Water is important.

You probably already knew that, but I was reminded yesterday how important it is.

I tried to do what my doctor suggested. I tried to drink only liquid thicker than water in order to avoid aggravating the friend in the roof of my mouth.  I lasted one day.  There is a limit to how much Ensure one can endure though and soup and milk have started to wear out their welcome too.  It felt impossible to replace the amount of water I drink - which is not small - with thicker fluids.
The longer I went without water, the grumpier I got and the harder it was to concentrate and the less energy/wherewithal I had to prepare other food and prep syringes and wash syringes and measure meds, etc.  By the time 7pm rolled around, I was a mess - climbing one set of stairs winded me, my heart was racing, I was experiencing complete blackouts that last tens of seconds and several other symptoms of mild dehydration.
Thankfully, Dave saw this was not going well and quickly put his MacGyver skills to good use, building a contraption that allows me to trickle water into the back of my mouth and down my throat, bypassing the need to swallow, assuming I move the syringe plunger VERY slowly.
I also have to give a big shout out to Casey who put me on to thickened liquids, which are exactly what they sound like.  Dave ran out after the kids were in bed and bought some thickener for me after she explained how it worked.
This morning, I spent an hour getting about 1 cup of fluid into me. The thickener worked a treat when added to fruit punch. I am very sensitive about textures, so I was skeptical, but when chilled, it is the same texture as a fruit cocktail or a slushy, if it were smooth. This in combination with Ensure and water made for a good start to the day.
As a result of the kind and creative souls in my life, today has been much better.  I can already say quite confidently that I feel more energized and can think clearly. I can move around the house without taking breaks to catch my breath or regain my vision.  I'm considering reading a book, which I couldn't do yesterday - I tried.
Next goal is using this new approach to get me to next Wednesday when I see the surgeon.

Using the water dribbling contraption while drying my hair.

Looking tired and puffy, but at least I've got good hair :P  *Ha*

A week and a day aka there's a hole in my bucket...err palate

So you know those times when things are going really well and you're waking like Leonardo DiCaprio in that meme...you know the one....and then something happens to take the wind right of your sails? That was today, friends.

Things were stellar yesterday morning - I could breathe FINALLY! I was drinking large quantities. The swelling had gone down significantly.  I still look like an extra from The Walking Dead, but there was definite progress.

Yesterday evening, I noticed something odd.  When I drank water, a tiny bit dribbled out of my nose.  This struck me as odd, but not emergent, so I decided I would call the surgeon's office this morning to get some feedback on it.  

This morning, the amount of fluid that was traveling between the two was slightly higher and it was starting to become uncomfortable.  I still wasn't worried, but made a point of calling as soon as the office opened.

After some backing and forthing, on the phone with the office, it was decided that I have a fistula in my palate.  That is to say, there's a hole where there oughtn't be.  It is likely quite small.  May even just be that a membrane, while healing, has become thinner than it ought to.  Either way, not something that should happen.  I expected when the nurse said that "the doctor will call you back and he may give you something for it", we were talking about a medication or an exercise.  What I was not expecting was the direction to not drink water or thin fluids for the next week and hope it heals itself because otherwise I will need more surgery to repair the hole.

To say I am crushed would be an understatement.  This feels like a giant setback to me.  I am going to do everything in my power to keep anything from permeating that hole/membrane this week, but I am also not feeling terribly hopeful about it.  Things don't just "fix themselves," in my experience.

I am concerned about hydration.  I drink a lot of water (see blog posts re: NDI) and kind of hate the Ensure, so I am not sure how this is going to go.

I'm also frustrated because this shouldn't have happened and likely wouldn't have happened if it weren't for some particularly rigid staff at the hospital and their "my way or the highway" philosophies around certain aspects of aftercare for this surgery, many of which contradicted the doctor's directions and those in the written documentation I received from the hospital.  I had begun drafting another post addressing this yesterday, which will be broadly about self-advocacy and readiness in patient care.  I will go into the reasons for my frustration more there, but for now let's just say there is some baggage attached to this bit of shitty news.

