watching a grown woman on tv that had a stroke and sounded like a baby. He said her voice was softer than mine and he never knew stroke could affect someone's voice.

I figured I sound low to others but normal to myself because my hearing is so great and I might slur my words since some muscles in the left side of my face still dont work, but could the stroke be the reason I sound much younger than I am?

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One of the things that stroke effects is core muscles and even if not severely it cuts down our "wind capacity". We use air/wind from out lungs to push out sound and with less wind power we have softer voice. I have that problem too although some people say, in my case, that's not a bad thing!

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I have the same problem and when I am asked to speak up, I feel like I am yelling. Not really the sound coming out but the effort it takes to yell.

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The 1st time I heard a recording of my voice I couldn't believe it was me.

 

 

One of the things that stroke effects is core muscles and even if not severely it cuts down our "wind capacity". We use air/wind from out lungs to push out sound and with less wind power we have softer voice. I have that problem too although some people say, in my case, that's not a bad thing!

 

I have this too; in fact when I'm lying down on my back it's almost impossible for me to move enough air to make any sounds at all.

 

Susan :cold:

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Yes, absolutley In addition to softness and slurring, I was very monotone. I especially notice this with my siging voice. It is still TERRIBLE and little control, but I finally have a little bit of range again.

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I just listened to a recording of myself on my new boss's voicemail and before sending it, I though to myself boy I hope he doesn't think he made the wrong choice in hiring me. I sounded like I was 5 years old. My words kind of slurred and my voice was so soft. I have listened to myself before (my recordings of my home voicemailbox and of course my graduation speech and interviews which was through a microphone). I've always kind of cringed at my voice because I mean who doesnt? lol But today hearing myself sounding so different made me wonder if my stroke affected my voice. I hit puberty at 11 and stroked at 12 so I never really thought about the stroke affecting my voice especially since I didn't have to take speech therapy. But now Im thinking of that rude lawyer that told me I sound sleepy and told me to put some base in my voice, Im thinking of how my dad always tells me to stop trying to sound like a baby and speak up. But about a month ago, my dad told me he is going to stop picking on me about my voice because he was watching a grown woman on tv that had a stroke and sounded like a baby. He said her voice was softer than mine and he never knew stroke could affect someone's voice.

I figured I sound low to others but normal to myself because my hearing is so great and I might slur my words since some muscles in the left side of my face still dont work, but could the stroke be the reason I sound much younger than I am?

 

Hi Katrina,

My voice changed a lot. This really bummed me out too. People told me all the time that I should go into radio...I wish I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me. When I was getting settled into my house, I was thinking strongly about trying to get into voice overs for some extra money. Before my stroke It was really deep and powerful and somewhere between James Earl Jones (Darth Vader voice guy) and John B. Wells. Now, It is weak and breaks up a lot if I talk too much and it gets tired.

 

Brian

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One of the things that stroke effects is core muscles and even if not severely it cuts down our "wind capacity". We use air/wind from out lungs to push out sound and with less wind power we have softer voice. I have that problem too although some people say, in my case, that's not a bad thing!

 

Jamie,

One on my friends had a bad stroke like mine (but on the other side) a month after mine. The first time I saw him after I got home, I was stunned. His voice didn't change as much as mine but sadly all he could say was "yeah" and a bunch of cuss words. But his voice was exactly the same...just fewer words. I sound like I just ran a marathon...its weak and breaks up sometimes.

 

Brian

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Mine was average in register but strong. When my cousin came to see me the first time after the stroke, he told his mom (my aunt) that I looked good (boy lies!) but I was really quiet and my voice was soft. I think people really noticed that alot with me. My mother is half deaf and refuses to wear her hearing aid and we're constantly butting heads because she can't hear me and I can't yell loud enough to be heard. So we don't talk much. On a good note, I thought this day would never come! lol

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WOW i had no clue so many other survivors experience this! I wish I could show everyone this topic, maybe they wouldn't be so harsh on telling me to speak up all the time. I know exactly what you guys mean. Its like I have to strain my cheast to talk louder like Im trying to push the sound out. When people call me while Im laying down they always ask if I was sleep wow now I see why. I cant believe its been 11 years since my stroke and Im just now discovering this. Thanks you guys!

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Katrina, I remember our talking about this in rehab - of course not clearly -- I think it had something to do with . need to consciously fill lungs before speaking. sorry wish I could remember more. my problem is low monotone. I often get called sir on the phone. maybe I'll try more air in the lungs maybe google weak voice post stroke.

 

 

hope you find the reason - then you can work on that, too, to try to correct.

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes to a special gal

 

 

Susan from Alberta Canada

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definitely changed, 1 side of my vocal chords are still paralyzed so i think i sould like a chipmunk :p

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definitely changed, 1 side of my vocal chords are still paralyzed so i think i sould like a chipmunk :p

 

Ditto. i have heard my own voice and don't recognize it from what I hear in my head. I'm very slurred in my head. When I'm tired I think I sound good but in fact I'm slurring

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  • 1 month later...

same here..my voice now is very low and quiet and it drives me crazy when there is noisy around me and I am trying to say something and people say ..'what?','what?','repeat that' etc :growl:

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Yep. Same here. To my ears, my voice sounds like it's quivering- sounds like the voice of a very old person. Sounds worse when I'm tired. I had to be re-taught how to talk, so I'm grateful to even be able to speak. But, I really dislike the sound of it. Becky

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I sound like im drunk, after my stroke it was extremely hard to get words out and hasn't gotten much better it has changed but sstill my mouth dosent move as fast as my mind and some words jyst escape me and I know what I meen and substitute to a diffent phrase, I have not changed my voice mail sence the stroke and its funny listening to it and have to hear me now. at first talking on the phone was imposible not I have learned to talk slowly work by word still slured and I have to stop on a word but hey wth

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Totally changed for me. I actually did the opposite, I had a lighter choir girl voice, and now it's more raspy and deep. Right after my stroke, I sounded pretty bad since the left side of my body was paralyzed, but after speech therapy, I started to improve. I also am a singer, so I have to work on dictation as it is still a bit of a challenge for me at times. It took some time to sound to normal but over time ( 10 years) it pretty much completely healed.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I wasn't surprised that my voice chaged and it didn't nother me because I thought " it will come back". Everything changed when I heard myself laugh. It wasn't me. Such fun moments would be ruined because I would get so sad about not feeling myself. I think either it went back to normal or I got used to it. Not sure cuz no one has ever commented on it.

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I cant believe its been 11 years since my stroke and Im just now discovering this. Thanks you guys!

 

As I continue on this post-stroke journey I keep learning new things. "Oh, that's what it's called!" still happens, and it's almost been 17 years.

 

Susan :geek:

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