Days 5 to 7

Each day I feel a little bit better than the one before. Progress for healing will be slow and steady as this was a huge surgery.

Day 5

Day 6

Day 6

 Day 6  Cheesy smile!

Day 7

Day 7

Day 7

Day7

Day7

I can open my mouth enough to eat porridge textured foods or anything at all blended up into that texture. I am eating lots of calories every day. Still very tired so I rest a lot and try not to do too much. Some of the Grandkids came by today to watch a movie with Grammie on her bed. That was fun and all three of them were very, very good, being careful not to move around too much. After about an hour I was done. Mostly I was tired from talking and moving my mouth around. The muscles really ache when I smile or use them too much.
The nights are the hardest for me. There is nothing to distract me from the discomfort for all those long dark hours. The time seems to crawl by. I have to take a half dose of Oxy at night just to help me to relax.
I stopped using the ice pack and have switched to heat. Dr. told me at this point to use whatever I can get comfort with. The heated rice pack on my face felt soooooo wonderful! The only discomfort/pain that I have is on the left side of my jaw. This is the side the Dr. had to move forward the most. The jaw muscle just aches and aches by the end of the day. Almost like a muscle spasm. Some nights it's more difficult than others to find that sweet spot for relief.
The body aches that I feel from sitting and lying around can bring some discomfort also. I try to do some gentle stretching to work it out. I take a hot tub every day. That just keeps me warm!
I will continue with the Aleve every 12 hours. I can sure tell when it's time for my next dose even if I'm not watching the clock!
The numbness in my face really hasn't changed. Dr. said he wants me to eat soft foods and do lots of chewing, but I can't feel the food in my mouth, so I am going to wait a few more days. I tried Pasta on night 7, but it just felt too risky to try to chew and swallow when I couldn't feel when it was chewed enough.

I am excited that I see and feel little improvements every day. No matter how small a baby step it may feel, it is still a step going forward. I thank God that my healing has thus far been steady and progressive.