Routine
I've definitely settled into a routine if time seems to be passing so quickly. My improvement is slow now, but still apparent; TMJ pain seems to be slowly diminishing but still flares once in a while, especially when I take the rubber bands off and try to open my jaw. I take the rubber bands off to clean my teeth, and I'm supposed to take that time to exercise my jaw muscles, practicing opening and closing and some side-to-side motions.
I can currently open my mouth maybe half an inch, three-quarters if I work it for a while. At its loosest, I can just get my toothbrush inside to brush the backs of my teeth. Against that, I have practically no side-to-side mobility at the moment. Maybe a quarter of inch. And, working my jaw too much causes my right TMJ to flare and take a few minutes to go down.
Puree everything!
I've been getting more adventurous with my food of late... or maybe just more desperate for familiar flavors and comfort food. No joke--over the past week, I pureed a McDonalds Cheeseburger, a BBQ pulled pork sandwich from Burger King, a two-piece chicken dinner from Bojangles, and... a store-bought sushi rainbow roll.
The verdict? The tastes were recognizable, they were edible (meaning drinkable), filling, and even rather tasty. I've already had some comments from people I've told about it to the effect that pureeing such things is disgusting, but I don't really care. For the record, I pureed these things in 2% milk as a base plus some other liquids that seemed suitable--some bbq sauce for the pork, chicken broth for Bojangles (pulled the meat and skin off the bone threw everything in--the mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuit), and a mixture of chicken broth, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar for the sushi.
I realize just writing this that it *sounds* disgusting, but it really wasn't. The flavors were there and recognizable, and especially with the Bojangles, served warm, it felt good going down, like a thick soup. I answered a craving, and these satisfied it. That's good enough for me. No, it's not the same as the real thing (it's a very weird feeling to be *drinking* something that tastes like sushi), but it's as close as I'm going to get for several weeks. I don't see why I should I deprive myself of my favorite foods and flavors if I don't have to. About the only thing I haven't tried pureeing yet is Pizza, but... give me time.
Actually, today more or less marks the halfway point to being allowed soft foods again at the seven week mark. Hard to believe it's been that long since surgery. Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. Then again, I *wanted* time to move quickly after surgery so I could get through the recovery and out the other side. Still have a ways to go, but... I can see it in the distance now, and I can make do in the meantime.
Sleep Update
One thing I have noticed... even though I no longer have apnea and don't need the mask, my body is still locked into some old sleeping habits that are hard to break. Have to wake up after four or five hours, still hard to get back to sleep, though I'm able to more readily now. Last night I did something I hadn't since before surgery--took a muscle relaxant (cyclobenzaprene), which I know helps me sleep through the night and isn't too habit-forming. Went to bed at 12:30, fell asleep somewhere close to 1, didn't wake up until after 7, drifted in and out until around 9. If every night was like that I wouldn't complain.
I dream a lot more, I've noticed, since the surgery. Not that I necessarily remember the dreams, but that's still a good sign; indicates I'm getting more quality sleep than before. Should be interesting to see what the sleep study shows when the time comes.
Next round of pictures...
The one-month mark is coming up on the 19th. I'll post pictures then so you can see how things work now. The swelling is largely but not entirely gone at this point; my jawline doesn't look too bad.
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