Het lijkt wel of je te veel gedronken hebt en dubbelpraat, zei Marriet mijn vrouw, twee jaar geleden op een reis door de Pelopponnesos. Ik had bijna niets gedronken en toch...Verder geen aandacht aan geschonken. Maar het kwam terug; eerst met de uitspraak van de L en de R. Toch eens naar de huisarts. Doorgestuurd naar de specialisten- naar neurologie. En dan begint het circus van onderzoeken en testen. De uitslag….Door een neurologische aandoening wordt de doorgifte van de zenuwprikkel vanuit de hersenen naar de spier geblokkeerd. Mijn lippen en tong hebben hun kracht verloren. Spreken gaat moeizaam en eten/drinken is een opgave. Helaas is er geen remedie.
dinsdag 4 juni 2024
AND THEN FATE STRIKES...or how I lost my voice and identity
It seems as if you have had too much to drink and are double-talking, said Marriet my wife, two years ago on a trip through the Peloponnese. I had hardly drunk anything and yet…I paid no attention to it. But it came back; first with the pronunciation of the L and the R. Still, I went to the doctor. Referred to specialists - to neurology. And then the circus of research and testing begins. The result... Due to a neurological disorder, the transmission of the nerve impulse from the brain to the muscle is blocked. My lips and tongue have lost their strength. Speaking is difficult and eating/drinking is a task. Unfortunately, there is no cure.
And now? Bravely Forward!; however it took some time to take that step. Losing my ability to speak is an attack on my identity. Moreover, this violation of the ability to communicate sometimes creates the feeling of being trapped within yourself. It's not just that I can no longer say something the way I want to, but it's also difficult to make spontaneous, direct contact with others. I have to speak slower, enunciate more clearly and then hope that people understand what I have to say.