Early Morning at Banner Hospital

In 2016, I began to cough.  At first, it started by 9pm every night.
Sometimes lasting all night. Sometimes showing up during the day. 
Coughing fits are physically exhausting, but OTC’s helped. 

In 2018, I visited National Jewish Hospital in Denver, Colorado, 
renowned  for research in respiratory disorders. Many tests involved coughing and sticking tubes up my nose and down my throat.  The worst - 24 hour monitoring of my breathing with the tube and a little computer box. 
Diagnosis: Idiopathic cough - no identifiable cause.

In Jan. 2024, an ENT recommended Dr. Yip, an otolaryngologist. She tried drugs, shots in the neck and finally the winner… 
A Botox injection: using a long curved needle to inject directly into the larynx. 

Dr. Yip tried performing the injection in her office, but my larynx fought back. The alternative: A visit to the hospital surgery ward. 

The good news, it worked. A steady slowing of the cough until July. 
Then little by little it returned, but not as bad as before. 

One little drawback, Botox doesn’t last, and numerous treatments are required for a full stop. 

Side effect: A weak breathy voice like a whisper, lasting 4-6 weeks. 
I must use 3T of a thickener in my drinks, or I’ll start to choke. 

Pretty easy stuff to deal with to end my cough.