Swelling continues to come and go, no change on that front. My upper lip and cheeks are still a little puffy, but I doubt anyone but my husband and I would notice on a low swelling day. Wait, I spoke too soon. I just took some profile shots and my upper lip is noticeably puffy.
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| Pre-surgery |
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| 4 weeks post-surgery |
On the numbness front: my face continues to thaw out from left to right and from the outside in. It's very strange - I can feel a light touch brushing against my skin more than I can feel pressure. Inside my mouth is another story - my upper right gums are starting to regain feeling (I would have expected the left side to regain feeling first, since the left side of my face is regaining feeling faster). My entire palate is starting to regain feeling pretty evenly. I can tell when my face is swelling up without looking in the mirror because it feels very stiff when I try to talk (I say "try" because the more swollen my face gets, the more difficult it is for me to speak coherently. It's almost as if my tongue is moving a mile a minute like it always does but my lips and face just can't keep up. You don't realize how many muscles you use when talking until they are numb and don't work properly. :-)
My headaches continue but not as severe as they were to start. I always feel better after an acupuncture appointment and wish I could spend an entire day there as a human pincushion, listening to zen spa music, napping, and willing my body to heal itself faster. Unfortunately, these pesky things called work and money will not allow it.
Speaking of work, I went back last week at the 19 day mark. I thought I would be up for full days by then but my body thought otherwise. I ended up working 6 hours per day which allowed me some extra time to nap and nurse my headache. This week is going better already, so YAY!
My surgeon said that he usually takes the splint out at the 6 week mark unless the orthodontist needs it to stay in place longer. That's just 2 weeks away! The splint really hasn't bothered me so if it stays in longer it's no big deal except that I want to see my teeth and bite without all that plastic in the way. I see my orthodontist for the first time next week. At some point he will need to make a continuous wire for my upper teeth, but I'm not sure he will be able to do with the splint and all the extra wiring holding it in place. We'll see.
For anyone wondering why I sound like I have a mouth full of marbles, here's your answer in the shape of my splint:
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