Today was Ernie's follow-up appointment with the surgeon/otolaryngologist. His secretary purposely scheduled Ernie at the end of the day after Ernie told her he had "a LOT of questions" for the doctor. "A lot" turned out to be a page and a half.
The doctor was very patient. I did not even have threaten to throw my body in front of the door to keep him in the exam room. He and Ernie had a lively, give-and-take discussion. For example...
Ernie: "Why do I feel crappy when I get up in the morning?"
Doctor: "Because you just had major surgery less than 2 weeks ago. Plus, how much weight did you lose? Give yourself some time to heal."
Ernie: "Purple? Really?"
Doctor: "You're right. We'll order you something else. What color would you like?"
The long and short of the discussion was that Ernie can resume his normal activities as long as he feels able. His voice and body will both be stronger in the morning, when he is rested, and wear out as the day progresses. We can expect this to improve over time.
The doctor expects the trach to be permanent but is hopeful that Ernie will be able to eat again in the long run. He is allowed to try some Ensure or Boost or even a milk shake when he is up to it. Our next visit will be in a week or two when Ernie's new (clear or white--not purple) trach is available for installation. I'm sure there will be A LOT more questions.
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