If there’s one thing I wish 
I wasn’t prone to, it’s laryngitis. My voice can sing until the end of time, but if I’m on a contract where I talk too much and there is even the slightest little hint of a cold going around it’s going to grab me by the vocal chords and pull…and it comes on sudden, I had a voice last night, I don’t have much of one this morning.
Sadly, I’ve become rather used to this; at the advice of the HRM, I took myself down to medical who put me on vocal rest until my voice recovered; I printed up the sign for my desk advising guests to please not be offended by my attempts at silence…(which is oft times useless, as people read it then ignore it…)
The thing is, when you never get sick – or at least when you never admit it – no one quite knows how to react when you do.
Amras has been brilliant about it, making me laugh (silently) and chiding me when I get carried away and try to speak (which results in a sound that is something like what I imagine a frog would make if it tried to form words), he’s worked with me before when I’ve been speechless and he knows how hard I take it – so he’s very careful not to laugh at me. Instead we have bizarre conversations that are half in made-up sign language and half in a hoarse whisper that can only be heard when there’s no one else talking in the area. He even took over ordering for me at dinner, and answering questions for guests who stopped me in the hallway
She can’t speak right now, can I help you?
I did have one guest try to speak to me in sign language which I wish I understood but do not. I don’t quite understand why people feel that people who have laryngitis can’t hear…I can hear you just fine, I just can’t respond properly at the moment.
The thing is, I don’t get sick – or at least not out here. I get sick at home, on vacation, when I can afford it. Out here? It’s not an option. If medical ever offers me light duty I turn them down, because I’m here to do a job, I don’t report in if I know what’s wrong and yes I self-medicate; I work hard never to let the clockwork break down.
What people don’t understand is that when I lose my voice I feel like a broken doll. I feel trapped in my own brain, not just because I can’t talk – I mean I’m perfectly happy not talking; but I can’t sing, can’t hum, can’t make a sound…
You’re gonna die screaming but you won’t be heard…
My current Cruise Director gets it, since she’s a singer herself, and has been plying me with throat coat tea and lozenges, which is much appreciated. She advised that I use the time I’m forced to be silent to read, or to meditate, or to even just listen to music without singing along. It’s nice when someone in your management team genuinely has your back like that. Doesn’t really happen all that often.
In my previous experience this usually lasts between 3 days to (in its worst case, like on the flagship a few seasons ago) a week…I’m hoping that this will be on the shorter end of the scale.
After all, places to do things to see…