We did the trach!

[Zoe's Mom]

Beth,
I am so glad everything went well! As scary as it seems, it's so nice to see our children breathing easier and smiling after surgery.

Anyways, I think your two questions have answers that are really specific to the child and to you. For things like cleaning around the stoma and changing the ties, it really only took me about a week or two to feel really comfortable doing that. As for the trach changes, I still hate them but can do them. I am confident when I do them, I just don't like to do it. Getting the confidence took about 4 or 5 changes for me. I know some people on this board don't mind doing them at all and others have their nurses do them. For emergency procedures, we've never had to do anything so we've only practiced fake scenarios. I feel confident I would know what to do in an emergency situation-that took maybe a month or so of role playing in my head and in fake situations at the hospital.

Zoe came home about a month after her trach was placed. She was very stable before and after her trach was placed. She stayed in the NICU for an extra month because she was a preemie and had some growing to do. Also, we had to work on some feeding issues and she had a g-tube placed about 4 days before going home.

Hope I helped. I'm so glad the everything went well in surgery!
Lora

[babyhugger]

Hi Beth,

I'm so glad you are feeling better about the trach! You will learn to care for your child at your own pace and try not to compare yourself to anyone else. Tristan was discharged about 3 weeks after his trach was placed.

I had previous experience with adult trachs, but nothing prepared me for my tiny infant having one. It took me about 2 weeks to feel comfortable with all the procedures.

Blessings,

Dawna

[sandra]

I'm glad you got a smile. That helps you feel better about the trach!

I think we felt comfortable within about 3-4 weeks, maybe longer. I think learning about the home vent was the hardest. I wanted to make sure I knew that machine in and out!

Brian was supposed to come home about 4 weeks after trach placement, but he kept getting sick or we wouldn't have home nursing set up. This happened so many times. It took us another 5 months, but that isn't the norm. That was just our situation. The dr's would not release Brian without nursing and the agency would get ready and Brian would get sick. Thise nurses would take other jobs and we would start over.

Hope you get comfortable soon!

[McKenna&clan]

Beth,
That's great news...it's it just absolutely heaven to see their little faces without the ET tube sticking out of their mouth. I think McKenna was so much more comfortable once she got the trach...she was the happy one cause she could breathe. We as the parents were the nervous ones! Answers to your questions....from this point on the learning curve goes straight up for about a month or two until you get the hang of things...start doing this right from the first moment that you can. Especially in the hospital, because this is the place where if you make a mistake, or forget, or just get nervous they can walk you through it and help guide you. If you think of questions, write them down and share them with the respiratory therapist and nurses. From the time McKenna got her trach to the time she went home was about 14 days. The last day was a "do it yourself day"...kind of like a sleep over where you did everything and the nurses were just there to make sure you were getting comfortable with the suctioning, changing of the tube, cleaning around the tube...ect. BTW, make sure you save all the trachs that you change out at the hospital and take them home...it's really nice to have more than 3 trachs...You must have one a half size smaller and then two the current size your child is in now. If you can manage to say to the nurses...I really need to practice putting the trach in and out, you might acquire a few more...like up to 5 or so...that is WONDERFUL to take home cause you need to have one in your "to go" bag at all times (the current size and a half size smaller) and then one at the bedside at all times (again...current size and halft size smaller). You usually change the trach once a week, but if your child has thick secretions or gets plugs, you may be doing it more often.

The best advice I can give you right now is ask every question imaginable...ask about every senario that comes to mind...even the unpleasant and scary ones. Go to the front page of tracheostomy.com and look at every menu option and read through them all. They are extremely helpful.
Good Luck,
Janet

[JWorthington]

Hi Beth

Glad things went ok and you are now able to see a smile! How lovely.

As to caring for the trach, we found the suctioning quite straightforward and the tape changes were pretty ok after a week or two. Though it did take a couple of months to get used to the tube change, because Sam was a bit older than most kids when they are trached he used to fight, I am pleased to say that he doesn't do that so much now. But as everyone else has said, just go at your own pace - it's not something that you expect to have to do for your child, but treat it just as a new skill to be learned, like feeding or changing nappies, and you'll soon find your an expert. Best of luck, and ask any questions you have.

Love
Julie

[Alethia]

Hi beth!

I'm so glad you got to see your LO smile. Fantastic news!

I must be weird because I am happier doing trach tube changes than I am doing tape changes. I can change a tube quicker than I can do his tapes. Tape changes were easier when he had a Portex, whereas he's got a Bivona now and the tape holes are round rather than slot shaped, plus the Bivona is made of a softer, silicon rubber so they tapes kind of stick as you pull them through. It took about 3 tube changes before I felt confident, but now I can do them on my own. The hardest part of all for me is getting everything prepared. I'm very aware of what could go wrong (even though it NEVER has, thank goodness) so i always make sure I've got all the emergency stuff to hand, ready to go, just in case. It takes me less than 2 minutes to do the change but over 10 minutes to prepare for it. I'm such a nut! You'll do much better, I'm sure.

Lots of love,

Kate

[linda]

Hi Beth

It took 2 weeks after the trach was placed that Andrew came home.He spent a total of 4 months in the nicu due to airway (before) promblems were discovered.

One thing is for sure I always do the trach change every month and always around the same date give or take a few days.So you never can forget And I ALWAYS change it at my sons pediatricians office this way there is plenty of people around.

I have 3 trachs in my bag 2 his actual size and 1 size smaller just in case.

I also have trachs throughout my entire house in every room actually 3 in everyroom and yes even in the bathroom.(LOL)

Hope this helps

PS---------------WHEN THE TRACHS ARE DELIVERED TO MY HOUSE I ALSO OPEN JUST THE CARDBOARD BOX AND PLACE TRACH TIES IN EACH BOX AHEAD OF TIME THIS WAY IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY THEY ARE ALREADY THERE.AND MY HUSBAND KNOWS NEVER REMOVE THESE.IF YOU NEED A TRACH TIE GO TO WHERE THE REST OF THEM ARE IN A DRAW.

GOOD LUCK,FEELFREE TO E-MAIL ME
linrocco@yahoo.com

Sincerly,
linda rocco

[indiemum]

Congratulations! I am so happy for you. I remember seeing Indie's face for the very first time with no tape and that was just the beginning. I guess you will be a regular here now. Welcome and enjoy your sweet little angel.

Kelly

[T-bone]

Hi Beth, What a treat to see her beautiful smile.
Abby's trach was placed when she was 9 weeks old and we she was discharged at 4 months of age. She came home with a ventilator so that is what took the longest, also we couldn't come home without at least a tiny bit of nursing. We got 6 hours a week. There are just so many services to get in place before our kids are able to come home. She did start have home visits when she was 3 1/2 months old. A few hours here and there and then nights and weekends. Oh what fun that was, we were so excited to have her home, as you will be. As for feeling comfortable with the trach, it all depends.
You will figure the trach out and get comfortable quickly, it will actually suprise you at how fast you will get all of this stuff. I wish you all the best, you will do great. Come to us for any support that you might need.
Teresa
________
EXTREME Q HERBAL VAPORIZER REVIEW

[Jacob's Mom]

That smile is the greatest. I have a picture of Jacob the day after he had his trach placed that sums it all up...he was relieved to have all those tubes out of his nose and mouth. As far as how long it will take to become comfortable, it's hard to say. I really believe we were sent home prematurely. Looking back, we weren't prepared. We didn't even change his trach before we went home. Instead we just watched the dr change it. However, I would say we have done pretty well. And you will find a lot of things you will learn on your own. Jacob got his trach at 5 weeks old and came home 9 days later.

Best of luck to you!