Recovery day 22 - post op #2

Today was my 2nd post op appointment. Dr Keith was indeed impressed. He couldn't get over how well I looked. I guess the majority of his patients don't heal as fast as I currently am. I may look like I'm 5-6 weeks healed but I feel like I'm 3 weeks into my recovery. I still get tired very easily which is completely normal. My body is still healing and trying to figure out what to do with its new everything. He was a little concerned about the dizzy spells I've been having. He decided that I should stay out of work another two weeks and then be on light duty for 2 weeks once I go back to work (maybe more if I feel I need it). For the next two weeks in supposed to relax, drink more water and not lift anything over 5-10lbs. Hopefully the dizziness week pass with some TLC.

He changed my elastics around so now I'm wearing them differently. You can see the difference in the photos below. I was wearing them vertical but now they are top-center to bottom-middle. Wearing them this way has made my jaw a little sore so that's probably why I'm tired so early.

He also wanted me to see Dr Klein earlier than my original appointment which is nice. Hopefully I'll get this surgical wire removed but if not, oh well. I'm interested to see what she thinks of my new bite. I have a couple of teeth that have shifted slightly so hopefully she'll address those tiny issues in the next few months. Again, nothing major but I happened to notice them. The only appointment she had available was 4 days earlier but I took it anyway. I'm going to see if I can fit in another doctor appointment that day so I'll probably need the day off. My work is flexible though so it shouldn't be a problem.

I totally forgot to ask about x-rays and if I still had to be on nasal precautions. I've sneezed and haven't had any bloody noses so I think I'm OK to blow my nose. I've been doing it very gently so I think I'll just continue normally unless it starts to hurt and bother me. I'll see if Dr Klein has access to the x-rays since I'll see her first.

I am still on soft food which is a bummer. But he told me I could enjoy thanksgiving dinner which is nice. Then I realized that thanksgiving is pretty much all soft food so it's a win-win. Stuffing, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, squash, cranberry sauce, pretty much my diet now haha. Well, everything except the turkey.

I had fish tonight and that was a nice treat. Just pan fried haddock with garlic and lemon. Made me feel like I was eating a semi normal meal!

My face is still partially numb, no changes there. The upper stitches are also still there and those suck. Whenever I smile, they move a tiny bit and I get twinges of pain along my upper jaw. But sometimes, I can't help but smile! Smiling is awesome and shitty at the same time.

Dr Keith wants to see me back in a month so I have another appointment in December a few days after my visit with Dr Klein.

All in all, today was a good day!

Recovery Day 20

Today, Don and I went to brunch at a friend's house. Breakfast is the easiest meal for me to eat even though eating still takes forever. My jaw can only open up a little less than half an inch which is not large enough to eat anything solid like a normal person. We had a breakfast egg scramble, some hash browns, fruit (which I couldn't eat unfortunately), and cinnamon buns. The cinnamon buns were a little hard but I wasn't going to not try at least part of them. I cut one in half and shared it with another friend. It took forever but was delicious and worth it. (Thanks Meaghan and Jim for hosting and cooking!)

After brunch and food, we spent the rest of the morning playing some board games which was a lot of fun. I haven't played any games in awhile (even before my surgery, too much to do and to plan) so it was nice and relaxing. We played two new games that were easy for me to play with my limited jaw ability. We played a game called Concept which is like charades for lazy people. It was nice because I didn't have to talk much. The other game we played was called Slash. It's like a dating game with non-fictional and fictional characters. I laughed so much and smiled a lot that my jaw got a pretty good workout today. Smiling and laughing causes my stitches to stretch which is slightly uncomfortable 

Earlier today, everything felt like it has for the past couple days. However, after dinner tonight, I washed out my mouth and felt something strange. A few tingles and suddenly the right half of my upper lip has slight feeling in it! Hell yea! I can also sorta twitch my nose but that also bothers my stitches in my upper lip. The right side of my face is definitely more active than the left side which apparently makes me look even more like a stroke patient than before. I just have to be patient. The other side will wake up eventually. 

