Yes, I love to sing, too, habitually like you describe, but my voice is too weak often so I find myself singing in my mind, where, incidentally, I am a much more impressive singer, or sometimes just moving my mouth, in which case others probably find me a much more impressive singer. When I could run, I would sing while running and even have two running friends who also would sing with me while running. People on the trails probably thought us mad. Oh, well, I'd love to still be out there running and singing my heart out. Nothing wrong with a joyful noise or with lip syncing. ;)

Haha! Thank you...it is nice to know the craziness isn't setting in just yet! I know what you mean about having a weak voice, my voice gets croaky in conversation and generally feels strained these days - if that makes any sense at all?! Looking forward to catching up on your journal Elinora....I hope things are still moving in the right direction for you, I was so relieved to read them last time....I know this sounds silly and I can't imagine what you're going through but I feel like I am going through it with you to some extent...as I am sure many other here do also!x

I noticed this too when diagnosed. I by no means have a fine singing voice but I always sang along with music and hummed throughout the day. Since MG, I only find myself singing along when I am feeling less symptomatic. (Autocorrect first printed 'signing'. Maybe that's what I need to do:-) As a whole, I find myself much quieter. Another reason this site is so wonderful...no speaking!

-sherry

I love to sing too and I talk to much lol. I actually am starting to find it funny when I ware myself out. OMG here we go again. When I say that most folks think I am using the Lords name in vain but u guys now what I really mean.

I love music and I love to sing. The only time people actually endure my singing is when it s their b day! I call them or sing in person a fast pace happy b day song-very heart felt, I may add!
:-)

I love to sing, too, but very young realized that my range was severely limited. They put me as alto in the choir and then wondered who eas siging the soprano an octave lower. Oh dear. A couple of years ago I realized I couldn't keep up with even the slow lyrics in the car (alone, of course). When I started being treated, i was shocked one day to discover while I was out serenading the flowers (or trying to scare away the weeds) that I could actually carry a tune! When I am doing well, I can sing--when not, it is back to intermittent noises in the car and trying to scare away the weeds. b.

I am a singer (though not a pleasant sounding one) also. I sing to relieve stress even, but now singing is actually painful for any length of time, thus the miming for me. Miss it.

Looking forward to hearing more about how you are doing, Eve.

Because MG is such a comprehensive malfunction, the losses seem to be many.

With my poor singing voice I stick to background vocals, as in "the Pips". At times I still have the moves, but not always.
Virtual choir anyone?
;)

Today in church I was sitting while everyone else was standing. So I thought the least I can do is join in singing even though I felt weak. We got to the end of the line of a stanza and I heard this deep alto voice. I am soprano. I wondered where in the heck that came from, I don't sing low. Until I read your post Eve I forgot about the MG. I knew it made me breathless, but an alto! hahaha!

Many moons ago I was a first soprano. It actually hurt to sing any lower than a soprano and many times couldn't even get as low as an alto. I remember at a Christmas Choir performance in High School singing "We three kings" and really tried so hard to sing the lowest of notes because I love how it sounded but just couldn't hit those notes. So I would do the solo in Carol of the bells, " Hark! how the bells, sweet silver bells All seem to say, throw cares away..." I would sing it in the halls between classes and at home. I was also one of two people that sang the national anthem at our football games. I was known at my dentist office as the humming bird because I always hummed along to the music playing in the office.

It has been very difficult for me to not be able to sing with the beautiful voice that I used to have. I used to sing songs to my baby sister (who has cerebral palsy) and she just loved it. Now I can't even remember the words to most of the songs that I used to sing to her. (Not being able to sing to her is the thing that breaks my heart the most.)

Now if I sing, it is along with the radio and alone in my car. (I can't even hit the soprano notes now.) I don't want to subject anyone to that kind of torture. Even then, I try to sing along and only air comes out most of the time. :-(

I must say though, I find comical the noises that come out of me sometimes. I laugh at myself all the time with singing. I can't help it if I sound like a drowning cat. lol

Aloha,
Angie

I do more lip syncing than anything now.

Eve I used to 'sing' but I doubt many would want to hear it LOL.

What I have found with MG is that my voice has been affected in 2 ways:

The first is that when my symptoms are worsening the pitch of my gets higher and more nasally sounding. My neuro explained that this is because the muscles related to the pallete and throat are causing this by being weakend. It has gotten to the point that if I notice my voice changing, I just reach for a Mestinon as I know the other general MG symptoms are not far behind. It's one of my early warning symptoms

The second way is that my voice does not last long at all. I can talk at normal levels to a small group of people for about 15 minutes and then my voice gets hoarse and croaky and overall weak. This has been an issue as that I'm a physicist and often have to give presentations and other talks. Once I have fatigued my voice it can take a day to come back. After the recent MG 'snowflake' gathering in Vermont this week, we all talked for a few hours, my voice was giving out. The next day my voice did not work well at all.

Nope your not crazy Eve, the voice is part of the bulbar muscles and can be affected by MG.

Joe

Before MG came into my life, I used to sing very well, and very often. I had a bit of training from high school, and used to sing in a choir as a young adult, before MG hit. Afterwards, things you experience I find myself doing too. I did try a long time ago, to get back into singing, with a church choir, but it is just too intense now for my voice, lungs, and other muscles to handle.

On my good days, I can sometimes belt out a tune or two before my voice acts up, but most days, I lip sing, or just scream in my head. It probably is your bodies way of coping with the inability to do it I'd think. You definitely aren't crazy. This disease is for sure though. ;)

Honey, MG will MAKE you crazy. Thought you knew!

I never sang well, but once upon a time I could carry a tune. So in short, not it's not just you.

Sometimes I get the mischievous urge to ruin a song on purpose, just to be funny. "If I can't do it, no one can! SUCKA!!!"

Thank you all for your replies and stories...I have a smile (well, a half smile!) on my face reading them all!!

It looks as though none of us will be doing an MG Charity single anytime soon then?!

Thank you...you never fail to cheer me up and most of all inspire me!x