T Tube Placement and Day One Post Op

So far, I feel amazing!  Like I said on Facebook, last night (night#1) was sleepless, with a lot of pain.  But, I pushed through it.  I was also given a nebulizer every 2 hours that made me cough some so that didn't help it much.  We tried a different combo of meds and I did some ice and took some walks to relax and help with some pain control, as I didn't want to take a lot of pain meds and I made it through and today is a new day!  I still feel like my breathing and talking is absolutely amazing compared to the Shiley trach I had previously. 

When I first arrived yesterday in pre-op and Dr. Gray, my doctor came in to visit me before me she was all excited and said are you ready to have some fun?  I said, I hope you are because I'm ready to take a nap😂.  

As I think I have said before, this type of tube isn't very common.  So, everyone here kind of wants to see it lol.  Not very many people have worked with them.  So it is a whole new training for me and also a lot of other people.  Also in this case, it makes it so so so nice that I have my regular voice and don't have to stop and put my finger over my trach everytime I want to talk.  

So now when you see me, I won't have the trach tie around my neck holding the trach in because this one isn't coming out unless there's some serious yanking and pulling, like some serious physical abuse.  Also, it's just a clear capped straw kind of sticking out of my neck a little.  Not bad at all.  I don't have to cover it when I talk, because it's covered all the time being capped.  I breathe through my mouth and nose now, AND I can blow on my coffee to cool it off!!!  HOW EXCITING IS THAT!!!!

Dr. Gray was just in for morning rounds and said she is really happy with how well everything is going!  She did say even though I'm doing awesome I will be here at least through the weekend.  Which, I expected.  Visitor rules are one visitor per patient per stay and they have to be older than 18.

I've gone on several walks throughout the day, each time doing between 5 and 7 laps around the unit.  We are starting with the training of the suctioning and lavaging with this tube today.  It's been going pretty good.  Just still painful in the chest area when coughing and still quite a bit of pain in the throat which they still expect.  I have been coughing some up, and it is strange some actually comes up in my mouth like a person normally would.  And, some goes out the part that comes out of my neck a little bit, so that is when I need to clean there or suction a little bit.  It will just take a little getting used to, but so far I really like it!!  I have been drinking TONS of water because I know I need it plus my mouth seems to get so dry fast.  For meals I've stuck to all soft foods due to such a sore throat still.  This is pretty normal for me after I have one of my dilation surgeries, like a day after depending on how much work she had to do in there.  So tonight for dinner soup it is along with some jello and a pitcher of water and some apple juice.  

In one of my pictures I attached I used no filter and put on some make up for the first time in Im not sure how long.  We all need a little pick me up sometimes, and well I feel great about new things that are happening, this surgery seems like a great thing, I was down a little in weight since two weeks ago when I was here, so what the heck!  Why not throw on some make up!

So I will keep updating on here and on Facebook!  💚💚💚💚💚💚🌺☀️🏵️🌸🌷