Tracheostomy

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Comments

  • dennis318
    dennis318 Member Posts: 349 Member
    patricke said:

    TRACH
    Hey bjw, I have had a trach since last June when a tumor at the entrance of my trachea was removed, along with my larnyx. Thank you very much radiation treatment, the gift that just keeps on giving. I'm still in the process of accepting this last kick in the solar plexis which has, thus far, left me speechless, and no longer able to persue surfing and scuba diving which were my passions. However, this too shall pass, and I will find other outlets, but it is a lot to handle. I guess everyone is affected differently, although never positively, when one has to have a trachestomy, yet it sure beats the alternative. Best of luck with your adjustment.

    PATRICK

    Hey Patrick
    I wanna thank you and all that have come forward about there trachs...I've been trying to convey and no one would comment?...I to gave up as well but fought the trach...I still carry the angry what cancer took, i use to play a horn and like to sing, no more, I was left with partial vocal, that plugs in the night sometimes, you learn to keep water by your side...and clear it fast...you run out of air a little and have to slow down, you have to watch for any large size chunks of food, i use to be the first done at the table...last and might see you at breakfast...i try hard to overcome the reverting to the trach, I know some there was no choice, I border on 50/50..they let me make the choice, I hope one day they will develop a shunt or device to open or channels up....they want to add more, but not fix what radiation overcooked, and it was overcooked, thanks for stepping forward. like to hear more from you and anyone else to offer and positive help to ease our fights to live a normal life..Dennis TN...like to hear more from you Patrick or anyone..strandedintn@aol.com
  • Viilik70
    Viilik70 Member Posts: 73
    Trach
    I've been trough radiation twice for nasopharangeal cancer and now have a trach. I urge all of you to ask your doctor for a Montgomery trach. You have no straps to tie and you just pop it in and out. Most comfortable one I've had. I'm trying to drink my feedings to get rid of the peg tube, but seem to get sick a lot with sinus infection type colds. I don't know if this is from all the radiation or just the lack of good swallowing. Just wondered if anyone else has similar problems. I'm hoping to get the peg tube and the trach out in two weeks, but hope taking the peg tube out doesn't come back to bite me. Thank you all for talking on this site because it helps us all and remember God has won the fight for us and will never leave us. Trust Him and put your faith in Him and he will reward us all with new bodies that will never get cancer or any kind of disease again! I love you God!!
  • George_Baltimore
    George_Baltimore Member Posts: 303
    Viilik70 said:

    Trach
    I've been trough radiation twice for nasopharangeal cancer and now have a trach. I urge all of you to ask your doctor for a Montgomery trach. You have no straps to tie and you just pop it in and out. Most comfortable one I've had. I'm trying to drink my feedings to get rid of the peg tube, but seem to get sick a lot with sinus infection type colds. I don't know if this is from all the radiation or just the lack of good swallowing. Just wondered if anyone else has similar problems. I'm hoping to get the peg tube and the trach out in two weeks, but hope taking the peg tube out doesn't come back to bite me. Thank you all for talking on this site because it helps us all and remember God has won the fight for us and will never leave us. Trust Him and put your faith in Him and he will reward us all with new bodies that will never get cancer or any kind of disease again! I love you God!!

    Chronic sinus infections
    I don't remember suffering through so many sinus infections before radiation but I sure do have them now. I'm keeping my ENT in business. I don't even have to make an appointment anymore. I just walk in. I've tried Amoxicillin, Avelox, Vibramycin, Cephlex, Zthromax, Clindamycin, and I'm sure others whose names escape me right now. The only one that I can remember working a couple times was Ketoconazole (antifungal). Even that hasn't worked this time. I've had a constant infection since I had my jawbone replacement surgery last June. Currently, I'm trying Fluconazole, another antifungal. My ENT blames it on the radiation. He says it takes longer to get rid of it now because of that.

    Just don't rush the trach removal, Viilik! They removed mine about five days after my surgery last year. After about two and a half months, the stoma was almost closed and I couldn't get rid of my mucous through it anymore. I ended up having to have the trach put back in under an emergency type situation. They did it while I was awake. Naturally they "numbed" the area (ha ha). Believe me, that didn't do much. Between the pain and the smell of burning flesh it was definitely an experience that I would not want to repeat!

