Double Jaw Surgery Recovery - Days 10-12

Day 10 Post Op Recovery - Saturday 26th

I had a lovely lie in with my man this morning, I am getting better at sleeping on my side and position my pillows to hold up my head whilst not putting pressure on my face. It's a fine art i'm getting good at. So this means that i can kind of snuggle in and have a proper cuddle, which is lovely because I do like a cuddle and i really miss being able to be close to friends and family. I always feel tense when someone goes to hug me or kiss me or are just generally near my face. I'm in fear of being bashed and my jaws getting hurt.

This afternoon my wonderful friend Stacey and her daughter came round to carve pumpkins! It was so lovely to see them and my friends daughter (she's 5) said that i looked different, but good different and that I was talking funny, like i was growling. Which she found hilarious. So we explained to her again why Aunty Tasha was talking funny and using straws to eat etc (which she insisted on doing too) and she got it in the end, wasn't phased at all. I was worried I would scare her, but thankfully I have had virtually no bruising and my swelling hasn't been too bad either.

After pumpkin carving, we went for a little walk down to a local park to play on the swings, it was nice to get some fresh air and be out and about. Here is my friends amazing pumpkin creation, she has a real talent for this!

As i am getting so bored of my shake and soup diet I decided to mix it up a little and throw some custard in to the mix. It went down really well, i had to thin it out with some milk to get it up the straw but it was lovely, I had 2 bowls!


Day 11 Post Op Recovery - Sunday 27th

Today was a bit of a cleaning and washing day, i feel really good that I have enough energy to be doing the hoovering and sorting washing etc. Glad to get some normality back in my life, even if it is doing chores! I am fine bending over to picks things up, I don't feel any pressure building in my jaw or nose area at all.

In terms of numbness and tingles, not much has changed. I think I'm getting less tingles than i was a few days ago on my numb left side, but they come and go. I have had a few weird itches where my chin or lip feels like it needs itching but then when i go to i cant quite feel that bit of my face so i cant scratch it properly. Its strange! My bottom lip on my right hand side still feels sore when i touch it or when i kiss, i think its nerves coming back to life so it's a good thing and it's not an unbearable pain.

Pain wise, I dont have a lot. I sometimes take the equivalent to 2 tablets of ibuprofen in the evening if i feel a bit ache and sore but that's it. I've started to notice some sensitivity in my teeth and a bit more feeling occasionally in my gums and roof of my mouth so that's a good sign

Tonight i sat like a drooling dog and watched Lee eat his dinner. I'm so bored of liquid and it hasn't even been 2 weeks. Thursday cant come quick enough! I made some jelly because i thought i might be able to suck it through my teeth, i was wrong. It did however provide Lee some entertainment, watching me trying to poke jelly down the side of my mouth towards my back teeth and just getting jelly everywhere instead.

We then played eat like i eat and he had a go at drinking/eating things through a straw which was good fun. I feel very lucky to have him, he is so understanding and patient and brilliant. My mum and dad have been brilliant too, taking me places, keeping me fed and helping with dishes etc.

Some advice for any readers who are pre surgery, during recovery I really feel that you really need someone there to call on to help build you back up and cheer you up when you get fed up of soup or fed up of not being able to sleep properly or speak properly. Now whether that's a friend, family, partner, dog, cat whatever it doesn't matter, so long as you have someone you can contact when it gets tough. It's pretty easy to slip into negativity during this recovery process.

You build up to this surgery for so long, with the promise of everything being fixed and brilliant. And it will be, it's just that the recovery is a lot like the bit before surgery, it takes time. It's like before surgery you have your braces, extractions etc to get your teeth ready for your jaws to be moved. Then after surgery you have your mouth banded, liquid food etc to get your mouth and teeth ready for its new position, its new role as a fully functioning set of teeth and jaws. It takes time but I know it will be worth it in the end.


Day 12 Post Op Recovery - Monday 28th

I need an Internet shopping block! Recovery is costing me money!!! Particularly because it's almost Christmas! sort of. I'm really excited for Christmas, it's my shining light at the end of a jaw surgery recovery tunnel. I think by Christmas i should be able to enjoy my Christmas dinner, maybe not the obligatory bar of toblerone just yet, but most of the other Christmas goodies I'm sure ill be able to manage somehow! I'm also looking forward to my first Christmas in my house, getting all the decorations and tree up, it will be lovely!

My mum and dad took me out to a home ware shop today to get some bits for my sister as she is moving into her house in a couple weeks! It's funny talking to people outside of the family like shop assistants or the post man because obviously something is different about the way i talk and the way i look, they know it, i know it. I don't feel embarrassed, maybe a bit self conscious but i guess i feel like i should explain why I'm talking like this. I don't know why.

I also bought some new nail polish, i do have a bit of an obsession with my nails, and did this Halloween inspired look. There are some seriously amazing Halloween nails out there, like spiders and pumpkins, my free hand skills aren't that good yet, but practise makes perfect!

Halloween Nails

Another bowl of soup for dinner, and another shake for desert. Only 3 days till Thursday, till i hopefully will be allowed to eat mush. Yay!

This song has been my surgery jam and reminds me of my brilliant brother who although he hasn't been able to be here I know he has been cheering me on from Paris, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvb-1wjAtk4  cant wait to see you soon Bif! xxxxx