My mother was just diagnosed with Vocal Chord Disorder. It's rarely fatal but it feels like she's dying whenever she has an attack. The symptoms are very similar to heart attack and stroke-trouble breathing, pressure in the chest, numb lips and tongue. She's been to the hospital several times in the last three weeks and had additional doctor visits so we know that VCD is the problem and not something more serious.
But it's been really bad this week. The attacks used to be once in a while, last a few hours and go away. She's been feeling terrible all week (which hasn't stopped her from working full-time). It's horrifying to watch her have an attack. She cries like a child and is so scared she's going to pass out and never wake up. The doctors keep giving her different pills and trying different things but so far nothing is working.
It's just really hard to watch her like this. My mother is such a wonderful awesome person. She's always been my rock. And I can't do anything to help her. All I can do is just watch her be tortured by her own body. I would do anything to make it stop.
Has anyone ever experienced this disorder or know anything about it? Doctors don't seem to know much about it. We found a website that describes her symptoms exactly, but the cures that worked for those people don't seem to be working for her. I feel so helpless.