You will do great! I know it seems hard to believe, but the surgery will be over before you know it and you will be entering the next phase of recovery. Glad to hear that you won't have to go home with the trach. My mom also had the one Christine mentioned, where she could speak with it. It made such a difference! Do you have a good support system to help you through this? I was my moms primary advocate while she was in the hospital and even though I know the nurses did everything they could, it really helped having a family member present.