Update on my Jaw Therapy

I interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for an update about my jaw therapy.  Exciting, yes?

• I’m still wearing my daily splint every waking moment.  If I have to brush my teeth, the upper one goes in first and then I remove the lower one, and vice versa when that procedure is complete.
• I’ve gotten better at talking around it, and most people don’t even notice that I have it in.

See? It doesn't look like I have a bag over my head, even though it feels that obvious to me.

• I’m still on a soft-food diet, which, as predicted has been the best diet plan known to man.  Yes, my husband has plans in the works to market this weight-loss idea to the doctor’s office.  We could make millions.
• I’ve had the appliance in since June 8th, and I have yet to not feel it.  I thought there’d be a moment when my brain would just gloss over its existence, but that has yet to happen.
• In 6 days, I will have had it in for 2 months.  I’ve stopped counting the hours and minutes.
• I don’t know how much longer I’ll have to have it in.
• Not knowing is threatening to drive me over the edge.
• Yes, this would be a short trip.
• Speaking of trips, while on the 3,221 mile / 2-week roadtrip, I felt something shift and some pain returned, this time in the right side, with some returning on the left.  I’ve gone in to see the specialist again, and they’ve given me some medicine to help reduce the swelling, stretches to do every morning, and a ice/heat routine to do at night.  I hope this works.  This is normal and not something over which to panic, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely disappointed in this new development.

So, that’s the latest on that.  Most days, I grin and bear it.  Literally.  Some days, I force back the tears and carry on anyway.  Honestly, this is the hardest thing I’ve had to endure, but I keep telling myself that the end result will be worth it.

That, and the hamburger I can eat when this is all done.