Here's an updated pic....I can almost smile and I almost have cheekbones again, guys!

Deja Vu....

So we are 6 days out from my last (both most recent and final...no matter what) jaw surgery.  This surgery only involved my top jaw (unlike the last, wherein they operated on both the top and bottom).  All that said, half the surgery does not equal half the recovery.
If I had to liken it to something, it might be to the intervals of a reward point program.  I haven't crossed the 1 million point threshold, where I get full-face Stay-Puft style swelling and mustard yellow bruising from my eye sockets to my underwire and pain that requires multiple narcotics.  I am, however, beyond the 500K point mark of my first surgery (having my pallet split), which included two black eyes and chipmunk cheeks. I'm hanging more around the 750K mark...bonuses at this level include a face the shape of Frankenstein's monster's, black, blue and yellow mottling where my freckles used to be and an overall look that suggests I should have gotten the license plate of the truck before it sped off.
All that said, I am improving each day, same as last time.  Yesterday, I was much puffier than I am today and on top of my regular meds, I took a dose of Dilaudid.  Today, I have stuck to my two scheduled pain killers/anti-inflammatories and have been able to tolerate the discomfort so far.  I stopped using heat/ice two days ago because, like last time, I started to find the significant increases/decreases of the 20 minutes on and off and then the time without either to be far more uncomfortable than just sticking with a moderate, but stable amount of swelling. I'm also finding myself able to eat more volume more regularly earlier in the process than last time, so perhaps I won't lose quite as much weight as last time.  Still pretty tired...sleeping a lot and resting even more.  A shuffle to the kitchen and back is enough to wind me, but hopefully as I eat more, I will become more energetic.
Overall, I feel pretty positive - I hope that things continue in this direction, but after last time, am prepared for regressions.  I found steps backward really difficult last time, so I am going to work at keeping my spirits up through them this time.
In case you are interested, some pics of the mug.

Messing around on my phone while I wait to be taken into surgery.

Post-surgery - Moved from recovery to my room, looking like  a hot mess.

Day 1 - All rigged up and looking a bit bitchy about the whole thing, but the ice and humidity made me much more comfortable than I would have been without.

Day 2 - Bits of bruising started to emerge.  Feeling tired...can you tell?

Day 2 - Flowers from Dr. Rinehart's office. A nice surprise.

Liquid diet is bullshit guys....

No really though....bullshit.

Day 3 - Ditched the humidity for a bit, but not long...not a lot of obvious difference between my appearance in these pics, but the difference in feeling over these days was significant. 

Day 4 - Finally escaping! Late in the day, but thrilled to be out all the same (can't you see the excitement in my face ;) ). 

Day 5 - A SHOWER! Not helping a lot, but I felt better at least.  Hanging out at mom's is much better than the hospital!

Day 6 - Blackie is *so happy* to finally be allowed up in the chair with me.
She acted so dejected over the last couple of days.

Day 6 - A field trip to Teacher Appreciation Day at Chapters.  Even just 1/2 an hour of shuffling around a bookstore at a sloth's speed was invigorating!

Day 46 - Ugh #2

I've been rather quiet partially because September start-up is always chaotic and partially because nothing I have to say is good.

Initially, I was doing alright with work, despite my jaw. The slight increase in irritation that I did experience, I chalked up to increased use. When I spoke to the orthodontist about it at my last appointment, nearly two seeks ago, he said that everything looked alright.

Since then though, things have continued to get worse. The swelling is pretty significant again, inside and out. It has swollen even just tonight. The tingling and feeling is no longer just in my chin. Now, it is all over my jaw bone. I am pretty concerned that I have an infection of some sort.

Add to that the fact that I have a virus and I have been feeling pretty miserable.

The other thing that I've noticed and that may be of interest to people considering this surgery is the decreased range of motion in my neck and shoulders. Both had been sore for a while a few weeks ago, but in the last week or so, I've noticed that I can't turn my neck the amount I usually could. It is similar to what I experienced after the car accident back in 2000. I am going to ask about physiotherapy.

