Survived!

I survived! I'm back at home and getting better every day. All up so far, I'm happy with the way things are going. There has been minimal pain, I haven't been hungry, and I have been getting so much support from friends and family and strangers. I can finally see the end in sight and I can't wait until it's all over.

So my surgery was Thursday last week (16th June). It was an afternoon op so I was sure to have a glorious breakfast that morning and savoured the ability to chew. Fasting started at 8:30am. Got to the hospital at 11, hung out in my room for a while, until I was taken down to the waiting room with my mum. There were a few tears, then I was wheeled away. The nurses didn't give me a pre-op med which they should have, so the anaesthetist wasn't impressed but it was no big deal. Next thing I knew I could hear my mum and dad talking to nurses but I was too groggy to open my eyes.

The surgery took 5.5 hours. They decided to give my sinuses a clean while they were there, and did a septoplasty and bilateral tubinectomy. I had a nasogastric tube in my left nostril and a nasopharyngeal tube in my right nostril. I had a tube coming out of each side of my neck to help with drainage. They were all removed the next day. Then I was taken from the high care nursing unit back to my own private room.

My mum stayed on a trundle bed in my room for the rest of my time in hospital. I had visitors come and give me flowers and everyone seemed really impressed with how well I was doing- not that I really felt it myself. I had no energy, even walking across my room to go to the toilet would absolutely wipe me out. Eating was a struggle, and wasn't helped by the fact that sometimes the kitchen would give me soups that were impossible to suck up with a syringe like brocolli soup! But every day I tried to eat a little more because I knew it was going to help me get better quicker.

I was given the OK for discharge on Monday. The trip home was exhausting so I went straight to bed for a few hours. That night I slept terribly. I couldn't get comfy, my ice packs were too cold, I had a headache... I was very grumpy and felt a little regret doing this whole thing. But the day went on and I looked through photos from when I was in hospital and realised how much improvement had already happened and started to feel better. My nose finally cleared and last night I slept really well.

Today I'm starting to feel really good and get a bit of energy. I can already notice changes despite all the swelling. My nose looks a little different and I can see a little bit of a jawline coming through. I am very bruised on my cheeks down to my chest, and I still have a lot of numbness but it's slowly coming back. I just keep reminding myself that each day my swelling, bruising and numbness will keep going down. And it will soon be all behind me.

I saw the surgeon tonight and he is really pleased with my recovery. When he cut my elastics it felt so so strange- my jaw just kinda sprung open (I'm sure it was only like a tiny tiny bit, but felt huge!). He gave me elastics so I can take them off for meals and brushing my teeth, then put them back on afterwards. He also gave me exercises I need to do 3 times a day to train my muscles into their new bite. Elastics coming off means... I can start eating soft foods!! Things like scrambled eggs and stuff. This es exciting. Not that I haven't been eating well- my mum's been making up yummy soups and custard and protein drinks- but it means I am that much closer to being able to eat a burger again! So I go back to see the surgeon next week for another check up.

It's not letting me add photos and I'm getting sleepy, so I'll be sure to put some up tomorrow.