Following a battle with COVID-19 in October 2025, Carol Lake’s voice rapidly deteriorated, and she developed a chronic cough.
“I had no voice at all for four months - it was barely above a whisper or squeak,” Lake said.
Lake consulted an otolaryngologist (ENT), who diagnosed her with muscle tension dysphonia, a voice disorder that causes hoarseness and vocal pain. The ENT recommended speech therapy to reduce strain and improve her voice quality.
In January, Lake began working with Carle Health speech-language pathologist Hannah Li, MA, CCC-SLP, at Carle Foundation Hospital, where she noticed improvement almost immediately.
“At first, Carol’s voice was high-pitched, aphonic and whispery - quite severe,” Li said. “We focused on reducing strain using techniques like manual laryngeal re-posturing (MLR), which relieves muscle tension in the larynx, or voice box.”
Lake also practiced light throat massages and resonant voice therapy, which emphasizes specific vowels and consonants to improve sound quality and reduce tension.
“We also used indirect strategies like staying hydrated and limiting prolonged voice use,” Li said. “She progressed very quickly and returned to a normal voice.”
“When I greeted my husband, he almost fell out of his chair - he was so surprised,” Lake said.
Lake continued her exercises at home with success, but her persistent cough created new challenges. A follow-up ENT visit revealed a vocal fold disorder further affecting her larynx.
“I woke up one morning, and just like that, my voice was gone again,” Lake said.
Now scheduled to see a laryngologist, Lake continues therapy with Li and is making steady progress.
“We were so glad to see each other again,” Lake said. “She’s not only helping bring my voice back but also giving me tools to control my cough.”
“We’ve introduced techniques for Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (ILO),” Li said. “These breathing strategies help open the larynx, suppress coughing and improve airflow.”
Lake says Li’s support, and their relationship, has been instrumental in her recovery, allowing her to continue enjoying activities like singing at church and spending time with her husband, two children and nine grandchildren.
“Being able to communicate, have fun and feel like myself again means everything,” Lake said. “Hannah listens, understands and makes therapy enjoyable. I used to cough so hard I had to bend over, but that hasn’t happened since I started using these techniques.”
While Lake acknowledges she still has work ahead, she remains committed to her recovery and credits Li as a key source of motivation.
“Quality of life is our top priority,” Li said. “We want patients to feel comfortable using their voice and able to communicate effectively. That can make a tremendous difference.”
“Give it a chance - don’t give up or close the door on available options,” Lake said. “This has been an eye-opening experience, and it feels like I’m getting my life back.”
To learn more about speech language pathology and other therapy services across the Carle Health system, visit Carle.org.
“I had no voice at all for four months - it was barely above a whisper or squeak,” Lake said.
Lake consulted an otolaryngologist (ENT), who diagnosed her with muscle tension dysphonia, a voice disorder that causes hoarseness and vocal pain. The ENT recommended speech therapy to reduce strain and improve her voice quality.
In January, Lake began working with Carle Health speech-language pathologist Hannah Li, MA, CCC-SLP, at Carle Foundation Hospital, where she noticed improvement almost immediately.
“At first, Carol’s voice was high-pitched, aphonic and whispery - quite severe,” Li said. “We focused on reducing strain using techniques like manual laryngeal re-posturing (MLR), which relieves muscle tension in the larynx, or voice box.”
Lake also practiced light throat massages and resonant voice therapy, which emphasizes specific vowels and consonants to improve sound quality and reduce tension.
“We also used indirect strategies like staying hydrated and limiting prolonged voice use,” Li said. “She progressed very quickly and returned to a normal voice.”
“When I greeted my husband, he almost fell out of his chair - he was so surprised,” Lake said.
Lake continued her exercises at home with success, but her persistent cough created new challenges. A follow-up ENT visit revealed a vocal fold disorder further affecting her larynx.
“I woke up one morning, and just like that, my voice was gone again,” Lake said.
Now scheduled to see a laryngologist, Lake continues therapy with Li and is making steady progress.
“We were so glad to see each other again,” Lake said. “She’s not only helping bring my voice back but also giving me tools to control my cough.”
“We’ve introduced techniques for Induced Laryngeal Obstruction (ILO),” Li said. “These breathing strategies help open the larynx, suppress coughing and improve airflow.”
Lake says Li’s support, and their relationship, has been instrumental in her recovery, allowing her to continue enjoying activities like singing at church and spending time with her husband, two children and nine grandchildren.
“Being able to communicate, have fun and feel like myself again means everything,” Lake said. “Hannah listens, understands and makes therapy enjoyable. I used to cough so hard I had to bend over, but that hasn’t happened since I started using these techniques.”
While Lake acknowledges she still has work ahead, she remains committed to her recovery and credits Li as a key source of motivation.
“Quality of life is our top priority,” Li said. “We want patients to feel comfortable using their voice and able to communicate effectively. That can make a tremendous difference.”
“Give it a chance - don’t give up or close the door on available options,” Lake said. “This has been an eye-opening experience, and it feels like I’m getting my life back.”
To learn more about speech language pathology and other therapy services across the Carle Health system, visit Carle.org.
Categories: Culture of Quality
Tags: carle, foundation, hospital, language, larynx, pathology, slp, speech, therapy