15 Days Post-Op
I honestly can not believe that I am not 15 days post-op. It seems like it was just a few days ago I was arriving at Kaiser, and waking up with my jaw wired shut. Life seems to be getting back to semi-normal. I mean I can talk again, and I can eat with a utensil like a normal human being.
I was expecting to have a lot of pain once I was unwired. Thinking my jaw would be sore and cause headaches, and just discomfort. . I have had a few minor headaches, but I think that is from the bands they have me wearing for the next 4-6 weeks. Nothing a little motrin has not been able to knock out.
I do find eating uncomfortable. I am smashing my food down on my fork or spoon so I don't have to open my mouth as wide. I should probably start pushing myself to open a little wider starting Monday. I will be nice and give myself a few days to take it easy. I am nice to myself like that. Also, now is the time I wished I had feeling on my bottom lip and below that. I can't feel food just chilling on my chin, or lip. This is why I will not be eating out in public for a few weeks. I did go to peet's coffee with my mom and sat outside and drank my freddo in my ball jar with my cuppow lid. I got many compliments on my "cool" cup. If only they knew that I had the sippy lid because I can't sip out of a straw. My surgeon did say I can start using a straw, I just found it really hard to get my lips to close and not get drink everywhere. So I will continue to use my cool cup : )
Brushing my teeth is tiresome. Keeping my mouth open so I can fit the brush in and get the inside of my teeth really good is a little painful. However, my cute little Tigger brush makes brushing so much fun. It was either Tigger or Dora.
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| Sat pool side with my buddy, who picked up some leaf accessories. Funny guy. |
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| My favorite toothbrush. |
i have a tigger toothbrush too!! (sorry, just had to share) i had to take joy in the little things after surgery, and that was definitely one of them... haha... i think it is so weird and annoying not being able to open very wide... so i hope that improves for you! you look so great though :) hope things keep improving.
ReplyDeletehaha. I totally understand that! It really is annoying to not be able to open very wide! I hate it. I need to stop being a baby and start trying to open wider. I totally am not pushing myself. Though my surgeon didn't say I should. He was so relaxed and non informational this last visit, and I was so excited about being unwired I didn't ask any questions. Silly me.
ReplyDeleteyou still aren't allowed to chew right? or are you able to slowly ease into soft foods?
DeleteThey said soft foods like the consistency of pancakes, and to chew slowly. Then after my next appt in 2 weeks I can most likely start adding foods like chicken, fruit, tender red meat and even salads, of course they will need to be cut into small pieces at first. It's crazy to me how so many Doctors do the same procedures yet the do's and don'ts for post surgery are so different. Some are wired shut, some people are not... I wonder what the difference is as far as recovery.
Deletewow, that is so lucky, enjoy your chewing!! i still am not allowed to chew anything at 7 weeks out :( but yes! so weird how different surgeons handle everything differently...
Delete: ( I hope you get the okay to chew soon! You poor thing!
DeleteI've been using the same toothbrush too except mine's blue and has Eeyore on it!
ReplyDeleteYou're looking really good. I bet it's really exciting to be unwired now. It'll take a while, but eating real food again will keep getting easier and easier. I know for me it just felt so weird at the beginning- like I was almost afraid of opening my mouth too far or chewing too much that I would mess up the healing process. But it gets better quickly.
I have the Eeyore one too! Love it! I am totally afraid to open to wide, and it just feels to tight. I am so glad to hear that it gets easier! Thank you, I am finally starting to feel like I look good except for the weird line I am getting across my chin. I am hoping its just from the swelling, or something else that will go away. I did not have that line before surgery, and I would like to keep it that way. : )
DeleteAfter spending days recovering from your surgery, it surely feels exciting that things have gotten back to normal. Seeing your photos now, I can say that there has been a lot of improvement since the operation. You look more beautiful. Hang tough! Remember, no pain, no gain!
ReplyDeleteWallace Tucker