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Patient Testimonials & Results
Click Here to read about ZHT treatments on the SpasmodicDysphonia.us web site.
From Severe Apnea/CPAP to ZHT Miracle!
August 4, 2005 [My husband] Jim has not snored at all since the four ZHT treatments with Dr. Zhou in Chicago last month. This has been somewhat difficult for ME to get used to because his silence is still so unusual that throughout the night I keep reaching over to make certain that he is ALIVE. Also, I never know when our evening “pillow talk” is done, since when he now SILENTLY drifts off to sleep, I sometimes talk to him again and I end up waking him up--- disoriented. Such small prices we pay for a reduced chance of a him having a third heart attack or yet another stroke. WE are THRILLED with the results of ZHT!
The feeling and good circulation in Jim’s left hand/fingers has remained, since Dr. Zhou’s very first treatment also. Pretty amazing! Jim could not feel his finger tips for over 4 years, post stroke. He regularly would burn himself before he could feel heat, even from something that hot. Now he can button his own shirt as well as manipulate very tiny objects because he can feel them again.
Last week Jim happily spent days assembling, soldering and repairing a bunch of minute electronic items. He was SO pleased because he has been an electronics expert and had let these professional radio and personal items pile up since his stroke. He had futility been “hoping that SOME day” he would again be able to work on them. Thank you Dr. Zhou, for allowing Jim the joy of return to this “normal” activity.
My voice is much stronger and I can now comfortably speak to large groups for a full seven hours to teach my seminars. So is my husband’s voice (his volume had been way down for about 4+ years, after a stroke). After only three treatments for myself, my energy level is much, much better also. I can walk farther and stand longer than I have been able to do in years. An example: After only two ZHT treatments I shopped at Sam’s and then stood in a long line to check out. When I finally got through the line Jim had been sitting waiting for me in the food court. When I approached, he motioned for me to sit down next to him. I was shocked and surprised to happily realize I did not NEED to do so, like I normally would. We were both so delighted we laughed like little kids on the way out!
ZHT worked for both of us. I can’t wait for other doctors to be ready to share ZHT with their own patients. I hope you have tons of docs in attendance at the August ChiroCode seminar in Phoenix. My sister and two friends around the country are waiting right now.
- August 2005
Judy Lee |
2006-04-13 #22 |
Dr. Z Put The ZZZZ's Back Into My Sleep!
Dr. Zhou should be nicknamed, Dr. WOW! He put the zzzz's back into my sleep. I haven't had this many zzzz's in months. I have a condition named, "Sleep Apnea". However, I hear I'm not alone, as about 70% of Americans aren't getting enough oxygen. That's why "I'm always tired", is America's #1 symptom, and heart attacks and strokes are the #1 killers.
I've been using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) unit for about 4 months now, and this last week it quit working. It actually irritated my sinuses - swelled them up and the air couldn't get through. It woke me up in the middle of the night, and I couldn't get back to sleep. Two essential ingredients of life are: sleeping and breathing. You can go without food for about 4 weeks, without water about 10 days, without air SIXTY SECONDS!
Dr. Z asked me if I had 20 minutes on the phone. I said, "Of Course." He taught me just a portion of his simple ZHT technique on how to relax the SCM muscle and the trachea, which included a form of myofascial release and manipulation. It was wild and crazy! My new CA was listening in the background and laughing like crazy as I started my self treatment. I was getting light headed. He had me coughing with my stomach and saying the longest "ahhhh" I've ever said, etc..
I usually wake up at least 2-3 times/night; and in the last few nights I just couldn't get back to sleep. With only three hours of sleep in two days, I was beginning to get worried. Patients were starting to say, "I hope I don't feel like you look, doc." I said, "You think you got problems, wait till you hear mine."
My first night after this "Physician heal thyself - non-HMO, non-managed care, no patient records to dictate, and certainly not a usual and customary procedure" instruction from Dr. Z on the phone, had marvelous results with me. In spite of not having all those government protections to protect me from myself while I'm trying to live; I slept the best I have in weeks. I didn't wake up once, and when I woke up it was just when the alarm was going off within a minute.
If you would like to discover the FREEDOM TO BREATHE, come to the ZHT - BREATH EASY seminar. If you get oxygen to the brain, you start to get more energy, you start to feel younger, then you start to think younger, and then ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!
