Post OP Day 6

Feb 4, 20215 min read

My body just keeps the entertainment a live. There's never a single dull moment!

I'm getting the hang of things though. Stitches are definitely not my friend. They are super irritated, I had a low grade fever, and a cough. My surgeon reassured me these are ok & just my body doing its thing. I end up with a cough from everything. My body freaks out, and cough just comes with the territory. I'll have an infection on my hand and develop a stupid cough just because. Due to the stitches being at the end of the wind pipe with so much drainage there's going to be a lot of irritation. Lidocaine, and ice are great! Numbs it right up!

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I got up to use the bathroom. As I'm coughing I realize something feels really weird. It also sounds really weird. It's like a vibrating sensation right at my tracheostomy and it's making me cough more. Its also like a constant gargling sound.

Then it happened. I took a deep breath through my mouth. I looked in the mirror wide eyed. I did it again. The anxiety!! I looked at the vent to check my leak. You wanna make sure your leak stays within range. Too high and its not good!! I was fine. I did it again. I breathed in!! I looked in the mirror, and I said hello. I could talk! Omg I had a voice, I could actually speak!! So I said hi, and hi again. Of course the sound is distorted. It's not clear. This does take a lot of practice to get talking down again and it sounding good. BUT I had my voice. I had my voice without any help!!! I said I, then no, ok, hello, hi, but that was it before I walked out.

In all honestly having the cuff deflated felt all too weird. I was ready to reinflate. We (respiratory therapist) weren't sure how much air to put in. So note to self. Always ask how much air/water goes into stuff just so you know a head of time. As long as I was breathing ok, stable I was ok and could wait to talk to my doctor to see how much air goes in.

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Let me just say my respiratory therapist is so amazing! I am truly thankful for this woman. Not only did she help me in figuring out I actually had options to save my own life when I thought I had zero and made all this seem just as normal as anything else in life. She has been the greatest teacher ever!! I have done so much research and watched so many YouTube videos, but really she really is the ONLY one I needed!! She has made this transition so incredibly easy. During my very first crisis, it was what she taught me that got me through it!! I ultimately made the decision, but she gave me the options and tools that saved my life. She is my hero and I thank her and owe her so much!! Dhe entered my life at just the right time, my family & I are forever grateful!

Later that evening as I was sitting watching my kids play and eat and getting ready for bed as usual. My vent starts to go crazy with the pressure reading. I'm looking at it and I'm thinking wow that's really strange!! Its reaching the 30's which isn't at all normal. Then it happens. I can't breathe!!! I start to panic. First I text someone to come watch the girls incase 911 is called. I unplug my vent and move to the room. Whatever happens I don't want the girls near me. I text my respiratory therapist and then Richard. It seems like forever to get responses!

Finally my RT responds. I tell her whats going on. Luckily I still have some lung function so I disconnect the circuit (the tubing that runs from the vent to my tracheostomy) from the Trach itself. Completely disconnect the whole tubing so I can catch my breathe and assess the tubing before I run out of breathe. I check the inner cannula the piece the runs inside the tracheostomy itself. I pull that out and its perfectly clear. So its not the issue.

While I'm doing this Richard calls 911. I GOT It!!! Looking at the tubing from the circuit its so full of mucus. The HME, which is a piece that collect mucus and what my RT calls the "nose" was FULL. Usually this piece gets changed every 1-2 days. I changed it in the morning. Due to my cough I guess it filled up faster. With it being full the vent can't push air so it can't give me air!!

The EMTs show up and of course I figured out what the issue was but I also can't talk. So my kids are surprised by their appearance. They find me and I have to type out what happened and why I can't speak. But that I'm ok and stable. So they leave. Then the person who watches the girls shows up and then Richard.

Always make sure the HME is clear. If you have a cough be sure to carry extra HMEs on you. If you're getting a tracheostomy you will know what an HME is as soon as you are hooked up to a machine. If that bad boy is ever filled up, you won't be able to breathe. That's a good place to start if you have a cold, cough, have extra mucus, etc. I don't tend to have a lot of secretions but I do have a cough right now. I now have a couple HMEs on me.

What an interesting day for sure! We all have to start somewhere, right? Least I was home and not out at the time. Least today, Wednesday has been quiet and non eventful. Let's hope tomorrow, Thursday is like this too.

Keep on keeping on. So much of this is learning as I go & trial and error. Gotta just keep going 💜 it'll all get easier with time. I'll find my gind & routine & what works in no time. So watch out!

If interested follow my YouTube at Unicorn Mom. I'm going to try my best to upload videos there as well.

Please let me know if there are any specific topics you would like written about. Even non respiratory too! Send them my way. I'm always up for new things. Hard topics not often discussed as well 💜