Step by step

Hello :)

As you will know by now, the worst part of the jaw-surgery-ordeal is now (thankfully) over. The past few days have been the most comfortable I've had in a while. In terms of progress, I am in much less pain and my speech has improved considerably so that I can now talk without someone going "can you say that again?" a hundred times before me finishing a sentence. I'm doing a lot more around the house than just sitting on the sofa all day, and the swelling has gone down noticably.

Having said that, my face is still swollen to the point that I feel incredibly self-conscious every time I have to leave the house. Since first returning home after the surgery, there's only been the two times. I went to see another orthodontist for some follow-up measurements and it's so strange to think that exactly two weeks ago, I was in that hospital lying painfully in a bed barely able to move. Anyway, she took an x-ray and it is very weird to see the metal lying in the jaw, the very changed and receded jaw shape, and the peculiar changes to my nose (it could be metal but I'm not entirely sure). All these changes - subtle or not - are going to take a while to get used to! Even looking in the mirror now and again, I think "oh my goodness is that me" before "how long is this swelling going to last!" After all, I can be impatient at times...

Myself and the medical experts are happy with the progress so far, and I'm so glad that everything I've experienced so far hasn't been experienced alone. Things are getting better and I've said goodbye to eating by syringe (hooray), and I can now handle mashed food rather than heavily liquidised soups. Even though I seriously crave chocolate and meat and chips and pizza and cereal and bread and pasta and burgers and biscuits... well, real food, I know it's just a small price to pay for a lifetime of benefits and easier eating. As it says on the tin (or the title), one step by step is all it takes...for now.

I'll see you at the next step
xoxo