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!