I am still in pain. I can use my voice again, in limited bursts, but it is usually just to express my pain and disdain at the fact that I can't consume any solids yet.
The most solid thing I've consumed is jelly. I tried to have some tinned Salmon today, from a handy tiny can. Got a tiny chunk in my mouth, and just couldn't chew. The swelling and numbness on the left hand side of my face is still overwhelming to have enough control to not risk opening up all the stiches on the left hand side of the mouth.
I've had cream of Mushroom Soup, I've had Pumpkin Soup, and my go to meal is currently the following:
1 bannana
Two handfulls of frozen water cubes (otherwise known as ice)
Two scoops of protein powder
Two small scoops of veggie powder
250 ml of Almond Milk (chocolate flavoured)
250 ml of Water
BLEND THE BELOVED SHIT OUT OF IT FOR 35 SECONDS. Consume, whimperingly, missing meat in my mouth. Make that an innuendo if you want, I don't care.
I was told by the surgical follow up staff that rang me the day that followed that it was not an easy extraction, and I'd likely be in more pain than what normal people experience.
Still, the only time I am taking painkillers is to go to bed. They help me sleep. Last night I took 2, and I woke up with more pain than I remember going to bed with. So I won't be doing that again, I'll just let it fade bit by bit, and not risk masking any pain, should there be complications that I am not aware of.
I have three more antibiotic capsules to take over the next 24 hours, and I am keen to get my stomach and gut flora back into one piece. It's certainly also been disturbed. Sure, it wasn't perfect before, but I've been having about 300g of yoghurt daily to try and get the antibiotics something to fight.
This has turned into an essay. I can very easy talk about my pain and suffering for days upon days.
Right now, I need more time to rest and recover. Having had a few days to do this, I must truly appreciate how much this sort surgery impacts upon me. More than I thought it would, but less than I'd imagined.
So there's a silver lining.
When I am done with this stinging, this pain, the three-daily curasept washes, the half dozen salt-water brine washes, I hope that Barbie and Oppenheimer are still showing in cinemas because I want to take a day, pain free (and popcorn free) - to go and see two juxtaposed films in succession so that I have no idea what to think.
Circling back to the topic of painkillers, they're ... great and not great. As they whisk you away to sleep, there's some pretty disturbing thoughts and "half day-dream / dream visions", which has discouraged me from taking them.
Probably all in my head, but still.
I'll get better. I just need more time.
On the bright side, I'm losing weight. Not just that which was the weight of the teeth that were removed. What I have instead gained is the tension of pain, and probably more cortisol from stress than my body can hope to process without MEAT.
Did I mention that I miss meat?
Yeah, you mentioned you missed meat a number of times and believe me, I didn't let my head pick up any innuendos. Points for me.
On a less humorous note, I'm truly sorry you're going through this sort of pain and I'm glad the pain isn't taking away your humour at least. Glad it was a success and I hope you recover quickly and go see Barbie. Laugh or grimace that pain out. Whichever suits you.
Grimacing hurts less than smiling or laughing, at this point. Smiling uses many more mouth and face muscles, all of which hurt on the left hand side of my face. Constantly.
I really wonder how you're coping, especially responding when the friendly neighbour gives a wave. May think you're rude that you don't smile back.
I've got two awesome neighbours. They both know my dark sense of humor well. I should be smiling as I type this, watching the start of the F1, but instead my wife took this picture of my current situation. Trapped by a cat, reading a letter from the tax office on my laptop. This is my life for the next 6 hours or so.
It is an adorable cat at least, so you're in luck. Hope you have fun the next six hours then. Letters from the tax office are scarcely ever good news.
At least it gave me completely zero reason to smile :D
So it means you are not 'normal person'. Score!
I will not take this bait!
I just cannot believe you want to drag yourself through Barbie :D even to mess your head for a while. It would be healthier to take some drugs I recon :D
I noticed, that you don't have enough hands, I fixed that!
So you are watching TV(I draw conclusions from the colour of the light on your face and where your eyes are focused in)), playing/reading/writing/working on your laptop, calling to someone over the phone and... pat the cat.
What am I missing?
Is that hoodie or a blanket? Either way - it seem to be the cosiest thing in the world:)
Cat is not camera shy at all :D
It's my trademark bathrobe. The most versatile of the clothing devices. I think there was a hoodie on underneath it. As well as being under a blanket. :D
The only thing you missed with the image was the generalised sense of suffering and pain. That is the "bad side" of my face at the moment. Though it doesn't look too swollen / bruised by that image, it certainly is! Beards are great at concealing domestic violence, I guess :P
Domestic violence being.. surgery?
Been there, done that, the painkillers they gave me for this tooth thing are too much, let alone something that people would enjoy. I don't like relinquishing control of my body.
Your face don't really give away anything beside 'pure focus'. Well done, this amount of beard can hide anything - from domestic abuse, through wasps nest to whole stockroom of food:)
In that case, are you actually looking into the abyss in this picture?
I understand that. But I bet you can do better entertaining wise/ pain - killing than watch this... thing :D
No, the abyss was the moment of consciousness immediately following anaesthesia. I still remember that feeling of wanting to hug every human in the room. It was like when I used to get hopelessly drunk.
The pain is receeding more with each hour and day now; which is great. What isn't is the inability to barely open my mouth to PUT MEAT INSIDE OF IT. I crave meat!
So you don't normally hug strangers for absolutely no reason?
Or - when you were still drinking - were you always friendly after drinking? No bar fights or dancing on the table?
I feel very sorry for you that you can't eat what you want. I'm a glutton myself, but I deny myself food on a daily basis to fit in the door frame. But it is my decision after all.
You have no choice... unless you make yourself a cocktail, like the spiders do...
Oof, what a delightful message..
Have you been taking probiotics? I never really thought about this myself until I had kittens to foster with parasites, totally different reason but they constantly prescribed probiotics to the point that I figured, shit, we can have these too to help get back our gut flora when it's been damaged. I don't know which you should take though, as we have not been in this situation yet. Just the first thought coming to mind that you should consider if that's an option for you.
It seems that you miss eating meat, I hope the first thing you will eat when you are back to having no pain is a great steak! It will probably taste better than ever, lol.
I think I want a nice piece of salmon first. I really love fresh salmon, thrown in the oven, with lime and chilli (though I've got to be careful to not get any of that up my sinuses) - as a potential side effect of the surgery is the sinuses opening, and I've noticed getting some water there when having a drink every now and then, if I breathe wrong.
Right now though, its getting to that point in the evening where there's pain, the looming spectre of fatigue, but also the sense that things are slowly getting better and better with each day.
Hopefully that stays the case when the antibiotics are through.
I've only been absorbing pre/pro-biotics from yoghurt so far, though we do have some capsules. I'll get to them eventually.
Oh yeah, forgot about these yoghurt probiotics.
Salmon sounds like a plan, reading these words make me think you are a great chef preparing it as well. Sometimes reading these words, or looking at pictures could help you satisfy the cravings a bit, just saying :)
I read that day 3 was the worst of them, you are passed that now, so it will (most likely) only get better from here from what I can read. It's always good to be past the worst.
Take care!
Thank you. I'm not a speciality chef by any means. The commercials during the motorsport have been full of fast food, burgers, beer, and all that. I don't drink (Anymore) so that's easy; but the burger advertisements look so bloody good. It's a struggle for a fat bastard such as me.
Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.
My suffering would be brought very short should I have gravity lull me into an open sewer.
Those painkiller side effects don't sound fun. Medicinal weed seems to be fairly readily available now, did they mention that as an option?