Thank you both for your replies. I am in NC, and have been referred to Greenville, which is where I will meet with a surgeon very soon. I don't think it's CCC...we went with Greenville because my current doctor knows the doctor there, and the financial burden of traveling is less.

It IS really scary, but I'd rather hear all of the details than have it candy-coated for me. So I really, really appreciate the depth of detail in your post, Cheryld. I am trying to quit smoking now, and plan to be completely off of it by the time the surgery comes around, which will most likely be fairly soon. My doctor did talk to me a little about what to expect--the skin grafting, the tubes, etc.--but your answer was much more informative.