Just over 2 weeks (already?!)

I must be a big baby because compared to everyone else's perky posts that I read ... I feel like this whole process has been super tough! Laura's blogs have helped me to be able to put words to the things I've been experiencing. I've been taking care of myself since just after a week and I feel like no one else understands. But I was happy to read that she had also been experiencing that burning/bee sting type feeling in her lips. I was concerned that I wasn't feeling more tingling and that it meant I wasn't healing well or something. My lips and chin and a lot of my right side are still totally numb! After 2 weeks! I'm just concerned because I have to go back to work in a week. Am I going to be able to converse with clients without my face looking awkward? These black eyes are STUBBORN too. At least they distract from my lips and swollen cheeks when I go out. People keep looking at James weird ... like he hits me or something! Now that I'm less numb I can feel the stitches pulling when I smile or talk - it sucks. The ortho said he can remove them this Thursday at my 3-week check up. He's also going to take an x-ray and then hopefully I can switch to "soft" foods. Just today I started putting Traumeel on my eyes for the bruising - hope it helps. I've been doing that externally and also taking the oral homeopathic. I've only done moist heat once ... does this really help? Maybe I should do it more because today my jaw was SO MUCH TIGHTER than before. What is that all about? I know I can't really complain in comparison ... after all I'm not even banded shut, but man am I anxious to "move on" already. When I look in the mirror I don't look as swollen as I "feel." I've been trying so much harder to not talk since I'm supposed to take that easy until next check up. And when will I be able to smile again?

8 Days Post-Op

Today is 8 days after I had a Leforte I Osteotomy, Bilateral Sagittal Split Osteotomy and Chin Osteotomy to treat my "open bite." The feeling in my face is coming back SLOWLY but surely in a top-down pattern, with my chin still being the most numb. Makes for inevitable dribbles down it whenever I eat and for some reason nobody seems to mention it. I have to find out when I get to the mirror. I don't know why I didn't think more about the numb factor before surgery. I just kept thinking I would be swollen and sore, but almost forgot that I'd be numb too. That itself is an interesting experience. Blessing in disguise as I imagine my gums and face would hurt even more if they had feeling! As my nerves come back to life I notice the pain is like a dull headache, but in my jaw. My 2 day depression has lifted. I slept more last night than any other so far. Its good to sleep longer, but what usually happens is I end up ON my face and not elevated, so I'm extra swollen when I get up. I am still not able to breathe through my right nostril so I get a bit of a dry throat at night too. Overall everything on the right is a bit more numb and swollen and I'm giving credit to my cheek bone procedure on that side (doctor used extra bone to cover over an old, improperly healed fracture). As far as how I look ... really hard to say, but I don't doubt for a second that I am going to be happy with the results when I can see them. My nose looks wider from the front because of swelling and I look forward to that subsiding. My profile already looks better, less harsh. I feel like I look overweight from the side though because my throat and chin are still swollen, but sure that will go away too. My days are consumed by food preparation and teeth cleaning. People keep asking if I've watched a lot of movies. But I've only seen 1 1/2 so far. I really don't have as much time as you'd think because I spend so much time making food, blending it, syringing it, washing the blender, tending to mouth cleaning, icing etc. and then starting over!! I've been trying to go out for walks though. With a hat and my head down. I've worn my huge Hollywood sunglasses to get Starbucks, but they actually hurt my nose so I only put them on for emergencies like that. Hmmm, now I want some Starbucks. Shoot, was thinking I could kick my addiction in this process. Ah, but why deprive myself at a time like this right?!