So just over 3 weeks post op and I'm starting to have more 'up' days than 'down'. Credit to the England Test Cricket side who have helped enormously! It's still odd looking at my new face in the mirror. I find myself scrutinising every last detail and wondering whether that's how the final result will look or whether the swelling is still affecting it. I'm pretty sure that I'm nowhere near the final result though, the swelling is still quite bad although it is improving. My left side is definitely more swollen than my right and I'm not sure why but I'm told that this is fairly normal.
I'm starting to be a bit more adventurous with my food now. I'm still not allowed to chew and my mouth is still invaded by tight elastic bands which prevent me opening my mouth too wide. You can't keep a greedy man down though and so I recently tucked into a Singapore Fried rice (drowned in 3 pots of curry sauce to make it easier to swallow). There were strips of meat in there as well which I just cut up a little and then swallowed straight down. Don't forget that I couldn't really chew properly before the op (hence the surgery) so to me, swallowing food without chewing it properly is standard practice. Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed it even if it did take me a whole episode of "The Borgias" to get through it!! I'm still eating in front of a mirror too because the numbness in my lower lip and chin means that I don't know when I'm getting food all down my face!
The numbness either side of my nose has reduced significantly but lower lip and chin are still completely dead. Not too worried at the moment as it is very early days in that regard but it makes it difficult to drink and kissing the wife and kids is a strange sensation. (Always been that way with the Mrs though ha ha - just kidding honey!). I am still getting strange tightening, spasms and pins and needles in my face though which I presume is the nerve endings regenerating.
My speech has improved a bit but it is still very tiring to talk, probably because the muscles need exercising although I can't do that until the bands come out and allow me to open my mouth properly. Laughing is still painful and sneezing is even worse!! I find that excessive talking aggravates the swelling anyway so it's best I continue to keep quiet.... off fishing on my own it is then.
The elastic bands appear to be doing their job and the mid-line (the line between the centre top two and bottom two is almost perfectly aligned). Hoping I can get these elastics off soon though, they are not nice.
Back in to see the orthodontist this Friday - I'll try and do another update then.
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