@donsasen My wife passed away on January 26th because of very simple problem she has been successfully been dealing with since surgery,,a MUCAS PLUG in Trach, from the beginning we both were taught how to remove mucas plugs, a vacuum/ suction machine was supplied to use, with instructions on its use, at first she was doing job very well and wen plug was too hard and deep ,the clapping began (her way getting my attention, in i run with flashlight and long handled tweezers. Didn't come up against plug i couldn't remove. Have to digress,,after 3 months of nonstop trachea maintenance she was ready for a voice. Appointments wer made at Pioneer Speech and Swollow in Wilbraham MA Speech Therapist and owner Erica had Teryle in exam room and. O ya need to say Teryles insurance wouldn't pay for a 450 dollar voice prosthesis Was a critical part of whole program,, Erica went through back doors to get Teryle 4,000 dollars worth of voice devices. NOW BACK TO EXAM ROOM upon very close inspection Erica discovered a/THE FISTULA BAAMMM!!! end of everything thing to give my wife some Quality of Life ,,she was looking forward to voice therapy and not so much radiation treatments but she knew it was beginning of new life. But that one little hole in folds of neck skin STOPPED her from wanting to even go on anymore started drinking HEAVILY. With the look on her face said it all ,,she wanted OUT anyway she could do it. So ok sit in bed in lonely room with just me and a TV. 3 whole months 24 hour hammered and having a Blast. Laughing and crying I couldn't do it anymore I could handle taking care of cancer patient but cancer and disgusting alcohol abuse ,, I mean I had her in tube twice a day. PortaPotty spilled to many times to count NO More TRACH CARE by her all me I was auctioning nonstop so I started with Section 35 then ,,,since I was Proxy I had her put in Lanessa Extended Care Facility ,,she didn't like it at first, but even though hour and half drive i was ther every 3 days November, December,,January she was doing it i even got Sheilds Pet scan to try one more time to get that all important follow-up Scan She missed 6 scheduled appointments To hammered. Few times I took her tipsy NOPE PLEASE RESCHEDULE. February 4 and the THE HOLY GRAIL of appointments. FOLLOW-UP with Dr. Du oncologist. She was like if she continues to consume that much alcohol Fistula will never heal (i checked, they almost never heal at all) she said try to get her in detox. Hahahahaha THATS BIGGEst joke I've heard called all 7 in Mass o she has 2 medical issues on Oxygen for COPD. AND cancer patient with Larengectomy wer sorry just drop her off any Street Corner nothing we can do. So Baystate Medical Center took her in as medical patient and we waited for bed to open in Care Facility NOW U KNOW THE WHOLE STORY. THANKU FOR LISTENING