Update to my surgery: I had the surgery on March 22, a 14h procedure. Went home from hospital on March 30, so glad to be out of hospital.
When I went home: nasal gastric feeding tube for eating, boot on left leg where bone graft was taken from, along with one drain, tracheal tube removed with open stoma, skin graft showing in front of mouth, stitches still in neck flap. Can't talk, can't eat, have to use walker to move around on leg.
Now, April 10: Still wearing boot on left leg, but stitches and drain out and I can walk a bit without walker around house. Skin graft healing well. Lot's of coughing due to drainage, this kept stoma from healing. Doc gave med to increase dry mouth and this has reduced drainage a lot, now not much coughing. Stoma starting to heal, but not done yet. The most frustrating part is not being able to communicate via talking. Sleep was hard to find when I first came home, doc suggested Benadryl and this has helped. Still have to use feeding tube, which is starting to get tiresome.
What I did not realize when I started this was that so many of my normal systems would be interrupted. Ability to eat, ability to talk, ability to walk. ability to sleep.
I appreciate the support and comments from folks on this site, hopefully some of these things return soon. And I have to start thinking about treatments next. Thanks.
Pigdoc