Day 41 - Just Keep on Movin'

For those of you wonderful people who still follow this: ok so I admit it - 41 days out from surgery there isn't anything really exciting to report. At this point everything is really about waiting for all of the tiny little changes. I'm impatient, but it gives me something to look forward to now that the excitement of surgery has passed.

FINALLY my skin is getting back to normal. It's still a bit oily but breakouts have calmed down. My only complaint is that it sometimes feels dry and tight,  and around my mouth is irritated even though it's not chapped. But hey, it's a heck of a lot better than it was just two weeks ago.

The problems I had fully extending my arms is finally a non-issue. They're still a bit too stiff to unbend entirely when I first wake up, but by the end of the day I can extend them far enough to lock my elbows.

The bedsores on my heels are still healing, though they aren't red or open anymore. The look just like any other healing blister, only larger.

Swelling is still present, but there's so little that a lot of people don't even know I've had surgery when they look at me.

I have only two complaints: my bite and my food. My bite was so tightly locked together on the right, with the left slightly open when I came out of surgery and my front teeth overlapped nicely. Now it seems like it isn't as tight. Like the front teeth barely close enough to form any overlap. My right teeth dont feel as tightly meshed and my left teeth now sometimes touch. Does this mean something has shifted out of place? I'm going to mention this to Dr A next week and see what he says. As for food, eating is still difficult. I can't open my mouth enough to make chewing effective, and I can't really find things for a soft diet on campus other than starchy processed side dishes or ice cream. I'm also scared of gaining all of the weight back from the unhealthy campus food.

The only thing that really gets in the way of living "normally" other than the eating, is that I'm still petrified of knocking something out of place. A friend hugged me and bumped my chin with her shoulder, and even that was enough to make me worry something would shift.  I just don't know how much my bones can take, so I'm really babying my jaw still. I'll add that to the list of things to to talk to Dr A about.

I'm still in rubber bands. There are 6 in a very odd configuration, though as they're keeping things in line, I won't complain. As for when I can stop wearing them, or if I will change the configuration I have no clue. There really are a lot of unknowns right now. This is also the first week where I won't be seeing my surgeon, so that has me a bit anxious about everything as well. I'll have my nerves put at ease and my questions answered in another week. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Brent and Catherine, you two are looking so good! It really seems like the time has just flown by. Be well everyone!

Pics for today and the previous days are on the way!

Creepy red eyes lol

Day 40 - Normalcy?

So forty days have passed since surgery. Whenever I remember those first two weeks I'm amazed hat a person can do. I am so incredibly thankful to have has this chance. I still can't believe that after thinking I wouldn't even get the surgery I'm now forty days out.

Swelling is still going down bit by bit, but at this point the changes are so more gradual and harder to notice. Eating is a bit of a challenge, too. I can't open my mouth large enough to fit a knuckle so I'm still on a mushy/liquid diet. When I do eat "real" food and mince it up vary small. Physical therapy starts in a week to help me improve mobility.

All in all I'm slowly finding some sense of normal. I'm not quite to what I was pre surgery but I'm certainly a long way away from 5 days post op. I'm feeling really good about everything today.

I'm still having problems posting pics. I promise I'll fix this asap, as it is I had to do this update via mobile phone, hahaha.

Day 39 - Getting Used to It...Again PICS

Hi there! It has now been 39 days of recovery. For the most part, things continue to improve.

 I'm definitely less swollen than yesterday, but still a bit sore. I've just been talking a lot between catching up with old friends and meeting new people. I had a few nerve pinches again today, though nothing unbearable. Other than that fatigue and soreness in my joint from talking, there isn't anymore pain. I think at this point the bones have healed enough where they wont hurt anymore, so that's definitely still good.

Even though I know that I'm healing I still worry and baby my face a bit. Sleeping in certain positions still makes me scared that I'm going to break something loose. If I bite down hard there's a slight crunching sound. Nothing seems out of place in my photos, so it can't be movement, though it's still a really disconcerting sound. I don't rest my hand on my chin. Like I said, I baby my face. I'm just so scare to mess things up after coming so far!

Today was interesting, because even though I've come a long way, I haven't been without my family since surgery. I'm taking care of all meals and worried moments without them. It isn't like I can't handle it, but it definitely adds a new dynamic to this whole healing thing. I guess I'm just a bit anxious. The good news is that my mother and surgeon are just a phone call away if I need them.

