it, changed. no more cheering for her kids. silence at the salon. and routines at home became the challenge. >> she had to bang on the wall to wake us up on the morning. >> it not only was a strain on her voice it was a strain on the marriage. >> it was like i wasn't married almost. a lot of things that we did we weren't doing together. >> reporter: four agonizing months and friends told her about something they heard in the news. >> they called and said you have to listen to this woman, she sounds just like you. >> i can't order food at a restaurant because people don't understand me. >> reporter: and in that story was a doctor who said a common cold can cause something called functional dysphonia. when a cold virus enters your voice box it can cause irritation and swelling, makes your voice hoarse. a lot of swelling can trigger abnormal tightening around the muscles in the voice box to lose your voice completely. erin did not know if that is