I am going to see my surgeon tomorrow; I'll have a more thorough report then.

Day 39 - Weird Science

This weekend was a busy one; we made a last ditch effort at summer fun and are now ready (or as ready as we are going to be) to bid the summer of 2011 adieu. I expect next summer will be chock-o-block with fun since there are no surgeries or pregnancies or sick babies or other such crazy shenanigans planned. While we were soaking up the last rays of the season, some fun things happened in my face. The feeling has been coming back gradually, but my entire bottom lip and the center portion of my chin have staunchly refused to budge from their state of numbness up to this point. Well, all of a sudden, on Sunday, while we packed up to take the kids to brunch and then to Centennial Park for some playground fun, I could feel my lips touching one another...ever so faintly. This was closely followed by what I can only describe as my chin being struck by thousands of little bolts of lighting. I can actually pinpoint the exact moment when nerve regeneration began in those areas. For the better part of Sunday, my chin and lip were alight....even edging into being uncomfortable. The next morning, *every* *single* muscle, joint and tooth from my nose/ear line down was in a state of agony that I haven't experienced since the very early days after my surgery. I suspect, given the type and position of the pain, I clenched all night long, possibly as a result of the sensations from the nerve-regeneration. Whatever the reason, I was in enough pain that I took a bunch of Advil and was lining up Tylenol 3 or Robaxacet for the next dosing, if necessary. By evening, it had become bearable. The craziest part of this weekend's developments is the cross-wiring that seems to have occurred. Here's a pictorial essay:

"This all feels really weird. So much tingling and...."

"Ummm...wtf?!?!?! I am touching my chin and my lip thinks I am touching it...."

Yes, there appears to be a small spot (about the size of my index finger tip, conveniently) on the bottom ridge of the left side of my chin that, when touched, sets off nerves in my lip (just to the right of center). It is very strange.

Here are the actual glamour shots for the day:

Day 32 - This is a little disappointing

I seem to have regressed again :( My swelling has about doubled. I am in enough pain to take Advil a couple of times each day. The feeling is still coming back in my chin, but the swelling and pain are keeping me from being comfortable and using my lips properly.
I am getting cranky about the whole thing, honestly. I am seeing my orthodontist tomorrow and I am hoping he will be able to shed some light on the situation. I really hope that it is short-lived because it is making my job, sleeping, eating and just generally existing rather less pleasant.

The glamour shot for the day.

Day 30 - Back to Work

The new semester starts tomorrow. I am not entirely sure how this is going to go, given that I am still pretty difficult to understand at times and am in a lot more pain than I was last week because of the nerve regeneration in my chin. Only time will tell, I guess.

In the meantime, I continue to try little bits of new solid food. I am changing my elastics one to two times each day now and, while it still causes my face to ache, it isn't like it was.

My swelling is sitting at about 10% of the maximum it was. That said, it flares up with activity. For example, when we went for a walk last night, the swelling in my chin and cheeks about doubled in size. I am hoping this lets up soon since I would like to start in with more physical activity - I am looking to do zumba class through the fall and winter.

Anyway, otherwise things seem to be progressing gradually. Here are the pics:

Day 27 - Meal Planning, Survivor-style

You know how, on Survivor, around mid-season, the contestants spend episode after episode driving themselves crazy with talk of the food they are missing and lusting after. I knew it would come to this...as much as I make fun of the Survivor players and as much as I tried to tell myself that I wouldn't let myself fall into this pattern of though, here I am. Visions of Taco Bell dance through my head a dozen times each day.