    My trach is STILL in and I have resigned myself to the fact that I will have it for the rest of my life. They are going to replace the one I have now with a Montgomery trach which is supposed to be more comfortable. Good luck.
  • dennis318
    dennis318 Member Posts: 349 Member

    Chronic sinus infections
    I don't remember suffering through so many sinus infections before radiation but I sure do have them now. I'm keeping my ENT in business. I don't even have to make an appointment anymore. I just walk in. I've tried Amoxicillin, Avelox, Vibramycin, Cephlex, Zthromax, Clindamycin, and I'm sure others whose names escape me right now. The only one that I can remember working a couple times was Ketoconazole (antifungal). Even that hasn't worked this time. I've had a constant infection since I had my jawbone replacement surgery last June. Currently, I'm trying Fluconazole, another antifungal. My ENT blames it on the radiation. He says it takes longer to get rid of it now because of that.

    Just don't rush the trach removal, Viilik! They removed mine about five days after my surgery last year. After about two and a half months, the stoma was almost closed and I couldn't get rid of my mucous through it anymore. I ended up having to have the trach put back in under an emergency type situation. They did it while I was awake. Naturally they "numbed" the area (ha ha). Believe me, that didn't do much. Between the pain and the smell of burning flesh it was definitely an experience that I would not want to repeat!

    My trach is STILL in and I have resigned myself to the fact that I will have it for the rest of my life. They are going to replace the one I have now with a Montgomery trach which is supposed to be more comfortable. Good luck.

    HEY GEORGE
    Do me a favor...let me know how you do with your Montgomery please...My Email is strandedintn@aol.com.....in case I should ever and not willing need it...I am fighting to have one..the docs won't fix what they screwed up..TY Dennis
  • George_Baltimore
    George_Baltimore Member Posts: 303
    dennis318 said:

    HEY GEORGE
    Do me a favor...let me know how you do with your Montgomery please...My Email is strandedintn@aol.com.....in case I should ever and not willing need it...I am fighting to have one..the docs won't fix what they screwed up..TY Dennis

    No problem
    Hi Dennis, Still haven't heard anything about mine arriving yet. When I do, I'll let you know.
  • bjw1955
    bjw1955 Member Posts: 67

    No problem
    Hi Dennis, Still haven't heard anything about mine arriving yet. When I do, I'll let you know.

    Trach
    Thanks for all the input. I haven't been on here for awhile because my computer has been acting up. Hoping to get a new one in the next couple of months. I wish I could get that Montgomery Trach but I can't because of my oxygen I have to have. For now I'm content with my cuffles trach. I just got over Bronchitis and was given Cipro 500mg twice a day,it cleared it up. Everyone on here have a great day. God Bless Briget in WV
  • George_Baltimore
    George_Baltimore Member Posts: 303
    bjw1955 said:

    Trach
    Thanks for all the input. I haven't been on here for awhile because my computer has been acting up. Hoping to get a new one in the next couple of months. I wish I could get that Montgomery Trach but I can't because of my oxygen I have to have. For now I'm content with my cuffles trach. I just got over Bronchitis and was given Cipro 500mg twice a day,it cleared it up. Everyone on here have a great day. God Bless Briget in WV

    Dennis in TN and Brigit
    Hi all,
    I've now had my Montgomery in now for a week and two days. Dennis asked for an update so here it is. The Montgomery is much more comfortable than the Shiley. You don't have all the straps around your neck holding it in. The trach itself is very soft and flexible. You pull it out about once a week to clean it. You then lube it up a little and pop it back in. Brigit, I don't see why you couldn't use oxygen with the Montgomery. I would assume that you have a mask that fits over the Shiley and has a strap for around your neck. You could do the same thing with the Montgomery. If you are going to have the trach for any length of time, it is definitely worth looking into.
  • malloyproducer
    malloyproducer Member Posts: 6
    bjw1955 said:

    Trach
    DEAR DENNIS I WAS HOARSE FOR 2 MONTHS AND WENT TO MY PCD AND HE BRUSHED ME OFF SINCE I WAS ALREADY ON OXYGEN FOR COPD DUE TO SMOKING FOR YEARS SO I CALLED MY BREATHING DR AND HE SEEN ME AND REFERRED ME TO A ENT DR I WASN'T IN HIS OFFICE 5 MIN AND HE PUT A MIRROW DOWN MY THROAT AND TOLD ME THERE WAS A GOLF BALL SIZE TUMOR ON MY VOICE BOX AND IT PROBANLY THE C WORD I FRIEKED OUT 2 WEEKS LATER I COLLAPSED AT HOME MY HUSBAND CALLED THE EMS AND THEY TOOK ME TO THE ER THE TUMOR WAS OBSTRUCTING NY AIRWAY THE NEXT DAY THEY PUT THE TRACH I A FEW DAYS LATER MY G-TUBE 2 WEEKS IN ICU 1 WEEK OUT ON THE CANCER FLOOR AFTER THAT 3 MONTHS IN A REHAB NURSING HOME AND 38 RADIATION AND 6 CHEMO MAY 2011 MY LOVING AND CARING HUSBAND BROUGHT NE HOME I'LL WRITE MORE LATER GOD BLESS BRIGET WV

