Well, my sister had her surgery and they removed her entire tongue and part of her pharynx. The trach will stay in until after radiation and the feeding tube is permanent.

We had initially thought she would come to the home I share with my mother, who is 85 and has some cognitive and hearing issues and I am working full-time and managing two houses while she’s recovering. Now we are hoping that she gets to heal and recover in a skilled nursing facility as it is too much for me to handle. Did anyone else recover in a rehab/skilled nursing facility?

The surgeons have said that she will never be able to eat or drink via her mouth. How will she handle radiation and it’s effects when she can’t do much to soothe her mouth?