Hi Susie

I had the same operation 9 months ago. I believe that most people have a tracheotomy so that means no food and no talking for a while. This means you need to eat up now and enjoy what you are eating:) A patient opposite me was a doctor and he was very well organised. He held a large notebook on his chest and seemed to clutch a pen in his hand all the time. I was always losing my pen and had random bits of paper everywhere. A whiteboard would be good. It would also help to ask or read about the trach. I was puzzled by the suctioning (to clear the mucous).

I was a terrible patient because I seem to go crazy on morphine but I noticed a lot of other patients seem to doze in a morphine haze through the first few days. I was fine after a couple of weeks and haven't looked back. This surgery is unpleasant but it works.

I wish you all the best.