Day 60

Tiny bits of feeling are popping up in my lip and chin. Nothing dramatic, but definite, small improvements.

Today was weird. I started doing some work this morning and just saw that it's past 9:00pm. I never ate, never spoke, never moved from the couch. I just worked all day. The day went by in a blink. It made me realize I need to be more aware – of my diet and jaw stretching.

Day 59

"Dang, baby, you puffy as a Cheez Doodle!"

The overwhelming reaction to my face – besides "Mr. Gyllenhaal?" – is "You look the same. Just puffy."

Yeah. Yeah. Still puffy. Thanks, world. That reflective surface in my bathroom doesn't do enough to remind me that my face is still swollen. Thank you. Thank you.

Ouch!

Pains continue in my chin and around my lips. Lots of tingling too. Hoping that means that I can expect more feeling.

Day 58

Functional

Tonight, I attended a talk at my graduate school. I enjoyed it, but the highlight was seeing my professors and a few classmates who also attended.

They served some... um, cross-sectioned, rolled-up, wrap sandwiches. Oh, reader. I know there's some word for that. I don't have the energy – canapé? roulade? You get the idea. There were also platters of a zillion different desserts.

Funnily, people see me eat and say, "So, you're fine. You can eat normally. Great." In reality, though, I didn't go near the sandwiches. I can't open my mouth that far yet. (Instead, I just open my eyes really wide like that will help.) I ate several small desserts – yum. Countdown to becoming really fat again has already begun. I'm back on the sugar hard, reader.

Zing.

During the talk, by the way, I started to get shooting pains all though my face. I've not really had pain at all in my face. It really started to hurt. Dull stabbing pains in my poor broken, puffy face.

My classmates and I went out to Tavern on the Water for beers and chat. It was great to reconnect. They're really smart and funny. I needed that. I had a beer. I needed that, too.

Day 57

Look at those puffy cheeks!

Today, I had an out-of-school training. So I ate lunch on a park bench by the entrance. I'm still very self-conscious eating in front of strangers, but it went fine.

Once More with Feeling

This morning I felt some pangs of pain in my lips and cheeks. Hoping that means things are waking up. I do feel the tiniest bit of feeling in the middle of my lower lip. It's not functional, but I'm happy about it. Some feeling may be creeping into my chin too.

Day 56

Visited my old school to help orient the new speech therapist and pass over some files. The staff thought I looked the same although a few people thought my profile looked different.

I'm clearly still "puffy." (That was the word of the day.) You can also see that I'm still asymmetrical too.

OH! I almost forgot. This was the day when I hoped I'd look and sound normal. Well, not quite. I feel like I've been ahead of the curve for most of my healing, but maybe things are slowing down.

Day 55

Blogs are much easier to maintain when you're lying on the couch recovering. Now that I'm back to work everything is much more hectic. And I'm not even seeing students yet! I'll save the work drama for my other blog, "Why I quit Speech Pathology" (Due October 2012).

Dizziness

I'm still really dizzy when I lie down. At night, when I roll over, the room spins wildly and I (really) have to hold on. It's unpleasant.

Day 54

You Going to Trim Those?

"Self," I said. "There aren't enough up-my-nose pictures available on the internet." Soak in the glory, reader. The point of this was to show you my much easier elastics. Nutty, huh?

Midlines

Also, you can still see that my upper midline looks off. I'm still swollen so I'm trying not to sweat it.

Poor Lips

My lips are sore – all the time. I lube them up, but they are sore. I wonder if I'm eating too much sodium.

Day 53 - Numbness Map 2

I'm so glad I did my first numbness map so I could compare. Definite improvements. I am very determined to get my lower lip back. I'd like to get my chin back too, but numb beggars can't be numb choosers.

Day 52

New Elastics

Went to see Dr. Murthy. He told me on a previous visit that I'd prefer his elastics over the ones my surgeon gave me, "They're easier." He also told me that in a month, I'll hit the magic three month point. That's when everything will be "stable." We'll do x-rays (for my 73rd dose of radiation to my brain) and remove the wire with surgical hooks. We'll also come up with the timeline to finish me up (read: Get rid of my braces!!!)

My midlines are looking better. The upper is off 1mm (instead of 2). But I'm cool with it. It may improve, but I don't look cockeyed anymore.

As for the new elastics? They now go from the inside of my teeth to the outside (to correct a new crossbite) and from the way back to the front. They are officially not easier.

Day 51 - Students Return

Students Return to Schoo'

The students returned and none of them said I looked weird. They definitely noticed though.

I still sound like I'm talking with a handkerchief in my mouth. That's funny for a speech therapist. Oh, well. I guess I'll work with the students on something other than articulation for a few months.

A friend invited me out to dinner, which was perfect timing. We went to a place called TRADE. It's good. I had rigatoni with lamb and it was delicious. My friend took a bite – two rigatonis on a fork. That was hilarious to me because I cut each piece of pasta into 3-4 bites. (My mouth is still a mail slot.) But it's so nice to eat in public and drink from actual glasses. The chocolate-hazelnut cake was also good. I better be careful not to pack that 30 lbs back on. There was one lady who watched me intently as I ate. I don't think she could figure out exactly what was wrong with me. Drink it in, patron.