Milestone: Two Weeks Post Op

Two weeks post op falling on Valentine's Day. Just perfect. I'm so happy that the surgery and the hospital stay are over. Breathing remained difficult for at least a week, though I've learned some remedies to nasal congestions first-hand. My face continues to deflate, which is a very good thing, as Valentine's Day provides ample opportunities for photographs, and certainly no one wants to look like a chipmunk in those. :P

Can't believe I'm showing you all the photo on the left, taken the day after my surgery, almost two weeks ago. OK, laugh all you want. :D This was my swelling at its absolute worst. I looked like Miss Chipmunk-Piggy (hyphenated last names are so cool). No make-up (of course!), no jewelry - nothing but a big 'ol pumpkin head/chipmunk face. Everything felt painfully swollen and stretched to the max starting from right below my eyes. Dr. Li laughed when he saw me, as did Doug and Isabelle. Hmmmmmmmm.... I WONDER WHY. Note to self: do NOT run this photo when I campaign for public office. ;)

Today, thankfully, I look somewhat normal again, as seen in the photo on the right, from yesterday. I've definitely come a LONG way. Still noticeable swelling in my face - however, the rest of me has definitely deflated - as in, I've lost 15 lbs since the operation. My clothes fit better now, and they hang loose. Don't worry, my BMI is a healthy 21.1, right where it should be.

Happy Valentine's Day!

No Pain, No Gain

The day came and went without much ado. Highlight: NO pain killer taken yet today, not even a single drop. I feel very happy about that. For the past week or so, I've been taking liquid Tylenol at least twice a day - once during, and once before bed. If I don't feel miserable before bedtime tonight, I'd consider that a milestone. I look surprisingly "normal" in the photo to the right, taken 5 minutes ago, even though my cheeks are still very much swollen. The photo's a bit over-exposed so you probably can't tell. Was going to dash out to Safeway to pick up some catfood, so I put on blush to look somewhat presentable and not scare any innocent fellow shoppers. But, I feel exhausted, so the trip will have to wait till tomorrow. It felt odd to put on makeup, however minimal, since I hadn't done that in two weeks. When the brush skimmed over my still swollen cheeks, it tickled a little bit. What an odd feeling!

My roommate just came home and told me we have a whole container of catfood in the pantry, so we didn't run out. Yay!

Oh, now the "no gain" part - I've lost 15 lbs since the surgery on January 31st. It's not as bad as it sounds. Because.... well, I knew I'd lose some weight so I pigged out for two months prior to surgery, and gained 10 lbs. So by now I've given all those back, and then some. :) I'm not wasting away, folks (fat chance!). At 5'7" and 135 lbs, I'm practically the poster child for good health.