Lizzie Borden Society Forum

In 1983, my good friend Bernhardt Wichmann III ("Ben" to his friends) underwent an operation to remove polyps from his vocal chords. As a result, he was rendered mute.

Three weeks ago, on August 7, after emerging from an MRI machine, his voice suddenly returned after 32 years!

I haven't seen him since, so I still don't know what his voice sounds like. I'm looking forward to it.

(I don't think I'm violating his privacy: his story appeared in a local paper (which is how I found out about it).)

Interesting and good news!

Wow, Constantine, that is great news – how wonderful for him. I was curious as to what happened that caused him to be able to speak again after all those years. So, I did a bit of research and found the following article which contains an explanation for this (I don't think you violated his privacy, because there is a lot more private things stated in this article than what you posted.):

The gradient magnets in the MRI are "what caused me to talk" after nerves in his throat were mistakenly severed, he believes.

More likely is that the muscles and ligaments of his vocal chords were injured in the original surgery, but changed shape with age to finally permit the vocal folds to flutter properly and produce speech, said Dr. Babak Givi, director of head and neck surgery at Manhattan VA Medical Center and NYU Langone Medical Center.

"As we grow older, the muscles and structure of our larynx changes; our voices get higher and the muscles get smaller," Givi explained. Another possibility is that the original injury was compounded by poor post-op speaking habits ("dysphonia") and Wichmann emerged somehow relaxed from the 45-minute MRI and able to recruit the correct muscles to talk, Givi continued.

Such a spontaneous recovery of speech is "extremely rare," Givi said, noting that such surgeries are now much more precise and less likely to leave patients voiceless or with speaking difficulties.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/nfroy3k

This is the article I mentioned. (The version in the paper is shortened somewhat.) Thanks.

I remember that many years ago, I had an impacted wisdom tooth removed. It was entirely under my gum, which had to be cut open. Also, in order to be removed, it had to be knocked into position with a kind of jackhammer! Of course, I was given novocain, but it was still no picnic. I couldn't open my mouth afterwards. I had to pry it open bit by bit. I still don't think I can open my mouth as wide as I could before, though I can open it wide enough for all practical purposes.

My guess is that my muscles were immobilized by the trauma. I wonder if something of the sort was what really happened to Ben and that there was nothing wrong with his nerves. Of course, I had no choice but to get my jaw muscles open quickly if I didn't want to live on smoothies for the rest of my life; and my muscles could be manipulated by hand. Perhaps he was right about the magnets. Maybe they loosened his muscles or maybe the paralysis just faded over time.

Just a theory.

You’re welcome for the article, Constantine. We may never know the actual reason of why after this many years he is able to talk again. I think it is a miracle, and I m so happy for him. Life is incredible, isn’t it?

The part of that article which I really enjoyed was where Mr. Wichmann stated, "The three words I want to hear from someone -- it hasn't been said yet -- are 'please shut up!'"

My first words to him when I see him again will be, "Whaddya say, Ben?"

Hopefully you’ll get to say those words before he starts to speak to you.

Thank you for sharing his story with us; I found it very interesting.

Right. (He may already know I know, actually. I gave one of his neighbors a note for him.)

How sweet you to send a note to him via his neighbor. I wish him the best of luck.

Thanks. So do I, of course. I'll keep you posted.

You're welcome. Please do keep us posted, I'd love it. '

Ben's been in the hospital for a while. I've been visiting him.

His other health problems are catching up with him, particularly his heart. If he is released, it will almost certainly be to a nursing home as he can only walk a little bit.

But he's talking up a storm.

This is great news, Constantine! I am so happy that Ben is continuing to talk, in spite of his other health problems. Bless his heart!

Ben has been released to a nursing home. I haven't visited him yet.

Thank you for keeping us updated, Constantine. I hope the nursing staff is kind to Ben and helps him maintain the limited walking ability he still has.

