Day 59: Surgeon Visit and Chewing

Visited my surgeon again today and given that I am back under the care of my Orthodontist I do not have the visit him again for one whole month! Gone are the days of two visits a week or every week. This is a good sign :)

Apparently, all is well with my jaws and they are stable and strong enough for me to start chewing. That was my main question today - when I can I start chewing and what am I allowed to chew?

I would have liked to receive a nice glossy, laminated, full page cover photo detailing all of the foods I can start to chew and the respective timeframes that I can start eating them! No such luck however - I was simply told that I can start chewing and basically it is a question of slowly does it and experimentation. By this, I was told that if your teeth hurt when you chew a particular food group (and they will), then you do not want to chew that food! Really. Note the sarcasm please . . .

He said that it will be rather uncomfortable (read: painful) to chew until such a time that my teeth are more aligned than they are presently. Moving my jaws so far forward really knocked them out of alignment I guess :)

So, a question of trial and error. I tried a piece of tiny piece of chicken yesterday (by mistake) and it is fair to say that it was indeed uncomfortable. That said, the discomfort and pain could be because I am now wearing braces again and they are being pulled and stretched as a result of the rubber bands. If it is not thing, it is another. Given that I will be wearing braces, according to my Orthodontist, for at least another six months, then chewing will be a question of baby steps. Isn't everything where this surgery is concerned!?

Given that I am almost eight weeks post-op, most of the issues relating to surgery have resolved themselves. Thankfully.

The one overriding issue I am presently experiencing is the fact that I still cannot feel anything where my lips and chin are concerned. Talking is a strange sensation quite honestly - my lips feel huge and I cannot feel anything and so it seems awkward for me to talk but friends and family tell me I sound normal so it is more psychological I guess. Just imagine that you have had a tooth taken out and the feeling that you have in terms of numbness and tingling. That is what I am feeling 24/7 presently.

The swelling is what it is and I do not expect it to substantively decrease anytime soon. My weight loss has plateaued which is a good sign also!

There you have it, not a whole lot new to be honest. I will update the blog once a week from now on and I will update the photo and FAQ sections on the same schedule.