 Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,128 | Judith, his hospital stay is likely to be a 'cold turkey' withdrawal from smoking. You might want to speak to his Docs about nicotine patches or something like that to ease him into it.
Actually, he should be able to talk with his trach in; all he has to do is put a finger over the hole when he tries to talk. Of course, the quality of his speech will be another story <grinz>.
Meanwhile, get him a clipboard with a pen on a string and loose sheets of paper so he can communicate.
Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.
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