Tracheal Stenosis : My Journey To Healing

Tracheal Resection Scar at 1 month It’s been exactly one month since my tracheal resection at Emory University Hospital performed by Dr. Melissa Statham. I’ve been using Mederma and Aloe Vera on my scar and its healing very well. I hope the if my trachea heals as nice as the outside.  After being discharged from my post-resection dilation, I was sent home with the following meds and a follow up apt for June 13. PREDNISONE 50 MG per day tapered dose over 10 Days. AMOX TR-K CLV 500-125 MG twice per day for 10 days PANTOPRAZOLE 40 MG TAB once per day with breakfast HYDROCODON-ACETAMINOPHEN  5-500 as needed for pain ZOLPIDEM TARTRATE 10 MG TABLET as needed for sleep SODIUM BICARB 4.2% VIAL nebulized three times per day COMBIVENT® RESPIMAT® (ipratropium bromide and albuterol Inhalation Spray twice per day)

  I am back in the hospital only three weeks after my trachea resection.  Things were going fine until two days ago when I noticed stridor sounds and increased coughing.  Uh oh…was my first thought.  This thing is re-stenosing and I was going to have to get another dilation or worse yet, a re-resection. So here I am in the ICU at Emory University Hospital Midtown and am being administered strong IV steroids and breathing treatments.  They say I may have a shot of getting discharged tomorrow depending on how it looks when they scope me in the morning. UPDATE *** I have a 50% narrowing of my trachea already…the resection failed. I am being admitted to the ICU and they’ve scheduled a dialiton for the morning. I am actually more scared now than I was before I had the big tracheal resection surgery three weeks ago.  Those doctors at Emory University Otolaryngology assured me a 98% success rate and said patients rarely exhibit re-stenosi...