Wishing you all the very best with the upcoming surgery Rachel.
I am also familiar with the tracheostomy and NG tube having both when I had my original 14 hour surgery.
Glad to hear that you are happy with your team, family and friends. It all goes to making it more doable.
You also have some great tips from Margie and Cheryl including the whiteboard which I also used to communicate.
Getting the nurses to suction the tracheotomy site when it needed doing was sometimes difficult when they were busy. After a few days (and the worst was over) one of the nurses showed and set it up for me to do it for myself.
Please update us when you are able�..again thinking of you and wishing you all the very best.


History Leukoplakia bx 8/2006 SCC floor mouth T3N0M0- Verrucous Carcinoma.
14 hour 0p SCC-Right ND/excision/marginal mandibulectomy 9/2006, 4 teeth removed, flap from wrist, trach-ng 6 days- no chemo/rad.
6 ops and debulking (flap/tongue join) + bx's 2006-2012.
bx Jan 2012 Hyperkeratosis-Epithelial Dysplasia
24cm GIST tumour removed 8/2013. Indefinite Oral Chemo.

1/31/16 passed away peacefully surrounded by family