Mary and I went walking in Halyburton Park today, which is near our house. The park features a sort of swampy pond that, according to the sign above, may have alligators. I make a point of stopping by the pond every time we're there. I've never seen an alligator there (although there are some in other nearby bodies of water). Maybe they're just polishing off a small child or a peekapoo they dragged into the water while mom or dad was texting on a cell phone, but I'm thinking that this is an gator-free spot.
Since we didn't have to worry about getting eaten, we went ahead and took the Day 7 progress shots there. You might not be able to see as much detail as previous photos because of the lighting. What you probably can see just below my chin is that nice purplish slash of a bruise around my neck. I think that was from one of the many tubes they had draped over me at the hospital.
Sleep last night wasn't as good as the night before. The main problem has been post-nasal drip, from which I awoke coughing a few times during the night. The sleep I did have seemed to be fairly decent, though. Again, I was on my back and, again, I dreamed. In one of the dreams, I was talking to my buddy Joe Pascal, whom I haven't seen in a few weeks. I was trying to show off my new chin. Joe wasn't all that impressed.
I think that yesterday, my recovery has pretty much segued from "recovering from major surgery" to "dealing with a plague of minor annoyances." The main ones are, in order of aggravation level:
Drool: If I had a swimming pool, I could have filled it up by now. I had no idea a human being could generate such a steady supply of spit. I try to carry around a rag pretty much everywhere I go. And, because my chin is numb, I sometimes don't know that I've got a long thread of it hanging off my chin as if I'd eaten French onion soup.
Nasal congestion: Obviously, moving one's upper jaw 3 mm forward is going to leave the sinus cavities with some issues to recover from. The occasional nosebleed still happens, but it's rare. The real problem is the post-nasal drip, especially when I'm sleeping. I'm guessing that I don't notice as much otherwise because I'm fairly distracted. I think it's what is keeping me from enjoying the full benefits of what I've been through. But, I should point out that it's getting better.
Incoherent speech: Let's see, in my mouth I have an assortment of stitches, braces, bars, a splint, plenty of pokey things that stick my lips and some swelling. Toss in some numbness in my tongue and lips and lips that still won't come completely together and you've got a perfect storm of speech impediments. To her credit, Mary's been very good at understanding most of what I say. Come to think of it, the people I have spoken with seem to be able to make out what I'm saying or trying to say. So, I guess it's getting better.
Sloppy eating: OK, again, getting better. But, I don't think I'd want to sit next to me at a restaurant. I am able to spoon in stuff now and drink out of glass or cup. Some stuff still dribbles out but most goes where it was intended. And, I seem to be getting enough nutrition. I'm doing four meals a day -- not four big meals, but four fairly decent ones. Lots of soup. A real find was canned beef stew. It purees nicely and is very filling. Maybe I'll take a picture of the post-meal site to give you an idea of just how bad it is.
So, again, those are fairly minor and most are improving, however slowly.
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