Helping Your Loved One Heal from a Laryngectomy
Reading Time: 3 minutes
If your loved one had to have part of their larynx removed, you have probably visited them for quite a while in the hospital during the early stages of recovery. This surgery removes part or all of the voice box and requires a long recovery period. But with time and care, your loved one will fully recover, usually within a couple of months. Hiring speech therapy providers will help in the recovery process.
Caring for Your Loved One After Larynx Surgery
Once your loved one has been released from the hospital, they will need to continue to heal slowly but steadily. It is important to follow the doctor’s orders on what to do and what not to do. You might find it’ll help to have a care team support your loved one during this process, including home care providers to help around the home and language and speech therapy providers.
Five Areas To Focus on for Post-Laryngectomy Care
Incision Care. The nurses and doctors will show you and your loved one how to care for this area as it heals. Watch for infection and if your loved one has a stoma, keep it covered at all times. You might want to consider having a humidifier running so that the area doesn’t dry out and crust over. Be careful when helping with showering and bathing so that no water gets in the stoma.
Diet. Your loved one’s diet will slowly progress from all liquid to soft foods, to regular food. It can take one to two months and most people head home while at the soft diet stage. As you prepare for your loved one to come home, shop for foods that will be easy for her to swallow and digest. Scrambled eggs, pancakes, and oatmeal are all great for breakfast. Soups, canned fruit, and soft cheeses are all good for lunch, while ground beef, fully cooked pasta, and cooked vegetables are safe for dinner. Remember to still strive for well-balanced meals that provide the nutrients needed for a speedier recovery.
Activity. Rest is important for your loved one’s body to recuperate, but so is some activity so work with her to get a bit of exercise each day that isn’t too strenuous. Short walks are a great way to begin. Any strenuous chores like vacuuming, shoveling snow, or mowing the lawn should be avoided as well as any heavy lifting. Having a neighbor or family member visit to help with these types of activities will keep your loved one safe from injuring her incision area.
Speech Therapy Five Forks SC – Helping Your Loved One Heal from a Laryngectomy
Medication Management. Your loved one will be given instructions about when and how to restart any medications she was on before the surgery as well as any needed afterward. If you’re worried about her missing doses, purchase a medication dispenser to help her manage her medications safely.
Restoring the ability to Communicate. Learning how to communicate again may take a while and a speech therapist will be a big part of that process. If your loved one is also battling cancer during their recovery period, you might find it easier to have speech therapy provided at home. Your loved one can work with the speech therapy professional in the comfort of their home (or your home if they’re staying with you) without having to worry about transportation or exposure to bacteria and viruses found in many public places while their body is still in a weakened state.
