Jed Madela reveals how he triumphed over acute laryngitis

Maureen Marie Belmonte

<div><img src='' alt='060915-jed.jpg' width='400' height='290' align='left' border='0'>For the first time since news of him getting sick and losing his voice made rounds early this year, <i>Your Face Sounds Familiar</i> judge Jed Madela opens up about his fears when he learned about his acute laryngitis.</div><div><br/></div><div>Acute laryngitis in simple terms is the inflammation of the larynx also known as the voice box. Among the possible reasons why a person contracts it was due to vocal misuse, exposure to poisonous agents or infectious agents that could sometimes lead to upper respiratory tract infections.</div><div><br/></div><div>In an interview with Jed during the recent launch of his album Iconic, he shared that although it was serious he knew that it was treatable especially when diagnosed on its early stages.</div><div><br/></div><div>“<i>Naano lang talaga</i>, I pushed myself too hard during the last few months of 2014. So ‘yun I lost my voice for more than a month. As in totally<i> walang boses.</i> I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t sing. I wrote everything on paper,” he said.</div><div><br/></div><div>According to Jed, he learned about his condition in the middle of recording his album and while working at the same time.</div><div><br/></div><div>Jed admitted that he got scared that his voice might not return.</div><div><br/></div><div>“I became very paranoid s<i>abi ko baka hindi na bumalik. Sabi ko ‘Babalik paba ang boses ko?</i> This is the only thing I can do that I know I do really well. ‘<i>Pag kinuha pa sakin ang boses na ito ano nalang ang gagawin ko?’ Hindi naman ako</i> businessman, <i>hindi naman ako</i> business-oriented<i> na tao</i> and you know how can I survive?” he revealed.</div><div><br/></div><div>The world champion says he owes a lot to his strong support system who stayed by his side during the entire time that he was recuperating from his condition.</div><div><br/></div><div>“There was a lot of paranoia <i>buti nalang</i> I was surrounded by people who really supported me like my family, my friends. They guided me. <i>Ayun, </i>they assured me na ‘No matter what happens you’ll be fine.’ And of course, constant prayer. Talagang ‘<i>yun ang maging </i>strength ko,” he shared.</div><div><br/></div><div>Thankfully though, Jed happily shared that it didn’t affect his pitch saying that, “At first, during the first few months earlier this year hindi ko siya pinu-push kasi baka magkaroon ng permanent damage. I noticed I’d get tired easily, m<i>apapaos ako</i> agad or<i> mauubo ako kaagad, siguro</i> it takes time to heal talaga. Just like any sickness<i> kailangan talaga ng pahinga,</i> so that’s what I did. Based on <i>sa lumabas naman sa</i> album, the voice is back naman.”</div><div><br/></div><div>What he learned now that he’s fully recovered according to Jed is to listen more to his body. </div><div><br/></div><div>“I already realized<i> na tao lang ako</i>, <i>hindi pwedeng</i> go lang ng go lagi. And of course I’m not a teenager na sige go lang ng go because they have all the energy and mabilis lang sila mag-recuperate from pagod. Eh medyo nagkaka-edad narin tayo and I saw that I have to slow down a bit and learn how to say no,” he said.</div><div><br/></div><div>He added, “But sometimes the adrenaline of seeing people, happy, seeing people enjoy, nawawala ang pagod. ‘Yun pala naapektuhan na pala ang boses ko. Now I try to be disciplined. I try to sleep more. I try to be conscious of what my body is telling me. If I’m tired, slow down. Pero ’yun pa din. I try to kind of nudge myself na ‘wag i-baby kasi pag-i-be-baby mo ‘yung boses mo o katawan mo parang suma-sangayon siya na konting pagod nagakkasakit na. Tancha-tancha rin.”</div>

Although he knew that his condition wasn’t malignant, Jed admitted that he got paranoid that he might lose his voice for good.

Jed Madela reveals how he triumphed over acute laryngitis | PUSH.COM.PH