About a year ago, my doctor feared that there were nodules on my vocal chords. "Your voice needs complete rest," he cautioned. "It's best if you don't speak at all for at least ten days. In fact, a month of silence should be perfect if you want to get rid of them completely."

Impossible, I thought. My family can't survive a day without my constant supervision and advice. Nevertheless, I had to follow my doctor's instructions, so I began carrying a small notebook in my pocket. When my husband or children asked me a question, I jotted down the answer and showed it to them.

I couldn't, however, make a habit of it. Mealtimes were always special to our family. At mealtimes, I scribbled comments on a sheet of paper and passed it around the table to my husband and sons. It was a cumbersome process and didn't work. Within a week, my zest to communicate with my family reduced and my interaction with them was limited to nodding my head to simple questions. My heart cried -- my family, my life was drifting away from me.

"Your throat is not healing," Dr Kathuria informed me on my next visit. "I am afraid the nodules must be surgically removed." Two operations followed and I remained speechless through all that time. "I don't want to scare you," he said, after everything was over, "but it is possible the nodules might return."