Monday
Breakfast: readybrek
I went into town to go to the bank and then met my friend Jenny for coffee at Costas...well I had a hot chocolate. Was strange going out for a cuppa and not being able to eat anything with it. After 30 mins I could feel myself chewing the inside of my right cheek. After an hour I could feel jaw pain and numbness kicking in so I was good as said I would need to go home.
Lunch was soup
Spent the afternoon watching TV. Phoned my mum.
Supper was korma sauce and rice
Did the weekly food shopping and managed to help pack at the till too.
Today I am noticing that there are gaps forming between my teeth, it's not looking good :(
I am also getting a burning sensation on my lower lip. It feels like I have burnt my lip with a hot drink, very ouchie but I presume this is just the nerves doing something
Tuesday
I found out on Tuesday that I am not entitled to sick pay and the agency through which I am employed seems to have changed they way they allocate work and now it looks doubtful as to whether I have work to go back to. I spent 40 minutes on the phone to the job centre applying for ESA but considering the hoops I'll have to jump through to get it, I phoned later in the day and cancelled my claim.
I only work September - May so with no sick pay, I've not been paid any money for the past 4 months.
I should be focusing on my recovery from major surgery not work :(
Breakfast: ready brek
Lunch: soup
Supper: fish, mashed potatoes, sweetcorn and lots of cheese sauce.
I'm getting to the stage now where eating just isn't enjoyable any more and thinking 'what's the point?'
Wednesday
Today I had an appointment with my GP as my sick note finishes on Friday. Explained that I don't think I am ready to go back to work just yet, I could really be done with another week off (Generally, I'm still taking painkillers, I'm tired because of the no chew diet and I can't walk as fast as normal because I feel the vibrations through my jaw when I walk and it makes me feel queasy) but also explained how things are with work so she signed me fit for work with a phased return and altered hours.
She also prescribed me more paracetamol and ibuprofen (even asked if I could manage tablets or did I want it in liquid form!).
Came home and emailed work my sick note and my availability for work.
Spent the rest of the day still waiting for work to email me back (they didn't), watched some TV.
Lunch was soup
Supper was blended thai chicken curry with rice followed by a cheesecake pot.
Thursday
Woke up in the early hours worrying about work, this is ridiculous :(
Not too sore or too swollen today. At the beginning of the week I noticed a bit of a lump on my jaw on the right. I'm finding in the evenings I can open my jaw on the right hand side further than the left and it makes a clunking noise. I *think* this is the same as I was pre-surgery as regards to clunking and over extension of my jaw when opening but I'm not sure. The lump seems to have reduced today.
Burning sensation on my lower lip is still there, not all the time but definitely there.
I have an appointment with my orthodontist this afternoon so we'll see what she says.
And she will also need to do something about my teeth, my overjet isn't closing and these gaps between my teeth are getting bigger
Update
Had my appointment with ortho, my biggest trip out today. Got two buses, 1 bus into town (and missed a bus because I couldn't run for it!) and 1 bus up to the hospital, then had a 10 minute walk to get to ortho.
Explained to ortho about lump on my jaw, the clunking and over extension on the left, the size of my overjet and the gaps between my teeth. Also spoke about work situ.
She said the lump would be bone remodelling.
She got me to open and close my mouth a few times whilst she felt my temperomandibular joints. And then she hmmmed a bit.
Then she checked my bite and said something about roots and my back teeth on the left being a problem and not biting together properly.
So then we spoke about how nearly every evening since my surgery I've been hitting about 8pm and having a yawning spell.
So I've been told basically not to yawn. If I feel like I'm going to yawn, I have to take my elastics off because it's not good for my jaw to open to wide AND have to battle with the elastics. If I do yawn, I have to put my hand under my jaw and hold it to stop my jaw opening wide.
And finally, I need to try and have a nap in the afternoons to stop getting the yawning sessions in the evening.
Hmmmm, does this mean that actually, I'm doing too much?
I am still getting really tired but I don't feel like I'm doing that much.
My week since last appointment has been:
Thurs: ortho in afternoon and took 2 buses home (which is a travel time of 1 hour) and visited in-laws in evening (2 hours)
Fri: watched tv, put away laundry, cleaned bathroom, made supper
Sat: went into town, went to 4 shops
Sun: visited brother inlaw (2 hours)
Mon: up with kids at 7am to get them ready for school, went into town, went to bank, met friend for coffee, made supper, did weekly food shop
Tues: on phone for 40mins, stressed about work
Weds: up with kids at 7am to get them ready for school, went to GP, stressed about work some more, did some job hunting
Today: swept kitchen floor, ortho this afternoon by 2 buses there and 2 buses back (travel time of 2 hours), made supper.
Is this really a lot??
Hmmmm, so how can I work AND have afternoon naps??
And if I'm doing too much just doing this, then how can I go to work?
She measured my overjet and says it is now just below 4mm and is normal. I'm still struggling to get used to this normal business.
She put on more wide powerchain and new ligs on the top. My appointment was at 1.45pm and by the time I got home at 3.30pm the gap between my central incisor and lateral incisive had closed!!!!
No more ortho appointments until 16th October because she is going on holiday.
Breakfast was a banana and peanut butter milkshake
Lunch was a Mexican cheese omelette followed by a chocolate orange yoghurt type thing
Supper was blended chilli con carne with rice.
Now it is nearly 8pm and the yawning is starting again!
Tomorrow will be 4 weeks post surgery...half way through recovery time!
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