Visited Ben in the nursing home last night. The staff seems to be quite kind. I'm glad to say that he is being given therapy to maintain his walking ability. On the other hand, he says (if I understand him right), that his medication has been cut back as the facility can't afford to give him all that he has been accustomed to. I find this worrysome.

I'm glad to hear that the nursing staff seem to be kind to him, and I am very happy to hear that he is being given therapy to maintain his walking ability! Those two things will definitely help him to live a more productive life.

I don't understand what the facility has to do with paying for his medications. (Am I misunderstanding something here?) That just doesn't sound right to me. Ben's insurance should be covering the cost of his medications, not the facility. Any cut back on medications have to come from Ben's physician. I wonder if there is another medical reason why his physician decided to cut back on the medications. I don't blame you for finding this worrisome; I am concerned about his medications being cut back and I don't even know Ben!

Thank you for this update, Constantine; I just hope the cut back on his medications is something that will benefit Ben.

Glad to hear Ben's doing well and receiving therapy. I agree with Twins- what does the facility have to do with his medications? If you know the family, you could always check with them. It might be something they aren't aware of.

Maybe I misunderstood. Ben is an 83-year-old bachelor. He is as poor as the proverbial church mouse. I know he has veteran's benefits (he was in a veteran's hospital), and presumably Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. I don't think he has any family left. He does have friends who visit him regularly.

OK, since Ben has veteran’s benefits, his medications would be covered through them. As I previously mentioned, any decrease of his medications would be done by his physician, who would then send a prescription to the appropriate Veteran's Pharmacy to be filled.

My twin brother is also a veteran, and it is my understand that all of his medical needs as well as medications are covered through his veteran’s benefits.

Constance, please don't feel bad about any misunderstanding. It's very confusing for many of us. I obtained the knowledge I have from working in a pharmacy for 30 years, and then in an assisted living facility for 6+ years as a med passer. Otherwise, I would be in the same boat you are.

Visited him two days ago. I'm glad to say that his condition seems to be improving. He's put on weight, which I'm glad and relieved to see. He had been throwing out a lot of his food (which, apparently, is extremely unappetizing) and had been reduced to little more than skin and bones. I saw him walk a bit too. He's actually talking about the possibility of someday being released, which I would have thought extremely unlikely. Well, we'll see. He's talking a blue streak too.

This is wonderful news, Constantine!!! Thank you for posting an update; I hope Ben continues to improve. Bless his heart!

I am sorry to report that Ben died last Thursday, July 7, 2016 at the age of 83. His cancer had metastasized heavily. I don't know what else to say.

Oh no. I am so sorry to hear of Ben's passing. However, we must keep in mind, it is a blessing that he is now finished with his pain and suffering. May he rest in peace.

Constantine, thank you for letting us know this very sad news.

A couple of doormen on the block he had lived on had been arranging his affairs in recent years. I called one of them to see if any memorial was planned. He told me his body was still at the hospital and that they were trying to raise money for his cremation. Apparently, however, if they were unable to, the city would handle it, so it's nothing to be concerned about.

I hadn't visited him in several weeks. One day, I went to the nursing home and found that he had been taken to the hospital. I was told he was quite confused. I called the hospital and they told me the same thing. I was all set to visit him last weekend and called the hospital to make sure he was still there. They told me he had died. I regretted not having tried to see him sooner, but I did have other concerns, of course.

Oh poor Ben! It warms my heart to know that he had such wonderful friends as you, and the doormen on his block.

I know what you mean by regretting that you didn't go to see him before he passed. My father had requested to see his children the day before he passed away. I was married to my first husband at that time, and we only had one car, which he had purchased. He refused to allow me to take his car to go and see my father, and I have regretted not being able to fulfill my father's last request ever since.

I am sorry that you did not get to visit Ben before he passed away, but take comfort in knowing that you did the best you could at the time. I know that isn't much of a comfort, but that is the only way I have been able to cope with that part of my life.