Recently, I've been experiencing weird dizzy spells. Like, usually at least 1-2 a day. When I have one, I usually sit down and drink a whole cup of water but they still freak me out a little. I might be overdoing it so I'm going to talk to my surgeon about it on Tuesday when I see him for my second post-op. If I keep having these, not sure if I'll be able to go back to work as early as I'd like. We shall see. 

Recovery Day 18

Time for a quick update! I've been doing pretty well. Still battling feeling tired all the time but it's gotten better. My nose is still numb. I have a feeling that I may not feel my nose for awhile. My face is very oily so I've been working on keeping my skin clean and acne clear. It's very difficult to not scratch my face off since I still have pins and needles everywhere, especially my chin and cheeks. 

My lips are very sore and chapped. I read online that vasoline is not the best ointment to use for chapped lips. Apparently, A&D ointment (the stuff for baby bums) can also be used to help and prevent chapped lips! I never would have guessed it. I bought the new ointment at the grocery store for about $2 so we will see if it helps. 

I've been generally feeling pretty ok that I think I'm going to be able to go back to work earlier than I originally thought. My second post op appointment is on Tuesday so I'm sure my surgeon will talk to me about going back to work. I may have to work on a limited basis for awhile since my job description involves a lot of standing, walking, talking and lifting. I'm not sure with my current energy level if I'll be able to perform all those tasks. 

Here are some progress photos! Look for a more in depth progress update on Tuesday after my post-op.

I can sorta smile! My nose looks fake though.

Relaxed face

Recovery day 14 - 2 week update!

It's been 2 weeks since my surgery and I feel sorta OK. I woke up this morning and felt a significant amount of pain for the first time in awhile. I'm not sure if it has to do with the way I was sleeping last night or if my facial nerves are slowly waking up. I was given the OK to take ibuprofen again so that's what I've started taking. After I took the ibuprofen and ate something, I felt a lot better. 

While I was at the store, something happened to me that I was not expecting! I FINALLY SNEEZED. It felt SO weird. I half felt it, half didn't since half my face is still numb. I thought it would be scary but it wasn't too bad. Most people who've had my surgery typically end up with a lot of bloody noses so I was warned what could happen if I sneezed soon after my surgery. Fortunately for me, I didn't experience a single bloody nose during my recovery. Not even the first 2 days after surgery when they are super common. I've never been one to be prone to stuff like that so I guess I'm just lucky. I was so surprised at the sneeze that it literally stopped me in my tracks. I had to double check that a giant booger wasn't hanging from my face (there wasn't, thank god!) or blood rushing out of my nose but I lucked out.

The other thing I discovered today is that I can feel the plate they installed in my face when they worked on my upper jaw. The left side of my face has started to get some feeling back and when I press above my upper lip next to my nose I can feel the plate. Again, SO WEIRD. But kinda cool at the same time. It doesn't hurt, it just feels very firm when I press on it. I tried getting Don to press my face in order to feel it too but I think he was grossed out by it so he refused. He's no fun. Hahaha.

I've been brushing my teeth pretty much after eating anything. Stitches seem to be falling out every time I brush which is nice. They are pretty annoying. I've been exercising my facial muscles by trying to smile and trying to purse my lips. I can't do either really well. As you can see, my smile needs some work. It looks semi painful but it isn't. Everything just feels tight. That's the only word that I think really describes how I'm feeling. I'm also still drooling constantly. 

Tomorrow should be interesting. Our neighborhood has been doing a lot of construction which includes replacing all plumbing lines and all utility lines. The gas utility line for our house needs to be updated and they are coming tomorrow to do the work. Hopefully they don't have too many questions for me since I'll be home alone and won't be able to talk much. 

Recovery day 13

Nothing much to say, just a few progress photos. Swelling is almost completely gone on left side, still partially swollen on right side. I am still numb on my upper lip and underneath my eyes. I've started to yawn which is super weird. I can only open my jaw so much and holding it back hurts more than if I just let it happen. Haven't sneezed yet. Another issue I've come across is that I now have acne on my chin. These annoying, painful little white heads on my chin. I guess that a lot of people experience acne after surgery which I never knew. The skin on my face is very dry so I've started using lotion to hopefully bring it back to normal. 

