Nicki, I am glad to hear everything is going so well. Before you know it, you will be past this tough stage. With regard to talking, nobody told me, so I was very surprised about a week out of rad to find my voice reduced to a soft whisper. This lasted for about two weeks. I called the rad department and had one heck of a time making myself heard, but they told me it was "normal" and would go away. It did. Never completely without voice, but my husband *claimed* not to be able to hear me when I was in a different room (grin). Probably the only part of the whole grand adventure that he appreciated.