    Question about your care during treatment
    Trach, I sincerely hope your new tube is more comfortable and won't be permanent. I am new to all of this, my mother was just diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer (and larynx) and will receive a trach next week during her biopsy, they're leaving it in to protect her airway.

    i don't mean to intrude, but I saw that you were in a rehab center during your chemo and radiation? I am trying to figure out if this would be a good option for my Mom, who is 75, weighs 90 lbs, and has a home that is truly not safe for her to undergo treatment in.

    If you don't mind sharing and if you have time, would you mind sharing how you got into the rehab center? Did your physician order this or suggest it? My Mom has Medicare A and B, but no secondary. I'm concerned that this might be cost prohibitive for her, even though I am sure it would be better for her and, in fact, might be the only sane option.

    Thank you in advance for any information you might give me and I truly wish you the best with your treatment, recovery, and remission!

    Peace and light,
    Kathy
  • patricke
    patricke Member Posts: 570
    TRACHIE
    Hey bjw, I too am a one year Trachestomy survivor, and I also had a Larynjectomy at the same time. I had a tumor removed from the entrance of my trachea, thanks to the radiation treatment back in '00. Radiation, the gift that just keeps on giving. So far, so good, it's just another challenge to adjust to, and establish a new normal. Best wishes.

    PATRICK
  • bjw1955
    bjw1955 Member Posts: 67

    Dennis in TN and Brigit
    Hi all,
    I've now had my Montgomery in now for a week and two days. Dennis asked for an update so here it is. The Montgomery is much more comfortable than the Shiley. You don't have all the straps around your neck holding it in. The trach itself is very soft and flexible. You pull it out about once a week to clean it. You then lube it up a little and pop it back in. Brigit, I don't see why you couldn't use oxygen with the Montgomery. I would assume that you have a mask that fits over the Shiley and has a strap for around your neck. You could do the same thing with the Montgomery. If you are going to have the trach for any length of time, it is definitely worth looking into.

    Plugged off trach
    Dear George and everyone with trachs, I'm now pluging my trach off and getting oxygen by a .nasal cannula and I'm up to 10 hrs,this makes my 2nd week,I can't sleep with it I'm not there yet but I'm sure working on it. I'm going to look into the Montgmery one for sure.Thanks for everyones input. Everyone have a great week. God Bless Briget
  • ToBeGolden
    ToBeGolden Member Posts: 695
    Trache and Larry
    I've had a tracheotomy followed later by a laryngectomy. The airway between the lungs and the mouth is maintained after a tracheotomy Therefore, under the best conditions, the tube can be removed and normal breathing restored. My tracheotomy was performed as an urgent procedure and biopsies were obtained. When the biopsies proved that I had advanced laryngeal cancer and that my voice box had to be removed.

    Therefore, I had a lumpectomy After that operation, there was no airway to my mouth. My mouth is only connected to my stomach. My lungs vent to a hole in my neck. Of course, I lost my natural voice.

    After a laryngectomy, there are at least three methods by which voice can be restored. I've used all three. An electro larynx is a mechanical device that you hold up to your neck. It produces a robot-like sound. In esophageal speech, I swallow air and burp. The swallowed air does not reach the stomach but is captured in the esophagus. Finally, a voice prosthesis is available. It is a one-way valve surgically implanted between the trachea and esophagus. The operation is sometimes call TEP (Tracheal Esophageal Puncture).

    There are pros and cons for each method. I will try to post these later.

    If you have lost your voice box, have no way to speak, and would like to try esophageal speech try this.
    Swallow,
    Make the K sound.
    Try to say either scotch, cake, or cup.

    Swallowing and the k sound forces a little air into the esophagus. These three words are among the easiest for esophageal speech. You will almost certainly need a speech therapist to help you. But if you can make almost any sound, it might enlighten you about the possibilities.
  • ausrebel53
    ausrebel53 Member Posts: 74
    New Trach
    Hi bjw, my wife came across this discussion and I am so glad she did. I'm new to all this
    and am grateful to find kindred spirits. My Trach was inserted after a biopsy for a lump on my larynx, the lump was interfering with my ability to breathe, turns out the lump is cancerous, I have a PET scan today to determine its severity and if it has spread. All this is very new to me and a little overwhelming, however I feel positive about the fight ahead and due to a loving wife and family have so much to live for, I am 59 years young with a lot left to do in this life. Will share my experiences if they are helpful.
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member

