IPAD is even better if you have one.
I had brutal nurses so my trache experience was far beyond bad. It could have been made far easier by nurses who were actually good at their job. Less than 24 hours after surgery they moved me out of step down into a regular room, closest to the window, with the curtain drawn. The room was across from the desk but a paper and PEN CAN'T CALL FOR HELP, and the call bell was all but ignored. Plus I was out of their line of sight. Had I been unable to help myself I'd probably be dead. NOT KIDDING.
I am a pretty tough girl. I'm not whiny nor do I complain. HOWEVER... their behavior bordered on negligent. My husband was funny, her rarely makes a stir about anything. I called them a few times with the call bell the first day post op and they would ask "what"? But wouldn't come. I freaked out when my husband arrived the night after my surgery because when your trache is clogged and you need it suctioned - you really can't wait. Anyway, I rang the bell and showed him. When the guy asked "what" - as usual - my hubby went out to the desk and said Are you "F*cking kidding me? - SHE CAN'T TALK!!!" The common sense thing to do - knowing most of your patients are airway compromised would be to get there ASAP. One time I waited 45 minutes. Then the first night post op - not even 24 hours after surgery, they came in to suction me and some how yanked my NG tube and it coiled around the trache and was bunched up in my throat. I was gagging and couldn't breath. I kept writing that it was lodged awkwardly in my throat and they kept telling me I was fine. I felt like I was choking constantly. THEY ARGUED WITH ME!!!!!! for an hour before finally pulling out the NG. Then they had some resident who didn't know his a$$ from a hole in the ground come and try to put it back in in the morning. (note - once they removed it I was fine - so it was the NG causing the issue and not all in my head like they kept saying. Anyway this guy hands me a glass of water and tells me to drink while he puts the tube back down.
I was NPO (nothing by mouth) so I couldn't drink - they were just stupid. that's about the only way to describe it.

Anyway - day three they put in a fenestrated trache and I could breath and talk and I was fine after that.
day 4 they removed it all together.

Post op I was numb, no pain. So I asked them to stop the pain meds, and did all my own care. showered etc...

hope your experience is far better than mine.