Barb,
The speech pathologist I went to about my swallowing gave me some tips for helping my voice since I've noticed when I talk for any length of time, aside from drymouth issues, I get hoarse and this does NOT bode well for a return to a few hours every day in the classroom in a couple of months(though, thank goodness, I don't so straight lecture-only classes usually). I've never had problems with hoarseness before in teaching--always had a good voice (and a good singing voice too which I'm scared to even try now ebcause I'm sure I've lost it and it breaks my heart).

The speech pathplogust said part of the hoarseness may be because I clear my throat alot more now, which is true, I have to do it all the time when I am trying to eat/swallow liquids, not to mention that I still get gobs of phlegm back there several times a day that I need to get out. He said that the normal way we do a throat clear is hard on the vocal cords--it kind of snaps them open and closed and can cause you to get hoarse. But there is a "soft clear" that he showed me how to do (it takes work to rememebr to do it so its a matter of slowly building up the habit) that is less hard on the vocal cords. I don't think I can explain verbally how the "soft clear" differs from a regular clear except to say it's less like a partial cough and more like a little growl you make in your throat. Wish I had the technology to add a sound file. But maybe this will help.

Nelie