    New Trach
    Hi bjw, my wife came across this discussion and I am so glad she did. I'm new to all this
    and am grateful to find kindred spirits. My Trach was inserted after a biopsy for a lump on my larynx, the lump was interfering with my ability to breathe, turns out the lump is cancerous, I have a PET scan today to determine its severity and if it has spread. All this is very new to me and a little overwhelming, however I feel positive about the fight ahead and due to a loving wife and family have so much to live for, I am 59 years young with a lot left to do in this life. Will share my experiences if they are helpful.

    good morning
    Welcome to the group. We are all overwhelmed at the outset of this journey. Best to take things one step at a time, as you can deal with things that way. This discussion mostly took place awhile back. Some of the participants are regular contributors, and some are people who were only here for awhile. Feel free to post to any threads that you'd like to, and by all means start a thread of your own. Or even several:) That way, you will get the attention/answers you may need. Again, welcome to the board. Sorry you have to be here.

    Pat
  • ToBeGolden
    ToBeGolden Member Posts: 695

    New Trach
    Hi bjw, my wife came across this discussion and I am so glad she did. I'm new to all this
    and am grateful to find kindred spirits. My Trach was inserted after a biopsy for a lump on my larynx, the lump was interfering with my ability to breathe, turns out the lump is cancerous, I have a PET scan today to determine its severity and if it has spread. All this is very new to me and a little overwhelming, however I feel positive about the fight ahead and due to a loving wife and family have so much to live for, I am 59 years young with a lot left to do in this life. Will share my experiences if they are helpful.

    Trach or Larry?
    A trach is a temporary procedure. A laryngectomy is the permanent removal of the vocal cords, and having the airway end in the hole (stoma) of the neck. Not that I care about what things are called. But using the correct term will help when doing searches.

    I would suggest searching on WebWhispers, a web site devoted to laryngectomees. (I am not suggesting abandoning this site.) However, on webwhispers, you'll find a lot of specific information once the vocal cords are removed.

    I am a laryngectomee, and I use all three methods to speak: esophageal speech, electro larynx, and TEP (prosthesis). They all have their pros and cons. Rick.
  • ausrebel53
    ausrebel53 Member Posts: 74

    Trach or Larry?
    A trach is a temporary procedure. A laryngectomy is the permanent removal of the vocal cords, and having the airway end in the hole (stoma) of the neck. Not that I care about what things are called. But using the correct term will help when doing searches.

    I would suggest searching on WebWhispers, a web site devoted to laryngectomees. (I am not suggesting abandoning this site.) However, on webwhispers, you'll find a lot of specific information once the vocal cords are removed.

    I am a laryngectomee, and I use all three methods to speak: esophageal speech, electro larynx, and TEP (prosthesis). They all have their pros and cons. Rick.

    Thank you for the welcome
    Thank you Survivor and Golden for your time. So far my trach is temporary. Had a PET scan today and am about to embark on 6 weeks of Radiation therapy and Chemo. Although the cancer is fairly advanced I chose not to have the larynx removed just yet to see if the trach could be removed after treatment with the hole closed. The doc said he could only wait and see the outcome to see if that could be the case.

    I will certainly take your advise Golden and chase down some of that specific information.

    Came across someone very interesting today, a doctor in Huston Texas called Stanislaw Burzynski a biochemist who "discovered the genetic mechanism that can cure most human cancers", Antineoplastons are what Dr. Burzynski has developed to fight cancer. Apparently the FDA and he don't see eye to eye for some reason, I guess any new idea in the medical world would be a challenge to implement. Not wishing to get on a soap box here or cause any waves I just like to see all possibilities, perhaps others would like to examine Dr. Burzynski's work and treatment. I am certainly going to investigate further.
  • ausrebel53
    ausrebel53 Member Posts: 74

    good morning
    Welcome to the group. We are all overwhelmed at the outset of this journey. Best to take things one step at a time, as you can deal with things that way. This discussion mostly took place awhile back. Some of the participants are regular contributors, and some are people who were only here for awhile. Feel free to post to any threads that you'd like to, and by all means start a thread of your own. Or even several:) That way, you will get the attention/answers you may need. Again, welcome to the board. Sorry you have to be here.

    Pat

    Thanx Pat
    Hi Pat, I don't mind being here, life has been pretty good to me. I originally came from Sydney , Australia and ended up marrying a Southern Belle from Alabama nearly 14 years ago, best thing I ever did. We moved from Alabama over a year ago to Panama City Beach FL where we own our own home and my wife works at a local hospital (RN). We are still having our honeymoon (never stopped) and will fight hard to have as many years together as possible.

    Michael