Hi, my name is Lorraine. I have Meige’s Syndrome. In my case, it tightens my vocal chords so that it is difficult to speak and my voice is strange and very hard to understand. The treatment I receive makes my voice worse before it gets better. For every four months, there is one month where I cannot speak.
I had to give up my job as a Special Needs teacher due to my communication difficulties. I couldn’t speak to the kids. Before my diagnosis, I used to volunteer in many places. This too, I have had to give up.
Now, I use an iPad with the Predictable app, given to me by CAYA. Predictable helps me keep a great attitude. It helps me with confidence. I can see myself one day going back to volunteering.
Predictable has helped with personal relations as well. My good friend of 40 years calls every night at 9:30. Speaking is most difficult for me in the evening. One night, my voice was poor and I was not talking much. She said to me, “Obviously I should hang up. You don’t feel like talking.” Now, I use Predictable with her. She likes it and we can joke about how slow it is. I tell her, “It’s not slow; I am.”
It’s a great communication device with my husband as he travels for 3-4 weeks at a time for work and I can pre-program messages to use with him on the phone.
Prior to CAYA’s service, I was feeling desperate. This has changed my life.