Chelsey

The lack of information I got before and after the surgery about the trach was scary to me also. The doctors and nurses just seemed to think it was so routine a procedure compared to the tongue surgery and free flap reconstruction and neck dissection that they just glossed it over.
The good news is that the trach really is not that big a deal. While I hate the PEG tube, I have to admit that getting that was better than the interim nasal feeding tube because with the PEG tube I could deal better with the mucous buildup after the surgery. They do wonders with the trach and in a few days I had a special valve put into the trach hole so I could talk easily. Amazingly, you just end up coughing or suctioning out the mucous in the trach, then keeping it covered with a bandage, and it heals up neat as can be all on its own. It turned out to be the easiest part of my cancer treatment, but still upsetting on an emotional level as I would look in the mirror and think: OMG, I have a hole in my throat!.
Charm