MarvB,

I’ve avoided a tracheotomy after surgery a number of times, although it was a possibility after some of my surgeries. It wasn’t until I had a mandibulectomy in 2017 that I needed one. I wasn’t too happy, and was a concern of mine too, especially how to communicate.

I had the iSpeak apps on my phone, but that proved a waste because they took my phone away in surgery, and recovery seemed like a day! Eventually, I had no visitors, I used my hand lingo to get a writing board, as the iPhone was too small, and my vision was blurry. Eventually, I eased into the writing board and started communicating somewhat with my scribble. By the 4th day I was already in the step down unit, and my surgeon felt the swelling was down enough to put a speaking valve in, and was so much easier to communicate.

Honestly, I was so out of it at first, and then trying to communicate, I forgot about the trache fear. The trache was removed as I was discharged on the 7th day to a nursing home, my request, but the hole in my throat never fully closed until a month later.

That was my experience, but it was temporary. The moral of the story, make sure you have someone there to communicate on you behalf, and give your speaking supplies or whatever else you need!