Thank you Dr. WOW, for the zzzz's. I look forward to getting your complete treatment, attending your seminar, and becoming proficient at these exciting "NON-USUAL AND CUSTOMARY" procedures in my office to help my patients live while they're alive.
- July 2005
Allen D Unruh, DC - The Country Chiropractor from SD. |
2006-04-13 #21 |
Dear Dr. Hayes,
Thought I would zap you a note to let you know how I'm doing. I was planning to wait until the 1 week point, but am having some fairly major fluctuations the last day or so that I want to run by you. It may all be normal, but I'll feel better hearing that from you, LOL.
Thursday evening after my 2nd appt, I had the best voice I've had in the 5 days since ZHT. It was 98% clear of any dysphonia whatsoever. No vocal breaks, no head pressure, no feelings of verbal/vowel "resistance" when speaking. My voice was almost "normal".......a tiny bit of extra air in it, but not much. I had my first telephone conversation since Christmas. I was much more dysphonic on the phone, which is typical. Nonetheless, because I did have voice around the dysphonia, I was understandable. When I hung up and talked to Bob again, I went back to 98% capacity. It was AWESOME! I sang back and forth to OKC (4 hrs), talked on the phone over an hour and darn near talked Bob's ear off all evening, haha.
Friday my voice was not quite as good, strong in the morning but around 65% in the afternoon on. Saturday it was easily around 90% all day. In typical SD form, it's less dysphonic first thing in the morning, but does tend to fluctuate.
Since ZHT treatment (until Sunday), no matter how much it's fluctuated, the dysphonia factor has been mostly cutting in and out, not breathiness. So I always have some degree of voice....sometimes it's just more choppy than others. I've maintained voice until 10pm easily, and that's huge too.
I worried that because I spend a lot of time alone that I'm underusing my voice and that might stall/slow down my progress, so I've started reading out loud in 20-30 minute segments. I start out pretty choppy for the first 5-8 minutes, but then it levels out quite a bit. I stay well hydrated while reading and randomly do some voice exercises to "prime the pump" a bit. I've been doing the exercises faithfully 4-5x/day.
Sunday I had the worst voice day I've had since treatment, but it was off and on. I was much more dysphonic mid morning, but read out loud for a bit and that leveled off. I was probably around 55% when we went to see a matinee but after that, it was considerably better - around 85%. About an hour later, it fizzled out again and that evening marked the return of markedly more forced speech, more breathiness, considerably more strain, more "gasping" type of speech. I was probably around 30% Sunday evening from 6pm on.
This morning was the worst morning I've had since treatment. The breaks are getting longer in duration and I started this day at about 30%, and that's an optimistic number.
I'm doing the exercises faithfully 4-5x/day, and randomly using the Hahaha one to "reopen" my voice. I have excellent loudness with that one and at times almost result in coughing/gagging from it. I am loud enough while doing it that I fear the neighbors think that crazy Yankee has finally flipped ;-) The exercise that seems to most consistently ride side saddle with how my voice is doing is the last one.....the diaphragm press/1-2-3. I initially had several run throughs with that that were almost perfect. On Saturday I started breaking on 6, 9 + 10 and Sunday and this morning I was breaking on just about everything except 3.
The benefits/progress I've experienced are: a much wider range of voice than I've had in years; when I'm at 90%+ I have very little "vowel resistance" as I call it, when I speak. I've been able to hold easily understandable conversations in restaurants, and ordered for myself once, which was huge for me. My "stop and go" talking (to cashiers, etc) is fairly easy, whereas before it was impossible. I've been able to raise my voice to call my dogs, and projection has been there without breaks, even if my voice is thin. Sometimes when my voice is "kicking in" I can feel the patterns shifting.....typically it's break-break-break but when reading and "working out the kinks" it's break-break-slight downshift to lower tone (closer to normal)-bit of hoarseness-break-break-another downshift as it loosens up. I'm so used to the "normal" patterns that the change is pretty easy for me to detect. Also, at 95%-98% on Thursday evening, I felt resonance in my throat from my vocal chords while speaking, which is probably something most people don't ever notice, but believe me, I sure did! So there is quite a bit of progress, and I do recognize that. My concern is the return of some of the old familiar on Sunday.
