The fourth week of recovery

I can not believe that it has been four weeks since my operation! Time really flies. All in all it has been a good week. I feel good and are now so used to the rubber bands that I do not even think about them. Good news! The puss officially stopped on Tuesday evening and I am very pleased that I can stop writing about it.

I feel like there is not a lot to talk about. Nothing has changed really. I have not been to the doctor’s office so there is no change on the medical side of things and nothing has changed when it comes to my diet. Last week (or maybe the week before?) I ranted about the importance of eating solid food instead of liquid because frankly a liquid diet gets old very quick. Therefore I do not need to go through that again so what to write about? That is the question. :) (I am hilarious!)

I am still not able to fit the toothbrush in between my teeth and therefore brushing my teeth take a while to say the least. However I am more used to it now and am able to finish faster than before. After brushing my teeth I also use mouthwash religiously to make sure that every single tooth is gleaming after my rigorous routine.

I do not know if I have mentioned this before but I keep a food journal ever since the surgery and it really helps to keep track of what you eat. Especially in the beginning when it is hard to eat the right amount of nutrients. Through this I can make sure that I, for example, eat enough protein. Carbohydrates are very easy to eat and you really do not have to worry about eating enough but eating protein when you are not allowed to chew is a bit more difficult. Also it is a great way to get food ideas! Simply check what you had for dinner two weeks ago and make it once more if you have run out of ideas. Personally I have 6-7 dishes that I rotate to make sure that I do not get sick of them.

Yawning and sneezing. Two things I usually do not like. Now I dislike them even more. Yawning is not a good idea when your jaw is clamped shut but I swear my jaw has decided to take on the challenge! I do not believe that I have every yawned so much in my entire life. Usually that only happens when I am really tired or bored but now it is like every second. (That is an exaggeration but you get the gist.) Okay, you say, but when your jaw is “free” then there should be no problem right? WRONG. Then my jaw is forced to open wider than it wants and that hurts… Sneezing is possible even with the rubber bands holding your jaw together but very uncomfortable. The end result is as if you spit without wanting to so make sure to have a handkerchief ready when you are ready to say “Achooooooo!”

The other day I had my first post operation sleepover which basically meant that I talked more than I have since the operation in one day. Do not get me wrong. I have had friends over before but that was not for more than a few hours which is a lot more than 24 hours of talking. It was extremely fun but after a while I started to feel pain in my temporomandibular joint (AKA jaw joint). This is most likely because of the fact that my jaw have been rotated as well as pushed inwards. Anyway, the reason to why I mentioned it is that I have a solution that does not involve painkillers. Simply reapply the rubber bands and since they restrict the movement then the pain should go away or at least that is what happened to me.

I must say that I am proud of myself that I wrote this much when I did not know at all what to write in the beginning. See you on Monday!