Attempting to smile. Still hard but getting there.

Normal frontal view with closed lips.

Close up of teeth. No Gap! Still feels very weird.

Recovery day 11

Nothing much to report. Most areas of my face are still numb which is OK. I can now feel the top of my nose but that's the only thing that has come back.

I woke up this morning with a wad of stitches floating around in my mouth. They are supposed to be those dissolvable stitches but they don't really dissolve completely. Waking up with a bunch of them in my mouth was super gross but I guess that means they were ready. Part of the healing process I guess.

From the photos you can still see that I'm still swollen on one side. Mostly been eating the same stuff, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, apple sauce, pudding, and soup.

I still get random bouts of sleepiness. Took almost a 4 hour nap today and I'm still tired. Will probably still sleep through the night. My energy level is definitely not back to normal but I guess I should get as much sleep while I can.

Recovery Day 10

Wow, I can't believe it's already Thursday. Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been doing a lot of sleeping recently. Last night was particularly bad, we were watching wheel of fortune and I fell asleep before the end of the episode. Don woke me up and brought me upstairs a few hours later and I still slept through the night. The past couple days I've been taking naps during the day and then still sleeping 10+ hours at night. My body must obviously still need lots of rest so I'm not too concerned.

I had my post-op appointment on Tuesday which went very well! Dr Keith was very impressed with how I looked and even more impressed with my jaw movement. I told him that I only took narcotics until Friday and he was astounded. Astounded but very pleased. I honestly didn't really need them. He switched out my elastics for larger ones that give a wider range of motion. He also took off the two elastics in the back and told me I wouldn't need to wear those anymore. He also gave me the good news that I can now slowly introduce softer foods into my diet. I am allowed to take the elastics out while eating but must brush my teeth and then replace them. I've started with mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, really mushy mac and cheese, and applesauce which is great. I'm still on nasal precautions which kinda sucks. At least another 2-3 weeks without blowing my nose and having to use nasal decongestants sprays. I still have a pretty large bruise on my right side that sorta extends down to my throat. It's more yellow green than blue black. Don says that at first look if people didn't know me, they'd think I had jaundice which sounds funny to me haha.

After Tuesday, I started soft foods pretty much immediately. I soon realized that it's a lot harder than I thought it'd be. My jaw can only open so far and my lips are still very numb. I can't really feel the food trying to get into my mouth so I ended up making a HUGE mess all over myself. I figured out a way to not make as much of a mess and that is eating with a mirror. Sounds kind of weird but it actually works. I'm not fully off a blenderized diet, so this is only really a problem when eating soft foods.

My face is still very numb but not as badly. My upper lip and cheekbones have  pins and needles which has been driving me crazy. I haven't sneezed yet which is a blessing. I've heard that the first sneeze can be a little freaky. Not sure if I'm ready for that yet. I have yawned a few times and it feels very strange. Hurts a little but not bad. I can also smile a little without it looking like i'm in pain! It's the little things.

Movies I've watch so far: Edge of Tomorrow, Wall-E, Big Hero 6, A League of their Own, Guardians of the Galaxy

Since today is November 5th, Don and I will watch V for Vendetta tonight (Guy  Fawkes Day tradition). I'm a little excited because it's a tradition we've upheld every year since we started dating. I've been getting a little better each day so I may not continue to write so many updates. I will definitely write up a little something if and when things change. :)

Lastly, some photos! Sorry for the crappy lighting, lol.

Recovery Day 9

I know it's only 1 photo but I've been a slacker with taking pictures. Can sorta smile?? It looks sorta painful but it's not. 

Recovery 1 week! I've made it!

