I get that way when I sing- still, over three years later.

But with regards to talking, for me, I just had to concentrate on taking a deep breath before I started speaking. I think after a PE, we're sort of subconsciously afraid to take a deep breath, like we sort of forget how to breath normally. I think it's because we're so hyper focused on breathing, trying to determine, ok, do I have shortness of breath, am I getting enough air, etc So, I think some of it is conditioning your lungs (try walking, swimming, talking more, etc) and some if it is re-learning how to breath normally. Meditation practices can help with that.

I wonder too if others who've gone to pulmonologist post PE would have any tips.

Amy, I noticed the same thing a couple of days ago. I was reading a lengthy article to my husband and kept having to deep breath for air. I told him I was having trouble breathing. I have a pulse ox so I checked my oxygen level expecting my levels to be low and they were up to 98. (mind you I am on oxygen but it still will go down).

guess it is something we have to live with and as rmb said - just take deep breaths and breath between sentences. I will be curious how I can handle my job. I am customer service, tech support where I am on the phone for 8 hours straight talking, talking, talking. Don't know how the heck I am going to handle that. I am suppose to go back next week. I am totally nervous.

Hi- I am a singer and a teacher. Recently went back to work giving 2-hour long lecture classes. Next I teach an 8 hour lecture class!
I do get SOB when talking from time to time.
I am learning to speak more slowly, take deep breaths between sentences and am walking to try to improve overall health.
Last night the slower speech and taking time to breathe deeply helped a lot. It might even be improving my teaching style...silver lining!
Hang in there, slow improvement seems to be the name of the game.

LOL My Husband says that's Gods way of telling me I talk to much!
HUGS
Ferr

I have SOB when i talk and i am going on 21/2 years from when i had my DVT&PE'S. I have to go see a pulmonary doctor to do testing as to why it is happening i also noticed my right side hurts more if i do to much and having fibro doesn't help either. I have been thinking of getting a powerbreathe from bowflex and see if it will help strengthen my lungs, here is a link to it.
http://www.bowflexcatalog.com/bowflex_catalog/collections/bestsellers/accessories/prdcd~004-0614/POWERbreathe+Plus.jsp

I am almost 8 months out from my PE and I still have SOB when talking to people some of the time (usually happens when stressed or excited). I am back to exercising (gym, walking etc.) which has probably helped a bit but I still find my lungs get a tight feeling and I have to almost force air out when exhaling. My chest actually aches. As rmb said, I think we are hyper focused on breathing but I wonder if it is also our lungs healing? Maybe anxiety? SOB when talking is the only symptom that still bothers me and I hope it improves over time.

Alright, being a professional classical singer and voice teacher, I suppose I gotta chime in on this one! I agree with everything everyone has said so far. These are all great techniques, and I would add just 2 more helpful hints.

Try not to speak in in short, staccato little bursts, with tiny breaks in between every word or so. Like rmb said, take a deep breath (through your mouth, not just your nose, you'll get much more air into your lungs that way.) and then try and connect your words together, in a legato, smooth fashion.

Think about the way Martin Luther King Jr. used to speak. He didn't have a great voice, but he spoke very well, almost halfway between speaking and singing. In the old days they used to call this "recitation." Also, like everyone has said, make a conscious effort to remember to breathe often, even in the middle of a sentence if necessary.

ShilosMommy is a singer too, and we have had several conversations about how singing has been easier for us than talking. Might I suggest singing your favorite slow ballads (maybe to your sweetie? very romantic!) as a stamina building exercise? Go for it!!! And it doesn't matter what you THINK you sound like, you're probably way better than you think; singing truly is for everyone! Who knows, maybe we'll see a DS/PE baby boom in about 9-10 months! -Martin

You can ask your Dr to refer you to pulmonary therapy. It really helps reexpand your lungs and increase their capacity.

I also found that using the incentive spirometer that the respiratory therapist gave me in the hospital helps a lot too. They are usually given to patients who are at bed rest to prevent pneumonia. I just got another one while I was in the hospital with my knee surgery and I still use it. The old ones I have the Grandsons have taken over and use as musical instruments. Using it sure helps get any gunk out of my lungs and helps expand them quite a bit. makes my lungs feel good.
Hugs
ferr

It has been a few years since I taught classes part-time but I do remember a trick that I found made the verbal part of the delivery much less taxing. Unfortunately, I cannot say if it would help under the exact circumstances as we know them, since this all passed in healthier days.

During one of my teaching quarters I accommodated a deaf student and his interpreters. They struggled to keep caught up with me, and continuous signing was stressful work in the best of circumstances. To make things easier on them, I slowed down the delivery and tried to think out a few words ahead of time and condense them down to shorter sentences with catch-up pauses. It worked, and it improved the delivery for the hearing students as well. The class was 2 hours lecture and 2 hours lab with few breaks, but I still had energy left at the end. The reports from the interpreters were so good that the disability services office started steering other deaf students to my classes.

Hi Amyr I work in lecturing and have been having speech therapy now for some five months following my PE in the summer 2010 - I had my vocal cords checked outr first by an ENT specialist and I can see a slow improvement in my voice - I am working on breathing re-training and its slowly paying off - all the best