I had double jaw surgery a few months ago and honestly, the first week was rougher than I expected. Ice packs were my best friend, but I got so tired of smoothies after day 3. Sleeping propped up felt weird but made such a difference with swelling. Anyone else struggle with the boredom and weird numbness? Curious if anyone found ways to make eating less miserable or just pass the time when you can’t talk much.
Yeah, the numbness drove me nuts for weeks. I’d poke my chin just to see if it was still there—so weird. I totally get what you mean about smoothie fatigue too. I started adding instant mashed potatoes (super runny) and watered-down soups just to mix it up. Audiobooks were a lifesaver when talking felt like too much effort. The boredom is real, but it does get better... eventually.
The numbness thing is so odd, right? Mine lasted almost two months and honestly, I started to worry it’d never go away. For food, I got desperate enough to try pureed scrambled eggs—sounds gross but it helped break up the monotony. I found switching up the flavor (even just adding a bit of hot sauce to broth) made a difference. Podcasts worked better for me than audiobooks since I could zone in and out. It’s such a weird recovery... slow but you do get there.
That numbness freaked me out too. I kept poking my chin to see if it was getting better, which probably wasn’t helping anything. Mine dragged on for weeks and honestly, I started googling “permanent nerve damage” way too much. It did eventually fade, but yeah, the waiting is just… weird.
Food was a whole saga for me. I tried blending up mac and cheese at one point—wouldn’t recommend unless you’re desperate, but hey, it’s calories. I got so tired of sweet stuff (why is everything a smoothie?) that I’d have killed for something spicy. Hot sauce in broth is genius—wish I’d thought of that.
Podcasts over audiobooks makes sense, now that you mention it. I had trouble focusing on stories but could handle random conversations or comedy shows. Recovery felt endless some days but looking back, those tiny wins (like moving my jaw a bit more) actually kept me going.
Man, reading about the blended mac and cheese just brought back some memories I tried to block out... I remember attempting to blend chili once because I was desperate for something savory. Not my finest moment, but hey, at least it wasn’t another banana protein shake. For anyone still in the thick of it, salty broths and adding a splash of soy sauce or sriracha made things way more tolerable for me.
The numbness thing is wild, right? I kept doing that gentle tapping thing on my lower lip just to check if sensation was coming back. The waiting game messes with your head—Google is definitely not your friend during those weeks. Eventually, mine faded too, but it took longer than I wanted.
Podcasts saved me from losing my mind. Couldn’t focus on books at all, but listening to people chat about random stuff weirdly made me feel less isolated. Small wins like yawning without pain or finally getting a straw past my teeth felt like major victories. It’s a weird journey for sure.
