Day 21: Slow Recovery

It's been 3 weeks since surgery. Everything is starting to feel like they're normal but they're not. I'm sneezing with my mouth open, my nose hurts too much to wear sunglasses, and my sleep isn't totally normal. My nose is still tingly and a little numb.

Two accidents have occurred that I don't recommend doing:
1) A few days ago I went to rub the sleep out of my eyes when my alarm went off and I accidentally whacked myself in the nose. It was so painful I had to just lie there and let the pain subside for about 10 minutes.
2) I accidentally sneezed with my mouth shut. I pretty much saw little stars circling around my head as my eyes watered up and I just cried for a minute from the pain.

There is still debris in my nose. I'm not allowed to blow it yet but only do gentle sniffs in. Hot showers help most with loosening it up so it can leave. Some days both passages are blocked, sometimes it's one or the other. Today the debris from my left (the trouble passage) nostril cleared and it has so much air flow! Still a great decision getting this surgery done.

Here's today's picture! Looks about the same. The left side is kind of larger still... makes me a little concerned but I know it'll take months to look just right again. Sigh.

Day 6: I Sneezed Today... Ow and Ew

I have been lucky enough not to sneeze, until today. It's painful and you get very concerned that it might harm your nose. Sneeze with your mouth open but of course, there is nose involvement. It ached for awhile after but I don't think there will be lasting damage!

After about a half hour I begin to have a smell... a gross sort of rotten smell. I couldn't place it until it reminded me of the Coroner's Office. I have been a volunteer/intern for our local office for 2 years. Great, the sneeze dislodged some tissue or blood that's been sitting around, and now I smell the morgue all the time. Thank God I'm used to that smell but I don't like that it's emanating from the inside of my nose! If you haven't been around the dead much it has this sickly-sweet, harsh smell. Ugh. I hope it goes away soon.

Sleep was hard last night. My nose feels best when I'm lying on my back but I'm typically a side sleeper and my back hates it. It must have taken at least 2 hours to fall asleep. Oh the sleeping problems.

Swelling and bruising is still decreasing! My nose still looks huge and a little lopsided. This is as big as my smile gets; the swelling keeps me from doing my full smile!