So, similar to the list I made pre-surgery, I am going to start a post-surgery list of things I will be indulging in as soon as I can. I will add to it as time goes on. Here is the current version, in no particular order:

• Chicken Quesadilla and Supreme Fries (minus the beef) from Taco Bell
  
• Peanut M&Ms
  
• Scalloped Potatoes, Ham and roasted sweet potatoes
  
• glazed croissant from Superstore
  
• raw veggies & dip
  
• chicken nachos
  
• banana
  
• fully-dressed baked potato
  
• bacon double cheeseburger from DQ along with fries from McDs
  
• Turkey dinner with all the fixin's (conveniently, Thanksgiving is a mere 2 weeks after I should be elastic-free)
  

In other news, this has been a hell of a day. My chin has been tingling pretty viciously for the last three or four days. This is a sign that the feeling is returning. Over the course of today, a little feeling has returned, but more to the point, my pain has increased dramatically - like, to a level it hasn't reached since my early days at Steph's apartment. EVERYTHING hurts...I have a headache, my neck and shoulders hurt and the centralized pain in my chin and lower jaw is excruciating. I was near tears in the last hour of work :( I've taken Advil and that has helped somewhat. I am hoping tomorrow is better. Here are the pics:

Day 24 - Mixed bag

It has been a pretty ordinary weekend in terms of how I feel. My face is still uncomfortable and the swelling/sensation fluctuates with irritation (like putting in the elastics). I'm still kind of tired all the time and have been struggling to stay warm (the house was 26 degrees last night and I was huddled under a blanket because the breeze from the ceiling fan was giving me goosebumps). I have been gradually incorporating solids into my diet - I had Smitty's pancakes and a milkshake last night for supper and today I indulged in rice and minced chicken doused in my creamy mushroom sauce. I topped it off with a mini peanut butter cup, which was, to be honest, to die for.

Isabel's birthday party was yesterday. It went really well; the kids all had fun. The cake went over *so* well. The trampoline is an absolute hit. I am pleased.

Today, something kind of crappy happened; Jack Layton, leader of the NDP and all-around inspirational guy died at the age of 61. I wouldn't normally be moved by this sort of thing (the death of a celebrity/politician/whatever), but this has moved me. :(

Anyway, here are the pics.

Day....21 - Good day and welcome to day 21!

A little homage to Bob and Doug McKenzie there ;)

Today was a lovely day. It is amazing what a good day can do for your mood. Here's how it went down.

I dropped the car off for an oil change and MVI around 9am. Sarah and I met at Costco, which was not nearly as busy as everyone was sure it would be, around 10. I was early so I got my membership while I waited and that was, again, a breeze - oh yeah! We shopped, grabbed some deals and then she dropped me off at Avalon Spa around 11:30. While we drove to the spa, I found out that my car passed inspection (yay!) and was ready whenever I was.

At the spa, I had an eyebrow wax, haircut and highlights lined up. I love this place because of the little things. I was offered a cup of tea multiple times before I'd even seen the aesthetician. I got a complimentary hand massage while the toner set and ended up turning down the make-up freshening because there isn't really much you can do with this mug just yet ;)

The guy who drives the shuttle for Honda is great. He has a sense of humour so dry it rivals the Sahara AND is a pseudo-celeb in our house, given that he is on a first name basis with all of the guys who star in the show Ice Pilots, having worked as an RCMP officer in Hay River, NWT when he was young. He poked fun at my trip to Costco and the fact that the automatic sliding door on the van and I have a somewhat rocky relationship and all in the five minutes it took him to get me back to Honda.

After picking up the car, I ran some errands for Isabel's birthday party. In the midst of this, I was listening to the radio and a song came on that gave my memory a jab. It was the Song of the Day. I grabbed my phone and dialed in. The first time, I was caller 2. I figured I'd give it one more shot and, what do you know, I was the correct caller - I won a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Sweet!

While I was at the mall, I considered buying a ticket for the Lotto Max, given the day I was having, but thought better of it. Good thing I did. It seemed my luck was starting to wane.

