Oh, you are preaching to the choir! I am on the board researching the same issue. My mom has had a trach since her surgery 6 months ago. She spends a large %age of her time with the cap off as it helps her to breathe. Three pulmonologists have flat out refused to take the trach out as she has a lot of secretions. OF course her surgeon says that the reason for the secretions is that the trach takes up so much room in the trachea!

We "manage" the secretions with Robitusson and a drying agent.