Left Jaw Pain 0/10
Right Jaw Pain: 0/10
Hip Pain: 0/10
Inconvenience factor: 1/10
It's hard to believe but today marks 4 months since surgery. All I can say is "Good Grief where has that time gone"? I guess this really does hint at life being back to it's normal frantic pre-surgery self. Taking stock points strongly to the fact that there are very few residual limitations remaining! Hooray! Finally!
Chewing has gradually become more effective over the past month and I can attack most things now.....raw carrots and nuts still remain off limits but the rest is fair game. Yes, the lip still occasionally gets involved but I am learning to compensate and can mostly avoid it now. The teeth on the left still don't touch but I >think< they are closer - hopefully more time will improve this!
Getting back into exercise is going fantastically well. Last week I managed an 8km, one hour trail run and felt great afterwards. My aerobic fitness is still really pathetic but there was no pain and I know my fitness will return. The time has come to stop holding back and I am finally comfortable with starting to push myself again. On Saturday I shall tackle a 1.5 hour trail run, then the following weekend smash out a 4 hour rogaine and over Easter, a 3 day, 50+km hike. What a great test!
My greatest concern has been that I will end up with a large permanent numbness patch on my lip and chin.....I have been particularly concerned about the right side. The numbness continues but with exciting new developments. The left side is still tingly....nothing new there but the right side lip to chin, in only the past week has begun responding sort of. It is nearly impossible to explain.
I have developed this almost neurotic habit of rapidly tapping my numb chin all over, testing for feeling. This tapping occurs whenever I have downtime, watching TV, during meetings, parked up at stoplights - you get the picture. I must look mental especially at the stoplights.
I keep tapping but nothing happens, I'm working on the principle that stimulation of the area will remind the nerves that they are needed. About 4 days ago, a tap was sort of answered. Not where I tapped but about 1cm above. I nearly fell off of my chair! I moved to the spot above and tapped, this was answered by a faint shot of pins and needles about 1cm below where I tapped. A seriously confused message but I'll take it! It's hope!!! Maybe the nerves are waking back up! PLEASE!!!!
Unfortunately, this slight glimmer of hope has increased my mad tapping habit 3 fold and my index finger is rarely found away from my chin. This could soon because socially inhibiting but for now.....it's time to stop typing, it's tying up my tapping finger!
