*yawn*.....*snap*

Thought I'd post a little update since I'm going a long time between appointments and milestones lately. And I need to kill 20 mins before American Idol starts. Hehe.

I'm over 10 weeks post-op now, if you aren't keeping count (I hardly am anymore).

My title is a description of the tenuous relationship I seem to be having with my elastic bands lately. They are heavy 4mm bands, and THEY BREAK ON ME EVERY DAY! So annoying. It usually happens when I yawn, which I do a lot. I'll yawn and hear and feel this *SNAP* which is unsettling until I realize it's just my band again. One day last week I had a band stuck under my upper lip for a WHOLE DAY before noticing it was there. I'm sure I've also swallowed a few.

I can't wait to be done with these evil little stretchy circles forever.

Otherwise, things are still going smoothly. I can open almost four fingers. Impressive, yes? I'm biting into eeeeeverything. Hotdogs, thick burgers, subs, you name it, I've bitten it. I've chewed steak, even. When I overdo it, my jaw does get a little sore, but nothing like before surgery.

My sinuses have been draining better and better each day, as the last of my swelling goes down. I'm surprised and delighted with this. My nose is still crooked and I'm pretty sure my cartilidge was affected there during surgery. :( I don't know what else it could be. I'm still slightly swollen around there and I guess that could be causing it. My upper lip area still LOOKS swollen to me, but it has occured to me that it might be just the way it looks now, and it won't ever change. I remind myself daily that the "end result" may not be seen until over 6 months post-op. I will not give myself permission to be too concerned about my crooked nose and goofy smile (which IS getting better ever so gradually). I can't help but worry and be impatient--it's my nature.

I'm so happy with my chin though. No complaints there. GOD I love my new profile. It might not be anything special to most people but it's so wonderful to me. You know how if you have no chin and you're in the bank or at the movies and there are people behind you and you're kind of aware every time your side is facing people and they're seeing your ugly profile? Or maybe it was just me. Anyway, it's so freaking nice to not have that self-consciousness anymore. So, so nice. I actually turn to the side purposely sometimes. :) I feel so...normal now. I love my genioplasty. Oh, did I mention I love my chin?

I've started doing face exercises several times a day. I do a lot of puckering and smiling and mouth-twisting. Not sure of it's just a coincidence but it has made a difference in my swelling and smile. Or maybe I'm imaginging things. Before, when I smiled, you could only see like half of my top teeth. Now you can see a little more. That's so weird too. I went from this huge gummy smile to showing no gums and not even my whole teeth when I smile. I've wondered if my surgeon cut TOO much of my top jaws in that Lefort, but I don't think he did. I think I'm just still stiff there.

I need to loosen up, in more ways than one.