“I’ve been going through a thing,” the actress’ Instagram post caption begins. “Almost two years ago I lost my voice on stage at my Alzheimer’s event in Nashville. It was embarrassing & scary & it never quite came back. It’s been a challenging couple of years, but we finally got to the bottom of it.”
Sharing a picture of herself post-op, Williams-Paisley wrote that experts identified the problem as damage to her laryngeal nerve, which controls the voice box.
“I tried everything I could to heal it (so thank you but please don’t give me any tips!). I was finally able to have surgery this week at @vanderbilthealth with expert surgeons, & it is sounding so much better!! I have a badass scar that’s smiling at me across my neck,” she wrote, before adding that the image of the mark is not for the faint of heart.
The actress, who has appeared in Hallmark Christmas specials like Sister Swap and A Nashville Christmas Carol, shared that her medical journey was also personal.
“I haven’t wanted to share about this much until now because it felt too vulnerable,” Williams-Paisley continued. “I took for granted my ability to ‘use my voice’ before—for my career, for a good cause, for a timely joke, for SELF-EXPRESSION, for a loud dinner party. Instead, I’ve been the quietest in the room. I’ve felt meek. New people I’ve met thought I was a shy or reserved person. I’ve felt trapped in my body.”
The surgery, she detailed, required her to be awake during a three-hour laryngoplasty, which required the plumping up of one of the paralyzed vocal cords to interact with the other functioning one. “I watched a lot of it on a video screen above my head as it happened and all I can say is MODERN MEDICINE IS MIRACULOUS,” the actress said.
“I’ve been through shame & self-loathing, all kinds of training, breathing techniques, & braces & healing & laughing & crying & explaining,” Williams-Paisley said. “I’ve met many amazing helpers along the way who’ve become amazing friends & I’m feeling SO GRATEFUL.”
The We Are Marshall actress said that while the past two years have been “hell,” she hasn’t concluded the experience “empty-handed.”
“THE OTHER GOOD NEWS: In the last two years, I’ve found power in using my voice in new ways,” Williams-Paisley concluded. “I’ve healed old emotional wounds. I’ve learned the strength & beauty of silence. I’ve become a serious meditator. I’m deadlifting over a hundred pounds. I’m taking better care of my body. I’m managing stress. I’m dissolving shame. I’m feeling more whole, empowered & joyful.”
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