Had a review with Dr Tan this morning. He took out the bands on the front and left side on my mouth only, leaving the right side because my midline was starting to shift already. So the bands on my right side are supposed to create more pressure to pull back the lower jaw into the correct position. Haha when he was about to start, he said: "open your mouth" and I went: "urhhhh" with my teeth clenched together. Hellooo, are you playing with me, or did you forget..?
I told Dr Tan of the blocked ears I was having, and asked him the relation between it and the surgery. He explained that during the surgery, the soft palate in my mouth was detached so he could reposition my upper jaw, and as a result, it disrupts the liquid thing in my ear, hence causing the blocked ears I'm experiencing. He was spot on in saying that the right ear feels alot more blocked than the left, because that side of my maxilla was moved quite a bit in an effort to straighten it.
Food continues to be a difficult one. I worry of my lack of appetite as I feel tired having to continuously force myself to drink up. I hardly ever feel hungry which is not ideal I think! My throat continues to feel so sore which further impedes swallowing!
I'm gonna try making the avocado-banana milkshake today in a bid to entice my appetite. Hope it gets better!
Retrospect
Day 1 - 24 hours since the completion of the surgery, I feel drowsy all the time. Pain is subsiding to about 4/10 which is good. Swallowing poses such difficulty. Everytime I swallow, it's only about 1 ml of liquid. Yet, it's like trying to chew on a big chunk of no fat pork all at once. Could only manage 20ml of soup for the day. Time passes really slowly...
Day 2 - 48 hours post surgery sounds like a good thing to me because it means that time is not stand still :) Dr Tan finally got that tube in my nose out and I choked when he pulled it out because I didn't have enough breath to sustain. He pulled it out the same time as he said "take a deep breath", and considering my state, reaction time is at its slowest. Swelling is at it's peak and my face looks like a bloated balloon! According to Dr Tan, normally patients don't swell so far out, all the way up to the eye and temple area. Felt really nauseous twice in about an hour in the wee hours of this morning, and man, do I not want to experience that feeling again. By afternoon, I was feeling alot better, probably also because I managed to get a body shower (like, finally). Although, movement is like a quarter of my normal, and every step I take, I feel the impact of my feet on the ground up on my jaws. It's a really scary feeling. Also, I feel pulsations at the roof of my mouth. Just walking to the sink makes me pant like I've just done the 7 minute workout. Oh dear, I've got lots to do once I recover.
Day 3 - I managed to sleep 3 hours straight! Which is a huge feat okay, considering that I've been waking every 1-2 hours in the last few days. Random tingling sensations are being felt as I slept, which I read is a sign of the nerves beginning to work again? Anyhow, it's quite an experience! I'm feeling alot more energized this day!
Day 4 - I'm ready to be discharged! But mom can't take leave to sign the papers so I have to stay another night. No complains though, because I really like the bed and constant air conditioned environment heehee. I managed to catch 6 hours sleep straight today which is amazing! If not for my neighbour who is suffering from nausea (poor ah ma), I might have clocked in more hours. My nose is no longer blocked! Hoorah! And I can breathe like a normal human being now wheeeee! I do realise that my jaws are beginning to feel really tight and to manage that, I tilted my head back a little to "stretch" it. It relieves it slightly, although I'm not sure if that's a good thing to do haha. Appetite is increasing as I manage to finish 3 packets of Ensure Plus as directed by Dr Wee; I don't get that gastric pain feeling as much anymore thank God! Oh, and did I mention that I got the tapes across my mouth and jaw/chin out already? FREEDOM!
Day 5 - Discharge day! Things are more or less the same. I feel sad that I have to leave the corner which has been with me through all the sufferings. I'm really going to miss the bed. The car ride home felt so new because every small vibration the car made or transmitted, I could feel them in my jaws! What feels everyday to my family, felt like a jaw-dropping experience to me. Literally!
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