Day 44: Six Week Progress Update
I am now back under the care of my Orthodontist and although I was supposed to see him later this week, I have had to postpone the appointment until next week.
So, where do I stand, in terms of recovery, after six weeks? I have listed below the top 12-15 topics or questions that I receive often . ..
# 1: Bruising: No bruising whatsoever anymore!
# 2: Splint: I don't have one anymore thankfully. RIP as far as I am concerned . . .
# 3: Swelling: My swelling has reached a plateau and I think the swelling that I presently have is here to stay for many a month (as in 18 months according to Dr. Egbert). It is not too bad all things concerning, I just have a larger head than I am used to :)
# 4: Pain Medicine: The only pain medicine that I now take is Ibuprofen and usually I take that in the evenings presently as a result of some rather painful (aching) jaw joints.
# 5: Nerve Issues: As expected, I still am numb in my chin and have incessant tingling in lips. This is probably the most frustrating part of my recovery to date but again, not a bigee in the whole scheme of things. It feels as if I have been given anesthesia in my chin (think when you last had a tooth extracted) and that is how my chin and lips feel. My lips definitely feel huge as a result! Numbness is ok, tingling is not.
# 6: Scar Tissue: The scar tissue continues to be an issue and it looks like I will have to have the (non functioning) tooth that is biting on the scar tissue removed in a month or so.
# 7: Chewing: Easy answer - chewing is not allowed and probably will not be for another month apparently!
# 8: Diet: My diet is, well, less than ideal :) My fault I recognise but what can I tell you, I am addicted to ice-cream and instant pudding . . .
# 9: Weight Loss: I am still losing weight despite copious amount of #8 above. So far, I have lost somewhere in the region of 25-27lbs.
#10: Rubber Bands: Still banded shut for 2 hours in the middle of the day and in the evening after 7pm.
#11: Facial Aesthetics: Due to the swelling, I really do not have an idea of how I will look (especially my profile) once all is said and done. Presently, I am not liking my profile (cheeks, lips, and nose) but that is to be expected. Patience is a characteristic we all have to learn I guess . . .
#12: Energy Levels: I am completely back to normal. I will leave the definition of normal open-ended :)
#13: Talking: I am obviously talking different due to the rubber bands, swelling, etc., but I am able to be clearly understood for the most part so it is not an issue. Not necessarily easy to talk, bit again you do what you need to do!
#14: Work / Employment: I returned to work after two weeks which was way too early!
#15: Orthodontia: I am looking forward for the orthodontia work to resume. I am really, really hoping that my Orthodontist's original guesstimate of six months post-surgery for all work to be completed is still accurate. However, I highly imagine that time frame no longer is true but still, I am hoping! I will know more next week so I will update then.
Hopefully this has answered many of your questions! If not, I have updated the photo section of my blog, as well as my FAQ, so take a look and see what you think.
