SURGERY, I COULD HEAR IT IN HIS
VOICE.
WHEN IT CAME OUT HE HAD THIS
SURGE
SURGERY, I HAD TO TALK TO HIM.
DR. ANTHONY FOUAUCI IS THE
COUNTRY’S INFECTIOUS DISEASE
EXPERT.
BUT THE DOCTOR BECAME THE
PATIENT UNDERGOING A PROCEDURE
TO GET A POLYP REMOVED FROM HIS
VOCAL CHORDS.
A SURGERY I HAD EARLIER THIS
YEAR.
HOW ARE YOU GOING?
I WAS OFF FOR SIX WEEKS AND I
WASN’T ALLOWED TO TALK FOR
ALMOST TWO WEEKS.
BUT YOU’RE BACK ON THE HORSE.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, WELL, I THINK I
PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE IT
YOUR WAY RATHER THAN MY WAY.
SO I HAD THE SURGERY ON A
THURSDAY AND THE ENT SURGEON
TOLD ME ESSENTIALLY DON’T UTTER
A WORD UNTIL SUNDAY.
THEN MONDAY HE SAID YOU COULD
TALK FOR MAYBE FIVE MINUTE
INTERVALS IN A ROW, NOT BACK TO
BACK.
A BUNCH OF EMERGENCY
CATASTROPHIC WHITE HOUSE
RELATED, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE
RIGHT WORD CRISES THAT I HAD TO
GET INVOLVED IN A LOT OF
ANIMATED DISCUSSION.
AND THEN I KICKED MYSELF AFTER
THAT BECAUSE IT DIDN’T FEEL 100%
GREAT THE WAY IT DID FIVE DAYS
AFTER THE SURGERY.
SO NOW I’M PULLING BACK.
>> DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE WAS
SOMETHING GOING ON?
>> GENERALLY OVER THE YEARS
BECAUSE I GIVE A LOT OF
LECTURES, MORE THAN I REALLY
SHOULD, I GENERALLY REST MY
VOICE FOR A WHILE.
AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, I GET THE
FULL COMPONENT BACK.
BUT THAT WASN’T THE CASE THIS
TIME.
>> Reporter: HE BELIEVES A
COMBINATION OF HAVING THE FLU IN
DECEMBER AND INFLAMED TRACHEA
AND THEN NONSTOP WORK ONCE THE
PANDEMIC HIT MAY BE TO BLAME.
>> BY THE TIME I GOT TO MARCH,
IT WAS CLEAR THAT MY VOICE WAS
SHOT.
BECAUSE I WOULD WAKE UP IN THE
MORNING AND DO, YOU KNOW, THE
"TODAY" SHOW LIVE AND IT WOULD
BE LIKE I HAD A FROG IN MY
THROAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I
GARGLED WITH SALT, YOU KNOW, HOW
MUCH I DRANK A HOT SOUP OR HOT
COFFEE.
WHEN I WOULD GET IN FRONT OF THE
TV, I COULDN’T GET MY NORMAL
VOICE.
>> Reporter: SOMETHING EVEN
SAVANNAH PICKED UP ON WHEN THEY
SPOKE IN APRIL.
>> ARE YOU OKAY?
YOUR VOICE DOES NOT SOUND GREAT.
>> I JUST NEED TO KEEP MY MOUTH
SHUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE SO IT
WILL GET BETTER.
>> TEA WITH A LITTLE HONEY AND
LEMON FOR THE DOCTOR, OKAY?
>> Reporter: BUT TRUST ME, WHEN
YOU HAVE A POLYP LIKE OURS,
AFTER A WHILE THOSE HOME
REMEDIES DON’T WORK ANYMORE.
IT HAS TO BE REMOVED.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB, MY FRIEND.
>> I KNOW.
>> Reporter: DOCTORS SAY POLYPS
CAN RESULT FROM TRAUMA.
LIKE SINGING PROFESSIONALLY OR
TALKING EXCESSIVELY.
ADELE FAMOUSLY HAVING SURGERY
FOR A POLYP IN 2011.
ARE YOU DOING ANY KIND OF SPEECH
THERAPY OR EXERCISES?
EVERYBODY AROUND THE "TODAY"
SHOW KNOWS I HAD ALL OF THESE
STRAUS AND GADGETS I’D DO BEFORE
THE SHOW.
IN THE COMMERCIAL BREAKS, I’D DO
IT.
IT SOUNDS SILLY, BUT IT WORKS.
>> I’M GLAD TO HEAR IT WORKS FOR
YOU BECAUSE I HAVE GOTTEN THE
SAME SORT OF INSTRUCTIONS.
I HAVE FOUR EMAILS IN MY INBOX
THAT I HAVEN’T THROWN OUT OF MY
INBOX.
I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY PAID
ATTENTION TO IT BECAUSE I’VE
BEEN SO BUSY.
BUT I’M GETTING INSPIRED BY YOU
AND WILL LOOK AT THEM.
I DO HAVE TO TRAIN MYSELF TO
SPEAK DIFFERENTLY.
BECAUSE THE WAY I DO SPEAK, I
SPEAK IN A VERY FORCEFUL WAY.
>> Reporter: SO WHEN OUR
INTERVIEW IS FINISHED, YOU NEED
TO STEAL AWAY AND TAKE OUT THOSE
STUPID WORK SHEATHEETS AND YOU’L
FEEL RIDICULOUS BUT TOMORROW
MORNING YOU’LL THANK ME.
>> I’LL DO THAT.
I PROMISE.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHO I THINK I AM
TELLING DR. FAUCI WHAT HE NEEDS
TO DO.
LIKE, WHO DO I THINK I AM?
BUT ANYWAY, DR. FAUCI TOLD ME
WHEN HE REALIZED SOMETHING WAS
WRONG, IT WAS WHEN ELECTIVE
SURGERIES WEREN’T TAKING PLACE
BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS.
LIKE MANY AMERICANS HE WAITED
UNTIL IT WAS SAFE TO HAVE THE
PROCEDURE.
>> I THINK IT WAS THE MOM IN
YOU.
>> IT WAS.
>> IFL FEEL LIKE THAT CAME OUT.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CRAZY
THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO?
>> I HAVE ALL SORTS OF GADGETS.
A SING RING WHERE YOU BLOW AIR
IN.
DON’T ASK ME WHAT IT DOES.
I HAVE NO IDEA.
WILLIE SAID ARE YOU PUTTING
PACKS ON --
>> WAS THAT AN ICE PACK?
>> I DO WARM PACKS.
AND I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY WORK,
BUT THEY WORK.
AND THE WORK SHEETS ARE
ANNOYING.
FAUCI HAS THE WORLD TO SAVE, SO
I RECOGNIZE THEY SEEM ANNOYING.
>> HE’S A LITTLE BUSY.
>> I’M LIKE, PROMISE ME.
I’M GOING TO TEXT YOU.
>> PLEASE FOLLOW UP.
