Days 30 - 40

Wow! It's been a wee while since I last updated.

My only excuse is that this has been the time where I've actually felt like I'm almost back to 'normal'.

I have had MAJOR stress about my job but I won't get into that here, suffice to say because I was signed off sick because of my surgery when I was, I am now job hunting again. I do still have my job, but I have very limited hours.

I continue on the no-chew diet, that's been 40 days now, not that I'm counting or anything :)
It will be 6 weeks since my surgery in 2 days time (not that I'm counting that either!) and I'm hoping they can say I can start a soft-chew diet.
Oh to have some bread! I don't imagine I'll be able to start eating toast yet though, but a pancake for breakfast, an egg sandwich for lunch and some normal sized pasta with tomato sauce for supper would be lovely!

In the past 10 days these things have happened:

On the Sunday, I my brother inlaw, his girflfriend and my niece came to visit in the morning, my parents inlaw came to visit in the afternoon and then I sat at the swimming pool for 3 hours watching whilst my daughter took part in a swimming competition. I even managed to cheer her on a couple of times (even if my jaw muscles weren't too happy about it).

I went back to volunteer at the place where I volunteer. I managed an hour and a bit before having to go home because I was getting sore with talking. But it was nice to get out and be social again even if no one did notice that I look different (either the fact I've had my jaw moved or that I've lost 14lbs in weight!). I guess it just goes to show you, that people really don't take notice of what other people look like!

I have went back to work, one assignment working from home and the other attending a lecture for 2 hours. I was very tired afterwards but I would say it was ok to return to work on reduced hours at the 5 week mark.

Last Saturday, I started studying a diploma in reflexology and that was a whole day thing, 10am - 6pm and I was worried if I would manage it or not. I made sure I took plenty of pain medication with me and took a packed lunch of soup in my flask and I made it through the day. Shame I couldn't have any of the cakes and biscuits that was provided, but I'm sure I'll manage that next month :) That is the longest time I've been out of the house since my surgery.

I can now walk quicker, no longer must I walk at a leisurely pace :) Still can't run for a bus or for the green man though (hahaha when out shopping at the weekend, we got to a crossing where we had just missed the green man and my husband asked me 'isn't that not really annoying you?'...hmmm yes!)

I hope to return to my yoga class next week; I would have gone this week but since I'm working on a Thursday morning and I have an appointment with my orthodontist Thursday afternoon, I think it would be too much to go to yoga on Thursday evening too.

I think I must mention this whole pain malarky. I had hoped that I would be able to stop taking pain medication by now, by no. I'm still needing to take ibuprofen before I go to bed at night or else I wake up during the night with a heavy jaw feeling like a ventriloquist dummy!

I am also having to take pain medication because I am having a lot of nerve pain. It ranges from the burning sensation I have described before, to feeling like someone is stabbing my lip and chin with a sharp pin over and over again, to feeling like someone is brushing a light material across my chin (not pleasant), to itching.

I also noticed yesterday, that I have been sore up the right hand side of my jaw (the side where I also had my wisdom tooth removed) for the past few days and yesterday wondered if it was maybe because the weather is a lot colder this week. I don't know. But I'm thinking I should try a heavier scarf and wrap up warmer round my jaw/chin/neck and see if that helps.

Another post-op checkup with the orthodontist tomorrow and my son has a cleft clinic appointment on Friday so I should see my max fax surgeon there too. Lets all keep our fingers crossed for the green light to go ahead with soft chew diet!