On the way home from the grocery store, as I was sitting in stop-and-go 5 o'clock traffic, I noticed the temperature gauge needle was in a bad spot. I don't mean that it was getting a little high, I mean it was *on* the "H." I called Dave right away (I know, on my cell while driving...tsk tsk...I figured this warranted it though). He agreed that this was very bad and I was going to pull over at the next available spot (Carlton Park, for you Frederictonians out there). However, just as I drove through the light and was coming up on the park, the needle started to drop. I was moving regularly enough that the car was keeping itself cool, so I decided to head home. Overheating my newly inspected car was not on my list of things to do today.

Anyway, all-in-all, a pretty sweet day. Tomorrow will be busy with lots of preparations for Isabel's birthday and then Sunday is the big event.

I took some pics today so you can see what's happening and how purdy my hair looks ;) (PS: In the last photo Dave is "helping")

Day 19 - Regression

Boo! For some reason, some of my swelling returned today. I am puffier in through the bottoms of my cheeks (more on the right than on the left side). I also feel like my lips and chin are puffier.

To be honest, today has been rather crappy on the whole. First, I tried to nap because I am finding I am tired a lot, but that just ended up in me being groggier and crankier than I was to begin with. Add to that the five calls I received from scam artists (four of which were from the same company) and the fact that I have a ton to do to prepare for Isabel's party and absolutely zero energy to call upon in order to get it done and I was a bit of a crank-pot again today.

Some pictures of the Puffinator:



PS: Everyone can be thankful, I am going to get this mop cut on Friday. I simply can't take a single second more of the tufty mess.

Day 17 - A Stranger in this Town

Well, this has been an interesting day. Being as it is Isabel's birthday, I kept her home today so we could do some fun stuff together.
The first outing this morning was to the birthday party of a classmate. The two girls were both born today and her mom and I even shared a hospital room. The strange part of this outing was when I was asked "so you must be Tiresa's sister?" I see the changes in myself, but up to now, I had been recognizable to others I'd seen, so this caught me off guard. Though I think she was caught just as much off-guard as I was (Wendy, if you are reading this, don't feel bad....I am *so* not offended...it is just the beginning of a funny series of events).
At the grocery store in the afternoon though, it got really crazy. I saw not one, but two teachers that I work with on a daily basis, one of whom I chat with one-on-one on a weekly basis, easily. Neither of them recognized me. One of them crossed the street in front of me, did the "thank you" wave, acknowledging my having stopped. Even when I waved in a friendly sort of way to her, the expected look of recognition was replaced with a look of confusion.
I am absolutely flabbergasted. I am torn between, once again, worrying about the final product and creating an entirely new identity: crazy story about chasing turtles around the globe (check!), Australian accent (working on it), unlimited bank account thanks to a rich deceased relative (anyone?).
Today's pics:

Day 14 - This shall go down in infamy as the day of the crank

Today is the first one since very early days that I would consider myself to be in pain. My jaw aches and I have a pretty solid headache as well. I can't seem to shake it.
Add to this the fact that I am quite tired (can't seem to get a decent sleep for the life of me and still seem to be catching up) and I will self-diagnose myself as being a bit of a crank-pot today.
Today's pics:

Day 13 - Clean Bill of Health

Well, I've been to see my surgeon and my orthodontist and both have been very pleased with my progress.
The surgeon said that all of the hardware was where he'd left it (apparently, it can shift post-surgery), all of the incisions are healing up nicely and that I am am "a superstar" at keeping my mouth clean. He wants to see me again in a month. I think I will ask for copies of my xrays when I see him next because they were really something else - both the difference in the before and after and the sheer amount of hardware they've used to make the changes.
The orthodontist visit today involved changing the top wire and showing me how to change the elastics. I am truly flabbergasted at the fact that I am supposed to take the elastics off to eat (still can't chew anything, but can eat soft food that is blended enough to be considered "pre-chewed") and brush. I told the assistant and ortho that I don't know how much of that I will be doing this week since I don't feel terribly comfortable, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.
As for my general, overall feeling, I am doing well. The swelling continues to decrease (you will see a difference between the pic from two days ago and today's pic). The bruising is all but gone. Overnight last night, I got back a who whack of feeling in underside of my chin and along my jaw bone. It was so significant that I noticed it immediately upon waking up. There is still a rather large swath in the center of my chin that is numb and my lower-lip is still mostly numb, but the feeling is returning much faster than I'd have expected.
Given my improvement and the good words from the docs, the in-laws are heading home tomorrow. I understand their draw. It is tough being away from your comfort zone. We will miss them, but it won't be long before Courtney and Spencer are here visiting and school starts and my course and Isabel's dance classes start. Time will fly and, before we know it, it will be Thanksgiving. Time flies when you're having fun :)
Today's pics:

