Posted by often_awake on February 08, 2011 at 18:26:22:My recovery is going well with no major issues. Here's a run-down of the major variables:
1) Pain. I had more than most people. After 6 days, Dr KL gave me different pain meds, and that seems to have cleared up the issue. I now have irritating sensations in my chin and lip, but warm compresses seem to help. I'm not icing my jaw anymore.
2) Numbness. I seem to have had less than most people. About 2-3 days after the surgery, I began to have tingling sensations. So far, I have complete feeling in my lips and almost complete feeling in my jaw. Part of my chin is pretty numb; I may have some feeling, but it's hard to tell. I can feel the roof of my mouth, but it's hard to say anything about my teeth since I'm still banded shut.
3) Weight. I was at a weight I was comfortable with up until a couple of months before the surgery. I then gained 10 (aimed for 5) pounds. In the week after the surgery, I lost only 2 pounds. I've now lost about 8 pounds total.
4) Sleep. On the one hand, I'm not sleeping that well. I wake up often, mostly due to breathing problems. My throat is quite tender, so I assume that this, too, will pass. The arch bars are also irritating and disturb my sleep. On the other hand, I'm light years ahead of the way I was in the 7 months before the surgery. I'm one of those people that had become barely functional; every day was a struggle, and I was constantly exhausted. Now, I can make it through the day without suffering. I feel that I've gone from unendurable sleep to lousy sleep. And that's progress.
5) Energy. Despite the not terrific sleep, I feel fine. I walk about 2 miles every day with no problem. I'm definitely ahead of where I was before the surgery, even now. I certainly don't have trouble surfing the internet (I wish I did). If I had to (fortunately, I don't), I could work part time. Still, I'm not close to 100%, and that's sometimes frustrating.
6) Looks. I like my nose a bit less than before, but I won't lose sleep over it (so to speak). I like my jaw more. I still have some swelling, so it's hard to tell what I'll eventually look like. But I still do look my myself, and beyond that, I don't much care.
7) Mood. I'm much better physically than I was before the surgery. But I find it hard to be grateful; instead of being thankful, I'm a bit down. I want the arch bars off; I want to eat real food; I'm finding it hard to communicate with my small children; I want to get stuff done. I'm also worried that I might have talked to much or done something to curse my recovery. I know, I know: the doldrums. I was prepared for them, and they're here.
That's all I can think of for now. Thanks for reading. Tune in next week!
- Re: MMA 2 week post-op report westernjoe 23:19 2/12/11 (1)
- Re: MMA 2 week post-op report often_awake 17:15 2/13/11 (0)