Thursday, June 4, 2009

Without The Hardware

Liquid diets are easy eating - effortless. You just drink up. Now that the arch bars have been removed, eating is really quite a challenge. I've had two meals since the arch bars came off: lentil soup (not pureed) and slow cooked tri-tip with sweet potatoes and carrots mashed together. There are two major challenges with eating: the jaw muscles haven't been exercised and my mouth opens only 17 millimeters. Put those two together and eating seems like a major workout.

Here's what its' like being arch bar free for 10 hours:

  1. Green light to get back on the bike. OLH Sunday morning (who's in?)
  2. Lips rest comfortably against my gums
  3. Lips don't feel like they are sticking out
  4. Teeth more comfortable without wire anchors holding the arch bars
  5. Teeth still have no sensation (like wooden teeth)
  6. Gums still numb
  7. Lower lip and chin still numb
  8. Hard to speak due to jaw's limited range of motion
  9. Upper teeth and gums feel like they are in a different spot - which they are
  10. Still have chin pain in same isolated spot. We're hoping it goes away without the arch bars

The big question is has my sleep improved. It's returned to where it was pre-MMA. I'm no more tired or rested than before. I'm being cautious not to make any judgements based on a single day, but rather wait several months and see how I feel. Without the arch bars and their definite discomfort only good things will continue.

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3 comments:

  1. SharonJune 5, 2009 at 1:44 PM

    Congratulation on the arch bar removal. But we are going to miss that full lip look!
    Happy Sleeping:-)

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  2. WMLJune 5, 2009 at 8:01 PM

    I have to disagree about liquid diets being effortless--but probably because I have 3 more weeks of liquid diet ahead of me! You give me hope for better times!! Sara

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  3. PedalsJune 5, 2009 at 8:13 PM

    Sharon - the Julia Roberts look just didn't work for me.

    Sara - it took about ten days before I switched from the syringe to drinking from a cup. The cup made a tremendous difference because it was just plain easier. I pureed just about anything by adding vegtable, chicken, or beef broth to thin things out. For the first week and a half, I only drank Ensure and fruit juices. Then my stomach rebelled against the ensure, and I was forced to find other sources of nutrition like pureed soups. The soups were a big step up, but I had to be "ready" for them. It will all be good - hope you're doing well.

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