Day 11: 25 mm and a Toddler

I haven’t written in a few days because, at first, nothing had really changed and I didn’t have much to say. Then I didn’t write because I had a HORRIBLE day of HORRIBLE pain and nausea (yesterday), and didn’t feel like blogging. But today, I’m much better–a whole new woman, in fact–and have some fun things to share.

Pain yesterday: 9

Pain today: 2

Nausea yesterday: 8

Nausea today: none!

Swelling is almost unnoticeable on both sides!

Numbness: My lip has started to give the sensation of pain whenever anything comes into contact with it. It’s like the nerves know something is happening, but can’t quite get things straight yet. But, I’m a little thankful for the numb lip as I’ve been eating more solid foods because the darn thing keeps getting in the way of my teeth. (aka, I bite it a lot.) My lips aren’t used to not having space between my front teeth!

Opening: I am up to almost 25 mm now. Working towards 30 by Tuesday!

So, like I said, Thursday and Friday were pretty low-key, normal days. Everything was pretty stable, and ranked about like Wednesday on the pain/nausea scale. Saturday some of our dearest friends flew in from Seattle, and I think the combination of pushing myself a little too hard at getting our apartment ready, plus not being as regular in my meds and food schedule resulted in a very uncomfortable and unfun afternoon and evening for me. I didn’t even get to see my friends because I was too nauseated to get out of bed. (Luckily, one of these said friends is a nurse, and was not afraid to come visit me, despite the threat of vomit. She crawled into bed with me and we chatted for an hour or so. It was the best part of my day!)

Today, though, is opposite day. I have barely had any pain today, and was able to enjoy fancy foods like syrup-smothered pancakes, scrambled eggs, and even a little Chinese food tonight. (The Chinese food was a bad idea, though. Tasted fabulous, but my pain has definitely gone up tonight.)

Our friends happen to be the parents of our most favoritest little boy in the world: Noah. I love love love this precious little guy, and have had the best day just hanging out with him! (It was a little sad, though, when I realized that an 18 month old is able to eat a lot more yummy foods than I am. 🙂 ) I’m thrilled that Noah and his parents will be here for a whole week, just to hang out with chubby-cheeked me! (Ok, and Brandon, too, I guess.) I’m still pretty easily exhausted, but have rallied enough energy to enjoy our time together. Hopefully having them here will speed up my recovery, since I’ll have more time out of the house than I’ve been having.

For those of you reading this blog for jaw surgery advice, I’ve learned a few things this week:

1. Sippy cups are a cruel joke. NOT worth it! You have to work hard to get a tiny amount of liquid. I definitely suggest sticking to the condiment bottles and saving your money on sippy cups.

2. A Waterpik set on the gentlest setting is great for cleaning out the back of your mouth/ braces. But make SURE the setting is gentle! You don’t want to hurt your incision sites, which is easy to do since your gums are numb.

3. Baked beans. These have been my favorite food since I got my rubber bands off. Easy to eat, full of protein, and tasty with mashed taters. I highly recommend.

Ok…and now for some Noah pictures because…well, he’s the cutest thing ever. 🙂