Other than that things are really good. I'm back with friends, and I haven't had a chance to be bored, which is nice after a long summer.

I still haven't fixed my internet issue, so I will post today's pictures as soon as I get my computer up and running. Be well!!!

Day 38 - Settling In PICS!

Well, I'm up to day 38 now. And what an exhausting day!

I moved back to school today. The whole day was spent driving to my college, and unpacking. There has also been a lot of catching up with two of my friends, so I've been talking a lot. I'm surprised at how tired it can make my jaw just speaking to someone.

Swelling is up a little, though I think this is just from doing so much  today. Other than that I'm doing really well today, and I'm glad to be back at school.

I hope the rest of you are doing well!!!

I will load pictures tomorrow. My computer isn't hooked up to the internet yet and my friend's does not seem to want to cooperate with my camera.

Day 37 - Stuck

Yay for day 37! No, there isn't anything particularly special about it, but hey why not be excited anyway? In my recovery today hasn't been anything remarkable, but it wasn't bad either. Swelling is going  down more and more, and I even got to eat steak today. I just cut it up into super teensy pieces and I was able to eat it like that. My first non-blenderized steak since the night before my surgery!

Everything is really on the mend. With the help of the Proactiv I just bought, my skin is really improving, and I've had no new breakouts. My heels are no longer raw, but healing over nicely. The bedsore on my tailbone is 100% healed, though it has left a rather ugly scar. The sore on my forehead is also healed, but left a scar, too. Numbness is dissipating and I have 90% surface sensation ins most of my face except for my chin and upper lip and parts of my nose. I can also open my mouth a bit wider, however I still cant even fit on knuckle. So basically, long story short, I'm getting better and better by the day.

In terms of "real world" stuff today was a bit of a bummer. I was supposed to move into school this morning, but with Irene coming, mom was not too keen on that. So I'll be moving in on Monday instead. I'm not exactly thrilled with this, but there isn't much I can do, so no point in complaining. Speaking of the hurricane I'm still safe and sound. We haven't even had really heavy rain yet. Power is still on and wind isn't howling. So right now I just feel like I missed the first weekend back for nothing. But, hey, I'd rather be safe and bored than partying with friends when a hurricane hits.

All of you stay safe and dry!!! :)

still quite puffy on the right side

Day 36 - Up and Out

Today was day 36 - my last day and night at home before going back to college. Mom wanted to keep today fun, rather than have me waste the last one at home, so we went to the fair today. It turns out that the expected hurricane is bad enough even as far inland as my county that the fair is closing tonight rather than Sunday. There are also more mandatory evacuations in NY and NJ....and I'm on my way to school...on an island...an island right in Hurricane Irene's path. Greeaaaaat.

And right now the hurricane is the only thing worth mentioning. Not much is going on with my face today, though I confess that I'm a bit worried about how I'll eat at school. Oh well, I'm sure I'll figure it out. Though I am looking forward to seeing my friends' reactions to the "new me."Sorry for the boring post. I hope the rest of you are safe and well!

Day 35 - 5 Weeks and an A+ Visit

Day 35.....uh wow. It's been 35 days?! I can't believe it's been this long since surgery. I'm not complaining though :)

Today I had my five week appointment with Dr A, and if I were being graded, I'd say I've earned myself an A+. Hooray! The first thing my OS looked into was that click that I had mentioned. We took yet another panoramic x-ray, and when Dr A saw it, he was visibly excited. Far from being indicative of something bad, that click was my right joint settling back into place. It is now back in the socket, though still with enough space to allow for limited pressure on my poor condyle and the formation of scar tissue. This is all wonderful news, and Dr A said that this was exactly what he'd been hoping for. He went so far as to say that whatever I'm doing, keep doing, because it's perfect. Yay! After all of my worries along the way this was so good to hear.

Dr A then asked my to open and bite, multiple times, while wearing the elastics. Again, he was very pleased. He said that I looked much better than when the wires had come off and it looked to him as though I was finally finding a bite and not wiggling all over the place. We repeated the process with the bands off, and I was able to maintain the bite. Dr A was seriously thrilled, and so was I. He said that in two weeks he'd like to see me again, and that maybe then I can get the arch bars off and just keep in those 4 screws. This would make me happy because they are starting to cut into my cheeks now that the swelling has gone down and I can move my face more.

