Coming Along

OK, at this point I think I'm going to survive; my eyes are much less swollen and I can see the TV. Can't read yet, but I can knit by feel, so I don't feel completely useless. I'm using cold packs only a couple times a day instead of constantly, and I'm thinking tomorrow I may even cook something (hubby's had kitchen duty since this started, and a darn good job he's done, too.)

Still sleeping sitting up, still wishing I could lay on my side, but I guess that will come with time. Really starting to crave normal food; enough with the soup and pasta already! But opening my mouth far enough to put in a big bite of anything isn't happening yet; too tight, too stiff, too sore. And chewing hurts a little. Starting to dream about a big bowl of cereal, maybe granola. And cookies with nuts in them. And maybe caramels.

There must be a dozen tiny little stitches in my eyelids, and they itch like crazy. When they're not itching, they're poking me, which is most uncomfortable. The bruises on my neck have gone green, as have the bruises under my eyes. More than anything, my eyes look like really bad Mardi Gras make-up, something from an 80s disco theme party (don't laugh; I remember my mother had green mascara she wore with green eye shadow.)

I found a tiny bottle of topical analgesic that came with an eyebrow waxing kit. It has benzocaine in it, and I'm tempted to use it on the parts of my face that hurt. I mean, if you can put it on skin that's just had hairs ripped out by the roots with hot wax, it's probably OK to use on tender spots. I remember it being very mild and soothing when I used it in the past, but I haven't gotten up the nerve to try it yet; what if it burns? Or hurts more? Maybe I'll wait a little longer.....

The feeling in my left ear has returned, and it's not too bad. That plastic feeling is gone, but the ear doesn't hurt as much as I had expected. The right ear is coming back in stages; there's sensation at the top of the ear, but it's pretty much styrofoam from the midpoint down. I imagine that will fade over the next few days.

So now it's a waiting game; waiting for the stitches to come out (4 more days!), waiting for the bruising to fade, waiting for the swelling to come down so I can see what I really look like. Right now it's anybody's guess.

Just don't call me Joan.