My Vocal Polyp Is Gone, After 10+Yrs
I’m still in shock that I’me even writing these words:
✨ My vocal polyp is gone. ✨
No surgery.
No dramatic intervention.
Just years of practice, patience, vocal technique, healing, and… acceptance.
If you’re a singer who’s struggling with vocal health — I’m sharing this for you.
🌑 The Beginning
I first started noticing something was off over 15 years ago.
I was in acting class, running scenes, and suddenly I couldn’t rely on my voice the way I used to.
My sound felt fuzzy. Tight. Weak. I’d lose clarity, especially on higher notes. I didn’t know it at the time, but something was changing — and I could feel it in my body.
Eventually, I was diagnosed with a vocal polyp by an ENT at Kaiser.
If you don’t know what that is: it’s a little bump on your vocal fold that can cause issues with closure, clarity, and endurance. For me, it made high notes feel like a fight. Made me tire out fast. Made me doubt myself constantly.
And even though I’ve taught so many singers that you can still sing with a polyp — and you can — there was still this layer of shame I carried.
Like my voice was broken.
Like I was never going to get the clarity and freedom I craved.
⛰️ The Long Road
For over a decade, I sang with that polyp.
Some doctors said it wasn’t bad enough to need surgery.
Others said I should consider it.
I weighed the options. I waited. I kept training.
All the while, I was dealing with fatigue, vocal inconsistency, and a deep grief around what I knew my voice was capable of.
I had already accepted:
This might be a forever thing.
And I had made peace with that.
Even through the frustration, I decided I would keep singing.
I would keep teaching.
I would keep showing up for my voice — exactly as it was.
And that mindset shift? That peace?
That was the start of my healing.
🌿 What I Decided to Do Before Committing to Surgery
Here’s what I focused on over the years:
Vocal health & technique — daily warmups, gentle strengthening, smart rest
Whole-body healing — I stopped punishing my body, stopped starving it, stopped pushing
Nervous system work — breathwork, yoga, somatic tools to stay regulated while singing
Letting go of perfectionism — giving myself full permission to sound weird, soft, or raw
Speaking truth — no more shrinking or staying silent to be polite or palatable
Self-trust — I stopped looking for a single expert to “fix me,” and learned to listen inward
I also walked away from bulimia, years of perfectionism, and a lifestyle that didn’t support my instrument.
And now?
It’s gone.
🎉 What I Want You to Know
This post IS NOT about some magical cure or formula.
It’s not “do what I did and your polyp will disappear.” It’s definitely not anti surgery!
It’s a reminder that:
There is no one right way to heal
Your voice is still valuable, even if it’s not perfect
You are still a singer, even if you’re hurting
You deserve care, second opinions, and coaches who treat you like a human — not a machine
💌 If You’re Struggling…
Please know you’re not alone.
Whether you’re dealing with a polyp, nodules, tension, fatigue, or even just fear — I see you.
I’ve been you.
And you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.
If you're ready to explore your voice again — from a place of compassion, nervous system safety, and actual joy — I offer free discovery calls to help you take the next step.
📥 Click here to book a [discovery call]
Your voice isn’t broken.
Your healing doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
And it’s never too late to come home to your sound.
With love,
Kat