Shelby,

The drains were tubes from my neck to deal with some of the swelling (there was a lot), but I couldn't see where they conneted (I assume the incision sites). My range of motion was very limited and I couldn't really tilt my head back to see. Also 2 were out before I was even getting out of bed!

No drains on the tongue, and it was very swollen after the surgery. It is almost down to normal size now.

The scars aren't bad. They start behind my ear, about halfway up, and extend down to my collarbone on both sides, and then right across my throat, but they have faded dramatically since the surgery so that parts are hardly visible. I expect they will all fade to a thin white line. The trach hole scar is barely visible to me, even though I know where it was.

When the scars were really noticable, I told people I was attacked by a bear. You should people's faces when I tell that one, it was a riot!

Keep us posted. I know the waiting is stressful, so if you need to talk, we're here.