Day 11 - Identity Crisis

I wondered if this would happen. I've wondered for months and now, I know the answer - yes, I am going to have an identity crisis after my surgery. However, I don't think it is playing out exactly as most would expect.
It isn't the actual face itself that is throwing me. I always knew that I didn't have a stereotypically pretty smile. That said, I was okay with it. I was comfortable in my own skin, wonky smile and all. The smile I pictured in my head was more reflective of my soul, I guess and perhaps "prettier" than my real one, so seeing the "pretty" smile in the mirror isn't even that shocking or troubling. I guess this is the smile I've always had on the inside.
The trouble comes in exactly the form that I knew it would - I can't seem to amalgamate what I've done to my face and my belief that we should not alter ourselves to fit society's standards.
It is well known among my family and friends that I didn't choose this surgery for the aesthetic improvements, but rather because my bite needed to be altered in order to be functional and remain so long-term. That said, not everyone knows that and it is beginning to seem that the aesthetic change is going to be so dramatic that it will overshadow everything else (because really, for those not using my mouth, it is the most significant outcome of this surgery). I am struggling to figure out how I am going to continue sending the message to my students and children that they love themselves as they are when I obviously (to an outsider) don't practice what I preach. I feel a bit like a sell-out, a fraud - I would *never* make this sort of change only to improve my looks, but if I brought that up every time someone commented on how great I look now, it would start to get the feeling of "the lady doth protest too much." I honestly don't know what to do anymore, but I can tell you with certainty that the sheen is starting to wear off this particular side-effect of having this surgery really quickly :(
Today's photos:

Day 10 - Culinary Adventures

Today was a day of experimentation. I started off by re-trying the soup that I mentioned yesterday again today. With more energy and knowing what to expect, it went much better.
With that under my belt, I decided to give butterscotch pudding a shot, sipping it off the spoon, into my mouth. This was messy business to say the least and I found myself scraping food off my mouth and surrounding face the same as I do for Orin. Hehe. I will probably leave things of this density for a little while longer because it was tiring and may have created mild suction in my mouth - not a good idea.
I wasn't deterred altogether though. For supper, I decided to try a smoothy/shake. I mixed up 250ml of chocolate milk, 1/2 a banana and 2 tbsp of peanut butter in the blender. It was alright.....the peanut butter gave it a bit of a texture because, while it is labeled "smooth" peanut butter, this brand is a little grainy, which was off-putting for someone like me (i.e. fussy about texture). I also learned that frozen fruit both blends better and brings a little extra chill to drinks (I had to put ice cubes in it to chill it enough to make it palatable). Overall, a good option. I may try it with ice cream next time to make it more milkshake-like.
Swelling is going down still....although the changes are subtle now and it can be flared up if I talk any great amount. If I had to put a number on it, I would say that my swelling has reduced by about 65% from the worst. The bruising is fading very quickly...I have small pea soup-coloured patches on my lower face and neck and some dark mottling around my eyes and chin and that is it. I am feeling more inside my mouth now, which means more to worry about. Every time I feel something, I worry that I've damaged something.
The only feeling of real concern is a familiar one, surprisingly. When I had my palate spread, there was, for a long time, a feeling of flexibility and fragility and sometimes even small shooting pains in it. I didn't expect this to return because, my understanding is that they didn't do any work on my palate (beyond likely some minor bumping while they worked on my top jaw). I am a little befuddled by the return of these feelings and will be mentioning them to my surgeon when I see him on Wednesday.
For now, here are some photos:

