Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Mancias, congrats to your FIL!!!! It sounds like you prepared for the worst but it turned out much better than you had hoped. Clean margins are what you want to hear. It sounds like your FIL is doing excellent. He is sailing right thru! I know its rough and there is a long road ahead, but he is doing very very well. Im so happy for you that he is recovering so quickly.
A huge part of the recovery will be continuing to get proper nutrition. Make sure you get the feeding pump for when he comes home. There are 3 ways to do the feedings. Try them all and see what works best for him. If he gets nausea from the formula, add water. If it is being done with the pump, then slow down the rate. Its alot of trial and error when it comes to getting it just right.
Im glad the possey muir valve trach works so well for him. I had that kind and it made things so much easier for me.
Keep up your positive attituide. Im a big believer that a good attitude helps make things easier on the patient. Best wishes to your FIL's for his continued recovery. ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive |