d Lucy you will learn more than
[/b]dh had a A tracheostomy - he has an outer cannula with a size 6 inner cannula.
Eating - it all depends on swelling and the size of the cannulas, practice work with a speech therapist, etc.
His first tracheostomy - it was a long time before he could eat, drink, talk bc he still had radiation and chemo. (it was a cuffed cannula - a ballon that keeps the equipment in. The patient has to reduce the cuff in order to talk).
Last January dh had covid and was really sick and swollen. They put too big of a cannula in (size 10 cuffed) and he was so uncomfortable. They then went down to a 8, then a 6 and in April , I believe, dh's equipment was removed. When they reduced his cannula size then he was able to eat.
Now they put a 6 non - cuffed cannula in. Speech therapy worked with him while he was in the hospital. After having a swallow CT, they gave him soft items - first clear liquids, then blended soup, jello etc. They also tried ginger-ale and crackers at the end.
We have to watch that he chews things well and doesn't eat things he shouldn't bc he has aspirated before. He has also had aspiration pneumonia many times.
He still can't eat a lot of things but he seems to be easier to try new things each day. I have to watch him bc he does things behind my back
For many Tracheostomy, a Passy-Muir Valve is used to help the patient talk. Dh is an expert with the Passy-Muir valve. He also has to eat with his Passy-muir on.
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he still ignores things - today I heard him coughing (wheezing coughing) and his Cannula was whistling. He refused to acknowledge there was a problem and I insisted that I drain him - He had less than a 1/8" of space left in is inner cannula for air - the rest was blocked.