Even more good news. I mentioned that bump that I thought was a hematoma, and he looked a bit worried. I told him I'd been putting warm packs on and massaging it. He felt around a bit, and said that it was likely and abscessed stitch, but I was doing precisely the right thing for it, that it was almost gone, and I should have no reason to worry.

After this exciteent me on my way with a hug, a pack of rubber bands, and instructions to start physical therapy next week. He told me that now that the joint has settled, it is now required rather than suggested in the case of trouble. The scar tissue I mentioned, while cushioning and lessening pain, can also cause issues with mobility. Because of this I'll need to go to physical therapy so that I can re-learn to articulate my jaw and get a full range of motion before scar tissue hardens.

Overall today was exciting in terms of my recovery, and I'm feeling really good.

I move back into school on Saturday, though with hurricane Irene on the way, this may change. Move in was originally set for Sunday, but my university sent out a memo to move in a day earlier to avoid the storm. However, lower Manhattan is being evacuated and I'm sure Long Island isn't far behind, so what this means for move in I have no idea. Either way I know that I will be safe, so right now my biggest concern is packing. My room is a mess, yet nothing has actually been packed. Things just seem to migrate from one side of the room to the other. Oh well. I'm off to pack some more so we can get the car loaded up tomorrow.

I hope the rest of you wonderful jaw bloggers are safe and well. :)

Day 34 - A Day at the Fair

Hello all! Today is day 34 of my recovery and I've hit a little bump.

Last night I yawned and something in my right TMJ clicked and now I can't open as wide as I could since I've been unwired. Dr A said that it could either be the joint settling or a bone moving out of place (this is the joint that broke during surgery). It didn't hurt when it happened, nor does it hurt now, but it is mildly concerning. Dr A said he'll see whatever it is in the x-rays during tomorrow's appointment. Keep your fingers crossed that it's nothing bad. I'll also have him check out that bump I was talking about. I still think it's just a hematoma, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Strange pops and limited mobility aside, today has been good. My skin is starting to be a bit less oily and no new blemishes have appeared. So now I just have to completely fix the oil problem and wait for the other blemishes to get lost. Swelling is down a bit more I think, too.

I even got to spend the day at the county fair. My family has gone every year since I was very little, so I look forward to it each summer. It was a day filled with lemonade, ice cream and people watching. Somehow I managed to eat some french fries, though it made my jaw a bit sore from trying to open my mouth repeatedly. My sister and I got to share some maple candy, too, which we absolutely love. All in all it was a great day with the family. My feet are sore and my mouth is tired, but I'm happy all the same.

Day 33 - Is it just me, or is the world moving?

So day 33 has been interesting. My mother, father, and I went to pick up my sister from the airport. She's been away in Russia for the past 6 weeks. After picking her up we decided to stop in Queens for some pizza. While sitting at the table, both my sister and I felt a strange shake: almost like floating on pudding, for lack of a better description. We just thought it was the table being unbalanced (we were leaning our elbows on it). Part of me though "wouldn't it be funny if that was an earthquake?"

Well....it was. Let me tell you, only in NY can an earthquake occur and people will continue to eat their pizza like nothing is wrong. One of the pizza guys even said something along the lines of "Hey, I can't help it, there was an earthquake" in a strong NY accent, as if he were somehow to blame. My father didn't even notice. It turns out there was a 5.9 in Virginia that was felt from Raleigh NC to NY. Leave it to my sister, who is notorious for bringing natural disaster, to come home from Russia and have an earthquake show up 40 minutes later. Thankfully there seems to be no report of damage or fatality in VA.

That was honestly the only thing worth mentioning today as my jaw remains unchanged. Nothing new either good or bad. I hope the rest of you have had a good day and are safe and sound.

I'll post pics later, as blogger is once again being difficult.

Day 32 - Home

Well it's day 32 and I'm back from my brief vacation. My only regret is that it had to end.

My parents and I made our way home, stopping for a couple hours to see Fort Ticonderoga. It was really really cool, and, being a history geek, I found the museum and reconstructed barracks fascinating. After that it was back into the car and off home.

Home came all too soon, and a lovely trip came to a close. But, while the trip is over, my physical healing continues. I'm sore again today, particularly in my left TM joint. I hope it's just muscle pain and not joint problems. Dr A told me that as my right joint is now out of place, I will rely on the left. I'm worried that my normally for-the-most-part-pain-free left joint will now have to compensate too much and get as bad as the right. I'll see what Dr A says about this on Thursday.


