Intubation problems are related to an issue of the diameter of the structures after irradiation. Sometimes they are filled with scar tissue making them less flexible, or depending on what type of neck treatments were used, slightly diminished in size. My intubation last Tuesday was uneventful according to the anesthesiologist, although for several days afterwards I was coughing up blood... obviously from some physical damage in their getting the tube down. I came out of surgery without any significant throat pain related to all this. I just feel like a 2000 pound stallion kicked me in the chest, and I'm back to having drains dangling out of me, and of course the obligatory new Frankenstein look to my abdomen. I think at this stage of things I was pretty well past taking my shirt off at the pool anyway.....

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.