Updates- Day 28

I'm currently eating a sandwich on a plate with a knife and fork lol. Nobody can deny the pleasures of a sandwich, and this is my first one since the surgery. The thing is that I'm back at uni now (though not for the full week- my plan is to go home on Thursdays because I don't have any lectures after then, so my mum can feed me better quality foods than I can feed myself here!) It's annoying because in between lectures, etc, I don't have time to go and sit down to 'eat', so I'm reduced to living off things like nutrigrain bars and smoothies during the day. You forget how much you need some convenience with food; for instance eating a sandwich on the go, which I obviously can't do.

However, I'm still pleased with how much I can actually eat. And to anyone with an upcoming surgery- if you don't need to be on a liquid diet, then don't (but if you do, sorry!). Do you know how depressing it is to only be able to have fluids? Try and eat what you can within reason (and obviously the first week you probably will just need liquids or very, very soft stuff); it makes such a difference psychologically, instead of drinking drinking drinking all day (you feel bloated, not satisfied). I'm not chewing anything, but that doesn't mean I can't eat anything.


In terms of pain- I only get it when I yawn. It's because my jaw is forced further than it wants to go, and it's hard to stifle a yawn without moving your jaws somewhat anyway. Also sometimes my jaw sort of spasms like it wants to tilt to the left again.

My areas of numbness are illustrated in this fantastic use of technological advancements:

So it's the majority of my chin, and say, half of my lip. The parts on the right side aren't 100%, but I can feel it! But I have paraethesia on the left side, which is a good sign. It's mainly pulsing and tingling, however sometimes if I catch my chin it will then start to itch, but sort of deep within. And of course I can't scratch it! Very strange feeling.

The swelling that's left and the odd, expressionless way that I smile is still there. I imagine they will remain for quite a long time, actually. But it's nothing too adverse really. I look on the verge of lookingswollen to perhaps just looking a bit weird, so I just tell people who I'm not close to but see regularly what's going on. It was the same telling people about my big gap between my front teeth after SARME lol.

I think I have a little ulcer near one of my stitches too. So I need to pick up my rinses so my stitches heal better, and so I don't get any more ulcers. And only one of my stitches has actually come out (other than the one my surgeon took out for me), so I don't know how long I'll be stuck with these! Again, it's nothing too bad, but I don't want them to get infected, and I can't really floss near them because they have loosened, but are still tender to touch.