Swelling and numbness are unchanged from yesterday, but the bump on my right side that I believe to be a hematoma is a bit smaller, so it seems the warm packs are making a difference. My skin is still awful. The pictures don't show it because I wash my face and put on moisturizer before most of my pics. This is good in that I don't have totally gag-worthy pics of me floating around the interwebs, but bad in that I'm not showing you guys the truth of the matter. Oh well, vanity is what it is, and I do want to maintain what is left of my dignity, lol.


I hope you are all doing really well and enjoying yourselves.

Blogger is being a butt and not letting me post pics. I'll try to get them up as soon as I can :)

Day 31 - 1 month?! Yes indeed :)

Oh my goodness. I can't believe it. It has been exactly one month since I had my double jaw surgery. One month ago this minute I was in a propofol coma in a hospital bed. And let me tell you, I have come a looooooong way.

So what does one do one month after a 13.5 hour surgical procedure? Well if you're me you decide to eat solid foods that are technically not part of a "mushy" diet and go rafting in a chasm during a thunder and lightning storm. True story. I was surprised when it hit me. Today I went to Ausable Chasm and went rafting on the river running through the chasm. During the ride the heavens opened. Thunder boomed, lighting flashed and rain poured. And there I was in water, in a raft in front of some dummy who opened a metal frame umbrella while the guide handed out aluminum handled paddles with the reassuring words "Alright guys I need to call a protocol and get us out of the water as soon as possible." It really was an awesome way to mark my biggest milestone yet.

I did some more forest walks and walked around the city of Lake Placid again, ending the day with bonesless buffalo wings. I couldn't chew, had to rip it up really teensy, my tongue was on fire and I was sweating. Did I care? Absolutely not. My taste buds were in heaven :)

Soreness today is also not nearly as bad as yesterday. I think the muscle relaxers and moist heat sessions are really helping me out. I even looked somewhat normal in pictures today.

Numbness is slowly dissipating. I'd say I have about 60% feeling back in my skin, but I'm still about 90% numb in deeper tissue and in my chin, nose and upper lip.

To summarize, one month out and I feel like a new person. I never thought that I'd make it to this point. I'm absolutely stunned with the journey that I've made (and am still on) to this point. For those of you about to go through this, or who are just at the first stages of recovery, all I have to say is that you will be amazed what one month can do. I know that I am. And I am thankful for it every single day.

Day 30 - A Placid Afternoon

Hello bloggers! Today is day 30 of my recovery, and the hitting of a couple huge milestones.

First and foremost - I feel good enough physically that my parents and I are on vacation! I'm about 6 hours from home, and well enough where I'm not worried about being close to my blender (though we brought it with us) or losing energy or being in pain. So the family, sans my older sister who is in Russia, decided to take a weekend in the Adirondack Mountains. It's absolutely beautiful, and the fresh air and beautiful scenery are definitely good for my the health of my body and mind. We walked around the main town of Lake Placid today. I even got my first pair of snowboarding boots! No more rentals for me :) Thanks, Mom!

Second - I. ate. real. food! This afternoon I was able to get down a delicious whole wheat pancake by tearing it up into tiny bits and mushing around with my tongue. It was really quite good. Then this evening I managed to eat an entire slice of pizza in the same manner. Granted I had to eat with my fingers (and one time while in a diner :-o ), but I was so thrilled to have solid food. I even managed a few nibbles of a brownie.

Healing is going well, but since I got the wires off I've been in more pain than I have through this entire process, not counting the first few days. It isn't exactly sharp, debilitating pain, but I definitely feel some soreness in my left joint and some ouch in the right (where it accidentally broke) when I use my mouth too much.

I also think I have a hematoma on the right side. It's a hard lump, but it's not too painful to touch. It shrinks with moist heat. If it hasn't gone down more by thursday, I'll have Dr A check it out, just to be safe and make sure there are no infections or abscesses or anything of that nature. Not very worried right now though.

Mobility is still very limited. I can't even open my mouth wide enough to insert a finger. But, considering I can open my mouth now I'm not complaining. Dr A wants me to start doing jaw exercises in about 2 weeks time, and has written a prescription for physical therapy in the event that I need the extra help.

My skin is still in gross mode, but there honestly isn't much I can do but wait it out, so I'm just trying ignore it. Not the easiest for someone like me, but I'm trying.

