Today's photo for comparison

Here is a lovely photo of me taken today to show you how much my face has healed in less than two weeks. How do you like that bruise on my chest? It's actually just brusing that's moved down there as my body gets rid of the mess from my face. Much swelling has gone down, but much still remains in my cheeks, chin, nose and lips. Sensation is starting to come back, but I am predictably numb from my eyes to my jaw line to some degree (variable levels around my face) as bruised facial nerves heal. Dr. Wolford took out the last facial stitches yesterday, and I can barely see marks from any of them. The bulk of the surgery was done from inside my mouth. He took off my nose splint, manipulated my nose to correct slight asymmetry and taped up my face for further healing. So, now I have to be EXTRA careful not to bump my nose or I might end up looking like a hockey player! I still can't put my face in the shower. I will have to keep in the mouth splint for another month or so. I'm earnestly trying to gain my weight back. My mom has prepared lots of ground up food choices, changing the textures as I'm able. Today I even pretended to chew some of the smashed up baked potato with ground steak, broccoli and cheese for supper tonight. It tasted very good, and the visual appeal is better than the baby-food smooth consistency. Maybe soon I'll be able to smile in a picture!