almost normal

Fours weeks tomorrow. That's all it's been. And already I am starting to feel like me again.

On Thursday, Dr. Jacoby took off my nose splint and bandages.

He told me it'll take months for the swelling in my nose to subside, but that in time, it will. He is very pleased with how straight my nose is, as closed reduction surgery does not guarantee this. 

The bones in the nose are small, and when they break, it's like an egg shell. So what's really amazing is that after three to four weeks, the bones are pretty much set. It's only been a little over two weeks since my surgery, so the bones are not entirely solid yet, but well on their way.

I still have a lot of redness and my nose looks huge and the scarring from the stitches, while not horrible, is still visible. 

And my lips are taking forever to heal. I have a lot of scarring on top where the stitches were. It also feels really tight, and I still can't pucker my lips (you know, for all those sexy Tik Tok videos I like to make), nor can I yet drink from a straw. And inside my lip, where more stitches were, it feels like a big bump (that I hope will go down over the next few months).

But still, all that being true, I leave the doctor's office on Thursday feeling really good.

Finally, I can wash my hair without a towel over my face!

I realize this weekend that it's been four weeks since I've left my neighborhood. Friends have come over, and I've certainly left my house, but I've stuck close to home. No busses. No subways. No venturing out. No make-up. No meals out. No movies. No plays. Nothing.

And while I still have a long way to go, I've come far in just four weeks. And for that, I am deeply grateful

Here I am, cleaned up, as best they could, at the ER on December 19 (pre-stitches):

The next morning:

And today (with some make-up help to minimize the red above my lip and on my nose):

I meet Susan and Jill for brunch. They tell me that had they not known, they wouldn't have noticed I look any different.

But the best compliment? Even though an implicit one —

my iPhone Face ID finally recognizes me!

three weeks out

Today is three weeks since my accident. I've had a lot of time to reflect in that time.

About the accident itself...

I didn't exactly walk straight into the metal pole. I was walking fast, facing toward the street, and I turned to the right and my face smashed straight into a tall metal pole that was in the middle of the sidewalk, supporting one of those annoying sidewalk sheds. It consoles me somewhat to realize I didn't just walk straight into a pole.

On Thursday, December 29, I had the closed nasal reduction surgery.

The AJ on my head is for Adam Jacoby, my doctor.

I was so ready for the surgery. (By the way, in looking at this photo now, my nose does look very crooked. Funny how I didn't see it before).

When I woke up, My doctor said, "I was able to straighten your nose and septum, so you'll likely need no more surgery. And I took the stitches out of your lips, so they should start to heal."

But...

New stitches were added inside my nose, to hold in place the stents that were added for a week.

I was in and out of the hospital in less time than when I was in the ER. 

I left feeling great.

But by Saturday I was miserable. I slept all that day and the next.

It wasn't really painful (I didn't take the oxycodone that was prescribed...I am afraid of anything that starts with the letters OXY). 

It was just extremely uncomfortable.

In short, my entire face hurt. Not significantly, but enough to notice.

My lips were still a mess.

My nose had filled up with mucous and other really undesirable gunk, and I had to let it just sit there and accumulate, as I couldn't blow my nose.

The stitches were sharp and hurt (more like an annoying hurt, but a constant one).

My face swelled.

And even wearing glasses was painful so reading was tough.

I had an awful, unrelenting headache that wouldn't stop, as my head filled with stuff that shouldn't be there.

And, I couldn't wash my hair cause I can't get the splint on my nose wet.

I just slept for two days, wishing time to pass.

On January 5th, last Thursday, the stitches in my nose came out. 

Getting them out (and I don't think I'm exaggerating), hurt more than childbirth. But once they were out, life was good again.

The doctor changed the bandages and was very pleased with my fixed nose. "It's straight," he announced, which of course is good news. 

I looked at it and just saw a huge nose that I didn't have before. He had warned me that it sometimes can take months for the nose to lose all its swelling after surgery. But it only should take about three weeks for the bones to heal.

The splint stays on my nose for probably another two weeks.

My energy is back.

My lip is still swollen but getting better.

Eating and drinking is improving every day.

And I am hopeful that the worst is behind me.

This is certainly not one of my better pictures, but it is a healing one.