Somerset MP Anna Sabine reports voice recovery after surgical nerve damage

Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine, who feared she might never speak confidently again after losing her voice during surgery, says she has seen clear signs of recovery. The MP for Frome and East Somerset lost her voice for several months after a thyroid operation in June cut one of the nerves to her vocal cords, leaving her with a condition called vocal cord paralysis. Sabine, 46, said she first realised something was wrong when she woke up from the operation at a hospital in Bath. She had been warned the procedure might feel strange, but the following morning her surgeon told her a mistake had been made and permanent damage had been caused. At that point she could speak, but only in a whisper. When Parliament returned after the summer recess in September, she had to use a microphone to take part in debates. She said the experience came as a shock and left her feeling lonely, describing the voice as a key part of who a person is, whether they are an MP or not. She admitted she had wanted to hide when she returned to Westminster, because she was never sure what would come out when she stood up to speak in the chamber. However, she said messages of support from people who had heard her radio and television interviews over the summer inspired her to speak publicly, even though she felt embarrassed and found the experience extremely exposing. In a surprise turn of events, Sabine said she woke up one morning during the recess to find her voice had regained some of its natural strength. Her family noticed the difference, and she said her voice is now the closest it has been since the surgery to how it was before. She added that friends say she does not sound quite the same as she used to, and that her voice still feels wobbly at times, but that broadly speaking it is back to where it should be. Sabine said she would now be running a campaign about improving access to therapy for adults.