Cuff down!

Dear All
More good news - Rick spent the afternoon (and probably the night) breathing with the trachy cuff down - which is progress. To explain - the trachy tube is held in place by an inflatable ring or cuff, I imagine it to be like a childs rubber ring, when this cuff is fully inflated it prevents any saliva going down the throat and therefore stops the cough reflex. The first step to having the tube removed is for Rick to be able to tolerate having this cuff deflated - I suppose a sort of half-way house in trachy world - and yesterday he managed it without any problem. Previously he has struggled, probably not helped by the chest infection he had to contend with at the time, but this time it was ok.
So, what with the new blood and the prayers from next door Rick should be home in no time! Of course, there is the small matter of his neck healing as well, the drains being removed and the staples out but apart from that we are home and dry!
Catherine
If anyone wants to email Rick rather than blog his email is Parsonsrichard1@sky.com