. >> reporter: one day, erin martin, wife, mom, and business owner, caught a simple cold. and days later, lost her voice. weeks turned into months. >> it just progressively turned more into this whisper that i had. >> reporter: a medical mystery. specialists put her on antibiotics, steroids, muscle relaxants and acid reflux relievers. when something worked. >> she was terrified she had cancer. >> there were no answers. >> reporter: 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 in a restaurant. people don't understand me. >> reporter: in that story, there was a doctor that said a common cold could cause functional dysphonia. she drove seven hours to the cleveland clinic, where the same doctor from the news story said it would take only minutes to change her life. >> sit up straight. try to relax your throat. pushing down on your voice box. >> reporter: he massages and relaxes the muscles around her vocal cords. at first, nothing. then, after five minutes

. >> reporter: one day, erin martin, a wife, mom and business owner, caught a simple cold and days later lost her voice. weeks turned into months. >> it just progressively turned more into this whisper that i have. >> reporter: a medical mystery. specialists put her on antibiotic, steroids, muscle relaxants and acid reflux relievers. when nothing worked, she was terrified she had cancer. >> just kind of been no answers. >> reporter: life as she knew it changed. no more cheering for her kids. silence at the salon. and routine things at home became a challenge. >> the unfun part was she had to bang on the wall to wake us up in the morning. >> reporter: it not only had a strain on her voice but on her marriage. >> it was like i wasn't married. >> reporter: four agonizing months. and then friends told her about something they heard in the news. >> they called and said you've got 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: in that story was a doctor who said a common cold can cause something called f