Day 9 - Home Sweet Home

Don't get me wrong, I am eternally grateful to my sister and to Jane & Moe for the use of their spaces and even to the Dartmouth General Hospital and especially to my mom for spending more than a week of her vacation this year caring for me. Seriously, she didn't have to and it means a ton to me that she did.
All that said, my friends, I cannot tell you how elated I am to be home. My bed is so comfortable....it might as well be made of marshmallows. My children are angelic and perfect (this will probably last until bed time ;) ), my pets are the most delightful, well-mannered animals on the face of the planet.....you get what I am saying. It is that wonderful feeling of returning to your comfort zone after a time out of it, sometimes, as in stressful situations, WAY out of it.
The kids' reactions were better than I expected actually. Orin had a look of immediate recognition when he saw me, but also a definite sense of hesitation. He toddled right over and kind of coyly, sweetly, quietly asked to be picked up. I put him in my lap and almost immediately, he leaned into me, looked up into my face and smiled. After about twenty minutes, he was running around, plopping in my lap instructing me on the names of all of my belongings and species of animals that we have (he now calls the dog "dog" rather than "cat", people....can I get a Hallelujah!). Isabel was out grocery shopping with her dad when I arrived, so when she came in, she smiled right away, walked over to me, wrapped her arms around my legs and strung this all together, "I won't jump on you, mom. I'll be gentle. I love you so much. I missed you." She's been a right little mum to me, bringing me her friends to comfort me, helping me pour soup, grabbing a face cloth to mop up soup that I got on my shirt. Truly, heartwarming.
As for me, I feel much the same as I did yesterday. This is the first day when I haven't felt that the swelling and feeling in my face haven't changed. The bruising is fading already, which surprised me. Otherwise, I am feeling pretty similar to yesterday. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring with it a little more energy and a little less puffiness in the chin....it just still feels...well...gigantic.
Oh! I tried one of the soups that I bought today....V8 Cream of Broccoli. It is good. It has more substance to it than I was expecting, so I may need to hold off on using the rest for about a week because I can't quite manage the small chunks of broccoli yet, but the taste was really good. I was pretty impressed.
Pics below were taken while resting in my own bed before supper :)

Day 8 - A field trip

I decided I wanted to get outside and do/see something today. I am getting energy back every day (even though my sleep is diminishing with the discomfort brought on by returning feeling) and wanted to do something today. So mom and Mike took me to a little boardwalk on the Riverview side of the Petitcodiac and then to the Victora Park Craft Fair. We had a lovely time and while, yes it was tiring, it was rewarding to get out for a bit.
We also made a point of hitting Walmart and Sobey's in our quest for variety in my menu choices. We picked up a fruit/veggie cocktail that claims to taste like strawberry/banana fruit punch and two kinds of soup. I'll review them when I try them.
I think the only other big news of the day is that I have successfully drunk from glasses all day today (meaning, not only did I consume it, I didn't wear any of it either!!) The swelling in my cheeks went down quite a bit again over night. The chin is still swollen and tingly, but it seems to be coming around gradually as well.
Before I go, let me tell you a fun story....about an itch you can scratch. Not your regular every day unscratchable itch though....nay nay. From what I gather, the feeling in my chin is coming back in layers, maybe from the outside working toward the outside layers of skin. Well, my chin is itchy, but no amount of scratching on the outside is relieving that itch. It is lost somewhere in limbodermis, irritating the crap out of me. So, those who are simply scrambling to reach the center of their back, consider yourselves lucky ;)
Below are the glamour shots...

Pictures Days 1-6

Straight out of the OR, lookin' hot! :P

Day 1 - Methinks, I was feeling a little surly.

Day 2 - Hooray for the warm compress!

Day 3 - Sent home this afternoon.

Day 4 - I = tired (you can vaguely see the yellow bruising on my neck here)

Day 5 - Oh! There it is!! BAM!

Day 6 - The swelling has gone down enough that I can almost smile here...almost.