All in all I'm doing quite well. More pain than usual, but nothing too major. I've definitely come a long way from the first days where I was praying for the hell to stop. And what better place to find myself at this stage than in the Adirondacks? I'm pleased :)

P.S. I'll post pics later. Our camera is broken and the battery cover has to be taped on. Since we have no tape with us, I don't want to open it up and risk not being able to shut it again. I promise you aren't missing anything exciting.

Day 29 - Three Musketeers

Day 29 is definitely a step up from day 28. I stopped by Dr A's about my bite concerns. His residents were there to help me. I confess to getting frustrated with them.

I was trying so hard to tell them what was wrong, like with my mid-line now being to the right, and they just kept staring at my bite like I'm crazy. I'm not unintelligent; I've been staring at this bite since I could get a hold of a mirror. I know it both looked and felt different. After a break where they went off to call Dr A, we managed to work through the issues and reconfigured my bands. I had four in a rather standard configuration yesterday, and I was fighting against the bands to get back into my new bite. Now I have 6 in a really bizarre configuration that guide my bite where it should be when I relax. It's still way different from surgery, but not so different that I feel uncomfortable dealing with it until I see Dr A in one week.

Dr A also prescribed a daytime muscle relaxer to help my jaw relax some of the muscle tension that's causing trouble with my new bite. So now I'm taking parafon forte during the day and flexiril at night. Same muscle relaxing combo that I had last summer when I first started seeing a surgeon about my jaw concerns.

The best part of today was getting back together with my two very close friends from college. A and M joined me today, and the Three Musketeers got to have some adventures again for the first time in months. It was great. They were excited about my surgery yet also provided a beautiful distraction from thinking about it all the time. Definitely a good day in the end. Sometimes, the best remedy (even for a broken face) is quality time with good friends.

Pictures!

Day 28 - Freedom and Frustration

Well today is exactly four weeks since I had my jaw surgery. I had my weekly appointment with Dr A. After a look at my x-rays, he deemed my jaw fit to be unwired! Freedom at last!!! Well...sort of.

They clipped off the wires and I seriously felt as though my bottom jaw was going to fall off. It is the strangest sensation I've ever felt. No pain, just weak and stiff. I'm now in training rubber bands and have been cleared for a "mushy" diet.

I think I'll be sticking with blenderized stuff for a while, but in celebration I went out and bought myself some macaroni and cheese. Oh. My. Gosh! It was mind bogglingly delicious. I had to eat it one piece at a time and use my fingers because my mouth cant open wide enough to allow a fork and the piece of macaroni through, but I don't care how silly I looked. Solid food! Blissful solid food!

With this freedom comes some serious frustration. Frustration that had me in major tears for the first time since the first week of recovery. I can't get my bite the same as it was in the wires. When I came out of surgery, my lower midline was about a millimeter to the left of the upper midline. Now I can't figure out how to get my teeth together, and when I do the lower midline is to the right of the upper. I'm so frustrated right now! I can't figure it out. I feel angry, sad, very frustrated and like a total failure right now. I just don't know what to do. I want my wires back. They at least gave me a sense of security. This is just way too much after all of the things I've already gone through.

I hope the rest of you are doing better than I am right now.

I'll post pictures a.s.a.p. I haven't taken them yet.

Day 27 - Limbo

Ah, day 27. Seems like a good number, no? At any rate today was good. Lazy, but good. That stupid spitting stitch finally came out of my face, and what I believe to be the only stitch left in my mouth came out as well. So as far as I know I'm no longer all sewn up. I'm quite please, particularly because that spitting stitch was getting on my nerves.

The other thing getting on my nerves - my skin. It is SO BAD. Seriously, my acne has never been this bad. The prescription stuff doesn't seem to be doing the trick, so I took the initiative and ordered Proactiv. They have that nice money back thing going for them, so if it fails at least I'm not out a huge sum of money. But really, this is not how I imagined returning to college. Between the swelling and the skin issues, meeting new people seems rather intimidating.

Speaking of swelling, it's gone down even more since yesterday. And I think my nose is less bulbous, though it could all be in my little head.

Today was pretty lazy, I woke up around 1pm and got ready for the day (heh, what's left of it at least). Dad and I looked at more cars, but nothing really jumped out at me. I also decided to finally start cleaning my room up. It's like WWIII in here.

Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since surgery and I have an appointment with Dr A. He said that I might, and I stress the might part, get unwired. If I do I'll be put in rubber bands. I have no clue whether I'll be banded shut, like with the wires, or banded just to guide my bite so that I can start eating something other than purely liquid foods. Either way I'll manage as I have, but frankly I'm not going to get my hopes up. It will only make me miserable if the wires end up staying. I'll let all of you know tomorrow when I get back.

I hope everyone else is doing a-ok!

Day 26 - For You

Well, day 26 has come and gone, and my recovery continues on in it's lazy way. I have no pain, only mild soreness every once in a while. Swelling still persists but it's loads better in comparison to when I got out of the hospital. Bed sores are healing up and cause me no pain. All in all my life is going back to normal.

I just want to take the time to say thank you to everyone. "Thank you" feels so inadequate a phrase to express my gratitude. All of you here on blogger have been fantastic. From pre-surgery jitters and curiosity to post-surgery first week hell, you have all been there. You come with kind words, reassurance, and genuine excitement for those of us at each and every stage of this journey. You guys are incredible. Seriously, I would have been such a wreck without all of you, after all how would I know what was "normal" and what was not? So thank you, thank you, and thank you some more.

Brent and Catherine, I hope you continue to improve. The worst is behind you now, it just gets better from here.
Cece, it's so good to see that things are improving on your end. I can only hope that things continue to get better and better with each day. Hang in there!

Aaaand pictures of me in all my puffy glory!

Day 25 - Little Ray of Sunshine

Holy moly! It's day 25! How on earth is this possible? It feels like surgery was just last week, yet at the same time it feels like it's been years. Time is strange that way.

Swelling continues to go down, and my cheekbones are starting to reappear - hooray! My weight has stabilized around 106 and is no longer dropping. Pain is nonexistent. Alright I lied, there's pain, but not from the surgery. I have a little cut on the tip of my tongue. I have a permanent retainer and a cement edge + not being able to brush = a sharp razor in my mouth. Funny, my face is broken in a gazillion places but the pain is from a cut on my tongue. Oh well...that's life.

I had a minor melt down today. I just looked in the mirror and saw my yucky nasty skin and puffy face and started to cry. It lasted all of 15 seconds, after which I washed my face and applied makeup. Wow, what a transformation. Who knew that the post surgery skin yuck was hiding the emergence of new beauty. I can honestly say that tonight I looked in the mirror and felt beautiful. This is the second time since surgery I've felt this, and it's like a burst of sunshine in the post surgery storm. I'm starting to see glimpses of what may be. There's a beautiful girl under all the swelling and oiliness, and I can't wait to see her and say, "Welcome back Nora, I've missed you." I know it's beyond corny, but there you have it.

And while the metaphorical storm is subsiding, the real storms are getting worse. We have had SO much rain here. I haven't seen sheets of water like this since I was a little kid. It really is an awesome sight. I want to go and dance in the rain and jump in puddles :)

Day 24 - Meh

Today was once again quite uneventful in terms of recovery. There are no changes good or bad as far as I can see.

Right now my biggest complaint is my skin. It's horribly oily, no matter what I do, and I have acne all over my neck and shoulders. It's driving me bonkers. I'm one of those people that picks and pokes and I really don't want more scars than I already have. Does anyone have suggestions of what helped them with this problem post surgery? It's driving me quite batty.

Other than the skin issues I'm doing well. Mild soreness every so often, but nothing that motrin can't handle.

I even went out with my parents to look at cars today, which was surprising considering I didn't think I'd have a car for at least another year. Test driving was fun considering I used to just be the passenger while my parents would test the cars.

I'll take pics and post them after my shower. Be well, everyone!

Day 23 - Shopping

Today's post is going to be quite short considering I really was quite busy. I woke up around 2:30pm, went straight to my shower and then out to look at cars. After that Mom and I took a trip over to the Palisades Mall. I got some new shoes (they're so cute!) courtesy of my mother, and I treated us to shakes at Johnny Rocket's. The host even noticed my jaws and said "Is everything ok?" to which my mother replied that my jaw was wired. His response was that he knew (which is the first person that knew right off the bat rather than being struck with horror) and that he thought I was speaking very well for someone with a wired jaw. Yay!

All in all I was just so busy today that I hardly had anytime to think about my mouth. I was a little sore near the end of the day just because I'd done so much walking and talking, but all that aside there was nothing going on good or bad. I suppose that this means things are finally getting back to normal. Thank heavens!