Last week there was a story that Miley Cyrus was trying her darnedest to get fired from the Disney show that made her famous, Hannah Montana. TMZ has run several stories based on insider reports that she and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, are showing up late to the set and generally annoying the cast and crew. Miley is rumored to be bragging that she’s going to get fired from the show and released from her contract in order to focus on her more lucrative singing career. She of course denied that she was up to any such thing, but it sounded like typical publicist spin.

Now there’s a report that gruff-voiced Miley, just 15, is suffering from a nodule on her vocal cord. Nodules often affect singers and people who have to yell or use their voice in loud conditions like cheerleaders and announcers. They’re somewhat common among singers and are not damaging to one’s health, but can potentially affect a person’s voice and derail that singing career Miley may be pinning everything on.

“Miley’s voice started getting really hoarse in late August, and she was having trouble hitting high notes that she could hit before,” says the source. “Her concerned parents took her to the doctor, who diagnosed the beginning stages of a nodule. That’s obviously not good news, especially since she’s so young.”

Fortunately, her condition was diagnosed in its early stages. A rep for Miley denies it, but the source adds her doctor recommended three weeks of vocal rest, though she gamely insisted on performing briefly at the Sept. 5 Stand Up to Cancer and Sept. 14 Concert for Hope fun-raisers, and planned to go through with her Sept. 27 concert at Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino. Her doctor also suggested she take vocal lessons to relearn how to warm up her voice properly.

“Besides vocal rest, hydration is also very important, drinking lots of fluids and using a humidifier to help shrink the nodules,” says L.A.-based ear, nose and throat specialist Ali Namazie, M.D., who has not treated Miley.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, October 6, 2008]

Star has an inset feature which lists other singerswho have had nodules including Justin Timberlake, who had an operation to remove them in May, 2005, and Mariah Carey, who has suffered from nodules all her life. That explains why she sleeps in a steam room with 20 humidifiers and a bed covered with terry cloth. It sounds like Miley will be fine if she does the recommended treatment, but is she protecting her voice as medically directed? If she performed three times this month that’s hardly following doctor’s orders

Miley Cyrus is shown out at the Coffee Bean in LA on 09/20/08. Credit: CAD/Fame Pictures. She is also shown riding her bike with her brother Noah and her little sister Cody on 9/28/08. Credit: BOY/Fame Pictures