5 Week Check-In (Day 35-36) : Comparison photos, mouth opening wider

Comparison photos! Also in terms of how I feel recovery-wise, here's how I felt last week (4-weeks)

• Energy was around 80%, I can do everything, I just like to complain about it.
• I still couldn't sleep side-ways comfortably (too much blood-pressure in face)
• Could walk at full speed up/down-hill, but when I got tired I got tired like I needed to sit down or I'd black out.
• Leaning over to pick up things is doable, but only for short stints. No yoga, not that I do yoga.

And now at 5 weeks

• Energy around 90%, I can do everything, I get mild headaches from too much exertion
• I am now able to lie sideways for an hour at a time without feeling too much pain, sleeping sideways is just barely uncomfortable enough that I don't do it right now.
• I can lean over for several minutes now without feeling a head-rush.
• I finally feel safe to do weight-lifting again, though I am supposed to wait for 6 weeks so I'll wait.

Here's profile photos from before surgery and 5 weeks.

Left is before surgery and Right is 5 weeks after

My swelling has come down a lot in the last 2 weeks. I'd say my right side of the face has most of the swelling gone. The left cheek and jowl continue to be slightly more swollen, giving a lopsided look to the face, but that's noticeable to only me at this point.

The biggest change my coworkers have noted in my face is that I've lost weight. Thanks surgery.

Chewing is much easier nowadays, I can eat ramen at normal speed at this point, and since my teeth are starting to join better I can chew and cut the ramen reasonably quickly.

I still have trouble chewing on soft meats like chicken or shrimp, especially the stringy stuff, as I haven't yet learned where my tooth contact points are. And really, those tooth contact points are changing every week as my teeth shift, so this will probably be my life for a couple months.

Here's a comparison photo from last week (4-weeks) to today.

left is 4-weeks, right is 5-weeks today

Besides the closeup, it looks like my face is almost exactly the same. It seems like my jaw is a little less square, suggesting the swelling on the sides has reduced imperceptibly. I do sort of see the swelling on the left side of my face reduced infinitesimally.

I never really noticed, but it does look like my left eye droops slightly. I've had this since before surgery when looking at older photos. Perhaps it's because I've had several hits to the bone around that eye, though on further research is sounds like it's more of a genetic thing. Luckily if it is real it's pretty minor, I've never had anyone comment on it, and it does seem to make my face look a little more accepting-looking, so hey it's probably helped people trust me more. I'll take it as a win.

Tomorrow I'm seeing my orthodontist again. I hope he will clue me in on the long-term strategy from this point on, and what can and cannot be fixed. My molars don't yet touch, but everything else is starting to at this point. I can open my jaw 2 fingers comfortably now, working on 3. This may be enough for them to put an arch wire back in, which I remember he had previously been planning on. That's going to put a damper on eating.

On to Day 37.