Day 8 - Update

Let's do the positive stuff first, shall we?  :-)  Went to my first doc appointment yesterday to make sure everything is healing properly.  All looks good and it looks like I'm on track with no problems at all.  As you know, breathing has been the biggest struggle this past week and for just 5 minutes yesterday, I felt like I was floating on a cloud and that all was right in the world!!!!!  Neil (Dr. Posnick's fellow) removed the bands on each side of my mouth - this will happen once a week for 5 weeks - to check progress.  Then, he had to finish something else up so he left us in the room - unbanded!!  I already have some use of my jaw and to be able to move it and to breathe, unobstructed through my mouth was heavenly!!!  Here I am....look at this!!

 You can see some of the residual bruising on my neck that's slowly going away.  There's not nearly as much bruising as I expected, so I suppose this is another positive thing (hey, I'm grabbing at straws here, throw me a bone...lol).  But check that out!  I was able to open my mouth!

The weight of this week finally came crashing down though, last night.  I'm sure it was a combination of things - tired from my doc appt., numerous sleepless nights, in pain and not being able to breathe - but I crawled off the couch to put my face over the humidifier to get any kind of relief that was possibly out there, and I had a meltdown.  I don't mean the "awww shoot, I'm feeling kind of bad for myself so I'll complain" kind of meltdown.  Nope.  I went all out.  I did it up good.  I lost it.  I sat on the floor, curled up over a humidifier and sobbed for 20 minutes straight.  "Nuff said.

Today isn't terrible.  I still can't breathe very well and my face still feels like it will explode at any moment - the pins and needles/pressure chamber thing really isn't my deal and I don't like it.  Brian says the swelling has gone down a lot in my face.  I don't see it, but I suppose that because my face FEELS like it's about 20x it's normal size, I think it is.  Here are some pics from the last couple of days, I'll let you be the judge.

 Yes, I DO look like a freak!  lol

To pass the time and add an element of fun, today will mark the first day of "Aimee's Daily Craving".  This will get me thinking of ALL the wonderful things I'm missing and will be SO glad to get back...AND it will also get my butt on this blog more often so you can see the new me emerge (the doctor SAYS it's going to happen).   So, check back each day and I'll tell you what food I'm thinking of and wishing I was chewing!  Okay, so now that I write it out, it sounds like a lot more fun for me than for you - but hey, humor me and take a look anyway!


Aimee's Daily Craving:

Tacos!!

Weight loss to date:  12 lbs.