Then, Adams lost his voice in early 2005 after a bout of bronchitis and laryngitis. He withdrew; the thought of going to the grocery store without saying “hi” or “thank you” was depressing. Being unable to scream “fire!” or “watch out!” terrified him.

His only comfort was that he could sing and recite poetry with only minimal gasping and stammering. He recited nursery rhymes every night in hopes of “re-mapping” his brain.

Last weekend, Adams was chanting “Jack Be Nimble” for the umpteenth time when it dawned on him: He wasn’t having a stitch of difficulty.