Day 16- Elastic removal

Quiet day at work, lots of sitting down and taking breaks. When I get home from work it is time for a nap and to get more food in my belly.

Finally got my elastics taken off today and it feels super weird. They let me brush my teeth and take a look inside before they put different ones on. I couldn't get the toothbrush on the inside of my teeth and could just stick the tip of my tongue out. I feel very fragile and I'm too scared to explore the inside of my mouth with my tongue. Looking at my smile from the front it looks like my bite didn't move. I know it did though because I can feel my back teeth line up on top of each other now. Maybe I'm over critical of what I think it should look like.

The doctor came and checked on me and put my new elastics on. He told me to open up wide and I tried moving my mouth- I'm pretty sure nothing happened because he then said "no, open wide" He tried to help by having me open a little and then bite down to get those muscles working again. It's a strange feeling not being able to move your mouth. I've forgotten how and have to learn all over again.

By the time I got home from the appointment my head was killing me. Sharp pain right at my temples on both sides. This pain shoots down to my jaw and back up and then meets in the middle of my forehead. This is actually one of the most painful days since the surgery. I would rate it at a 7/10 for pain. I iced my head and took some hydromorphone for the pain. I guess my jaw has been pretty much clenched shut for 16 days so that's why all the pain. The other weird thing too with these elastics is they give me some movement so when I swallow I can feel my jaw move.

 I've got two elastics on each side and I'm supposed to change them once a day. I'm also allowed to start introducing soft food back into my diet-nothing chewy or crunchy. I think I'll have to take my elastics off to eat though because with them on I can't move my jaw. I'm much too tired and sore today to experiment with eating so it's still a liquid diet for tonight and possibly tomorrow.

I look like some sort of creature out a swamp- please excuse my face.