Day 84/85 (12 weeks post-op)

I'm a day late, sorry guys.

So again, nothing new to share really, I can't believe I'm only five days away from being 90 days post-op!



Swelling: I think my right cheek has finally decided to get with the program and not be as swollen, it seems to have gone down a little bit more. The say it takes a full six months for all the swelling to go down but I'm pretty happy with the progress it's made so far. The swelling under my chin that was giving me that super hot double chin has gone way down too.

*just a side note: its super hard to take selfies from a profile angle.

Eating: Nothing new in this area, I can eat pretty much everything, the only thing that is a little challenging is hard crunchy things like raw carrots. Sandwiches are still out of the picture for now because I can't open wide enough to bite into them but I can bite into pizza and chew salad and thats all I really need in life. Eating still requires some focus though, I have to make sure I'm chewing the food enough to swallow but I'm also paying close attention to how I'm chewing, if the food requires more of an up and down motion or if its more of a grinding motion.

Jaw Pain: No pain, but I have been noticing more of that snap-crackle-pop sound in my left joint, its not painful just a little weird. I still can't open my jaw all the way but I can open it slightly wider, not quite wide enough for two fingers but again making progress. I also noticed the other day that I've been resting my face in my hand during class and it doesn't hurt where if I did that a few weeks ago I definitely would have noticed a little discomfort, it also doesn't hurt to sleep with pressure on my face. I can move my jaw side to side a little more now though it feels a little awkward and makes me nervous so I try not to force it too much. I haven't had to email the surgeon's office in a while so I'm sure they are happy not to have to deal with me.

Numbness: I realized I hadn't addressed this in a long time so I figured I would make mention of it now. Part of my lower lip and my chin are still numb, its getting better though, I can feel that I'm touching it, I can feel hot and cold, but its like pins and needles or like when you accidentally cut off circulation to your hand when you sleep on it for too long.

Weight Loss: I went home last weekend and was shocked to find out that I lost another five pounds making my total weight loss so far 30 pounds! I was about 190/195 lbs on the day of the surgery and now I am 160 lbs which was my goal weight for this recovery. Again, I feel like its important to mention that this is way more than the average jaw surgery recipient and I was overweight before the surgery and this kind of weight loss would not be healthy or normal for someone if they started at a healthy weight, nor am I recommending a liquid diet as a means for weight loss. It just happens to be a bonus for me. I credit a lot of it to the fact that I am back at school though, I walk everywhere, I'm eating way healthier foods in smaller portions and the fact that I really have to concentrate on chewing when I eat makes me eat slower and makes me pay more attention to whether I'm full or not. So while the recovery definitely jump-started the weight loss its been some lifestyle changes that have kept it going.

Just one more thing:

I talked about identity and the psychological impact this kind of surgery can have on people in my last post and I just want to mention that one more time. It it really important to think of this as a whole-body and mind experience that WILL change your life even if you don't expect it to, so I would definitely encourage anyone pursuing this surgery to consider counseling during the recovery process.