My husband feels I am expecting too much too soon (and that is typical Misty mode, LOL) and that fluctuations are to be expected. I explained to him that my major concern is losing ground. I'm determined to be your 100% recovery success story, LOL, but I realize that since my S/D is considered severe that my road to recovery might have more trials than others. Do I need to be doing anything differently, or do we keep it up for awhile and see what happens? I fully understand the exercises build muscles and they haven't had a chance to do that. I just don't know if the fluctuations are normal, to be expected, or if you need to know about them. Also, I decided to stay on the Aciphex for the time being because I need to know the fluctuations aren't from that. So reflux shouldn't be an issue here.
A side issue that may not be related but one I wanted to mention is that I have had some asthma symptoms (tightness in lungs/breathing) that I haven't experienced in almost 2 yrs (since going on Advair). It was to the point where I almost grabbed my albuterol inhaler for some relief and I haven't had to use that since 2004. I feel it mostly at night and for the first few hours in the morning.
Another question I have is regarding speech therapy. I am currently going 2x/week at the expense of my military insurance. I don't feel it's helping and I'm seriously considering dropping it, but if it will aid in my recovery at all, I'll stick with it. Do you have any thoughts on that one way or the other? I had last week off due to my therapist being gone but Tuesday is my next appt. I would like to tell her about my ZHT experience. If she asks for your name and contact info, is it OK to give it to her?
I apologize for the lengthy email. I know this treatment is relatively new and wanted to give you as much info as I could in order to help you to help me. I so very much appreciate your time and dedication to your patients. Thank you again for everything! Looking forward to your input =)
Dear Dr. Hayes,
I suspect you have been flooded with requests for information about ZHT, so I appreciate your time. I've had ADSD for over 10 years and botox has been the only success durng that time. Usually, the botox is done about once every 3-4 months.
I live near Dallas TX, so if you have more information or know someone in this area that practices ZHT, I would appreciate the information.
Thanks,
Dear Dr. Hayes,
I have had SD for 35 years and have had botox injections for twenty years. The botox no longer works. Are there ZHT practitioners in the NYC area??
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Dear Dr. Hayes,
It is AMAZING!!!! I tried sticking my tougue out and saying AHh loudly and for as long as I could with one breath of air and then made a phone call with very little spasm in the vocal chords. It did not last long but the returning tightness was much less severe. It was more like the early stages of when the the botox is wearing off and I have 2 to 3 weeks before the strangulationI dance debuts in my throat. I am not sure how to do the tapping under the diaphragm. Is that the clevage area underneath or at the bottom of the chest area? How long should I do both of these exercises?
My plans will be to find out your schedule first and then come out for a weekend of treatment. Needless to say I am on a high with just the effect of the one exercise.
Any more easy exercises that you can recommend before I arrive?
Thanks,
| - J. B. - Richmond, Virginia |
2006-04-13 #17 |
Dear Dr. Hayes,
There has been a noticeable improvement in my voice since the treatment. My diaphragm does not have the usual tight feeling and I am able to talk without holding my breath. In the past my diaphragm would be so tight that I wouldn't get proper air flow for speaking. This could have been caused by my vocal chords being locked and the smooth flow of air wouldn't produce sound through the vocal chords without straining.
This morning was the first good test for the exercises. I didn't sleep very well and when I woke up I could really feel the tightness in my diaphragm. After doing the exercises for about 15 minutes on the way to work my diaphragm began to relax. One of the better exercises is where you stick your tongue out while saying AHH and also the one where you tap upper diaphragm and say ahh or the ABCs.
I will continue to keep you updated. Please let me know if you hear of any chiropractors close to Houston who have had ZHT training.
Thanks for the help.
Dear Dr. Hayes,
I last saw you 2/8 and didn't really notice any improvement until that Friday, 2/10 when my voice was stronger. Over that weekend, it was terrible. We were visiting family out of town. (Seems like there's something about family that gets to me every time - perhaps because they want so badly for me to be able to talk.)
The next week it did get stronger again. While not perfect, it is still better than when you first saw me. I have learned a valuable lesson - last Friday, 2/17, I didn't feel well and ended up doing the exercises only once. Wow! Did I ever pay for that on Saturday! It was really hard to do the exercises Saturday and I'm still working to get back where I was last Friday. It's hard for me to believe that after doing them so much, such a short break can be so critical.
I'm still having trouble with the soft pallet vibration, but I'm still working on it.
Long term speaking is still the worst problem and sometimes getting started is a pain in the butt, but all in all I'm still encouraged.
I'm anxious to see what you have for me now!
Thanks for sticking with me!
| - H.R. - Wichita, KS |
2006-04-13 #15 |
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Phone: 888-757-9067