This update is going to be a little short mostly because I'm tired and there isn't much to report. I do have my post op appointment tomorrow morning so there's that too look forward to.
Things are just getting better and better. I can't believe how hard this first week was. It's unreal how difficult the first 4 days were.
I've begun to start changing out the elastics myself which is a little terrifying and exciting at the same time. They get stained pretty badly and looking at them in the mirror after eating with them in all day grosses me out. I haven't been able to change out the back ones yet so hopefully Dr Keith will be able to help me out there tomorrow.
I hardly took any drugs today! Just used the nasal sprays and that's it! I can't stand the taste of the Tylenol so I have decided to forgo it. Maybe Dr Keith will allow me to switch back to ibuprofen tomorrow, doubtful but maybe.
Still looking like a chipmunk haha but swelling is definitely going down, just very slowly.
I discovered this evening that my whole face is sorta peeling? Not painfully, just like the dead skin after a sunburn which is weird. I haven't been washing my face in the shower because I can't get my stitches wet but I have been using facial cleansing wipes instead. Maybe they just don't do the same job as me in the shower. Can't wait to get these stitches out and I can shower using my regular routine again.
Went on another walk this morning with don and Bailey. The fresh air felt nice but I couldn't tell if my face was legit cold or numb due to the surgery. Also, I think I spent the whole walk with drool down my face so I'm glad we didn't run into anyone in our neighborhood.
I did also sleep through the night last night and was able to drink exclusively out of a cup today which was great. I only spilled on myself a little bit which was great.
I finally weighed myself this morning and was shocked, already lost 10 pounds. I couldn't believe that it came off this fast. You can't really tell though since my face is like a balloon. I'm not a super small girl in the first place so the ten pounds was easy for me lose. Hopefully I can keep the weight off permanently.
Anyway, here are the pics! Enjoy!

Recovery Day 6

The days keep getting better and better. Thankfully, I think its safe to say that the worst is definitely over. Man, they weren't kidding when they said the first week was going to be tough. Definitely the hardest thing I've had to do so far.

I finally took my first full shower which felt amazing. I've been taking showers since coming home but I was given strict instructions to not get my facial stitches wet so I've been avoiding washing above the neck. Well, my hair was so nasty I just couldn't take it anymore and decided I needed to wash my hair or else I would go insane. Don helped me by covering up my exposed stitches with a makeshift pad and then he helped me to wash my hair (what a guy!). Don also attempted to dry my hair with the blow dryer which was an utter failure. It was cute that he tried but it was by far an epic fail. If we ever have girls when we have kids, we know who's going to be doing their hair, hahaha. I was able to dry my hair myself if I sat down which worked perfectly fine. Now that I know he's sorta competent in hair washing, he'll have to help me again to wash my hair on Tuesday before my first post-op appointment. 

I also sorta figured out how to drink from a cup without completely soaking myself today so I'm going to count today as a success. 

I haven't had much pain, just discomfort from being swollen. My swelling goes up as far as my upper cheekbones so my eyes are partially numb? Trust me, it sounds as weird as it feels. The only other thing that bothers me are the stitches I have on each side. They are starting to get itchy so I'm hoping that those will be removed on Tuesday.

Today, I spent most of the day watching football which is very nice. I've been so busy that today was the first day I actually was able to sit down and just watch as much football as I wanted. I'm probably going to lose this week fantasy-wise but I don't really care at this point.
EDIT: I totally forgot to add that I went on a walk this morning! Don and I have our dog bailey and I felt good enough to walk around the block this morning. I didn't hold the leash because I'm not allowed to yet but I was able to be the poop-carrier which was better than sitting on the couch doing nothing. The fresh air really helped a lot so hopefully I'm going to go on as many walks as I feel up to from now on!

Don took some photos of me post-shower today so here they are! It's amazing how different I looked before I took a shower. I looked so much worse and it showed quite a bit. I seem to be in better spirits today though so I'm just happy to be done with the worst part of recovery. 

Side profile - That little mark near my ear are the 2 stitches I have. Very swollen cheeks and I have a chin!

This is my natural look. Yea... I look like I'm on narcotics but I'm in fact not! 

And this is me attempting to smile. Unfortunately I look more like sloth from the Goonies than myself.