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Posted by Scott on June 09, 2000 at 14:10:07:In Reply to: Can one talk normally with a trach? posted by Matt on June 06, 2000 at 09:03:18:
Matt,
I don't want to drive you away from trachs, but I concur with several others that say DON'T WAIT!!
The best thing a person who was diagnosed with severe OSA could do is be trached immediately, buying them time to lesurely search for the right surgery/appliance/cpap-opap-smartpap/mask/humidifier/headgear/duct tape/twine/safty pin/mole skin/ options that will work well for them. The stoma will heal once the tube is removed, leaving a small scar that diminishes with time.
This would do three things. 1. Keep the person from dying at the wheel of a car while sleeping. 2. Keep their body and mind from further deterioration due to OSA while searching for the magic pill, and 3. Show them what a real nights sleep is so they can accurately gauge the effiacy of the other treatments/options.
I am sorry if you think I am hardline about this but check around and you will see almost to a person, people who have been trached waited much to long and all agree they should have done it months or years earlier. Many who waited are severly debilitated and have sustained irrepairable damage.Postponing being trached for severe OSA because of fear, estetics, love of water activities, etc. is in my mind like postponing radiation therapy for treatable cancer until the final stages because you don't want your hair to fall out.
It's just a question of priorities.
Scott
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