Birthday week

This week I turn the ripe old age of 44. Sleeping well is a great birthday gift. Once I get the remaining nerve pain settled down and get my jaw loosened up I will feel like I have reversed the clock a bit. I still feel that I would do this surgery again to sleep as well as I do right now!


I asked on the sleepnet forum a few months ago if anyone had significant changes in their voices after surgery. I have sung all my life, currently in a church band, and was concerned that I might have tone control problems with the change in my airway architecture. I am glad to report that I started singing with my band this last week and sound fine. Rehearsal, which goes on for an hour and a half or so, is exhausting. Breath control is a little weak right now. I am sure that this will improve as my energy improves and I continue to practice. Any worries I had before surgery about singing have now been aleviated.

Eating continues to improve. In fact, given enough time I dare say I could eat just about anything. Sharp things like tortilla chips are a bit of a concern right now. I sometimes lose track of them in my partially numb mouth and I have swallowed a piece or two that could have benefitted from a little more chewing. I also have to be careful that I don't put in anything that is too hot in my mouth. I took a bite of pizza where the crust felt fine but the cheese was too hot. I think that I scalded the roof of my mouth - it doesn't hurt because of the numbness but I will be babying it for a while so I don't injure it further.

This afternoon I yawned really big. I have been letting yawns happen figuring that the gentle stretch will help with jaw rehab. This backfired this afternoon. During a yawn I had sharp pain in my right jaw and couldn't close my mouth completely for a few seconds. This was muscle pain, but it definitely got my attention. I will be a little more cautious in the near future.

I continue to adjust to the person in the mirror. I rather like my profile. I feel that my nose is much more balanced with the new face. The front view is still a little concerning. My nose is still rather crooked (but not a big deal), my cheeks are still a little puffy and my lips are uneven and thin. I have been doing some soft tissue rehab on my own. By saying my vowels with very exaggerated facial expressions I do feel that my lips and cheeks are loosening up a bit. I don't know for sure whether this is doing anything of value, but hey, it seems to me like it is helping.

All for now. If you are reading this and have a question or see that I haven't addressed something, please met me know and I will see what I can do.



By the way, here's a reminder of how I looked in profile before the surgery - actually this was taken in 2005 before my UP3, nasal septoplasty. I like having a chin now and I think my nose looks much more in balance.