Day 56: 8 weeks out!

Has it really been 2 months since my surgery?!?  In some ways it feels like it was awhile ago and shouldn't I be all better by now? and in other ways it feels like it was just a few days ago! So here is the run down in Things That are Different today than 2 months and 1 day ago:

• My Bite:  Good news is that when I press my teeth together they impact on both sides of my mouth in multiple locations AT THE SAME TIME!  Prior to surgery, I had exactly 3 teeth that contacted on my right side and that was it.  It still feels a little right side dominant and my front teeth still have an overbite, but that is why I will still be in orthodontics for another 6 months to make it all perfect! :)
• Sensation: Majority of the sensation around my nose and upper lip has returned, weirdly my upper gums are still numb, but that really has no impact on my life!  The sensation in lower right lip and chin has begun to return, but the lower left side of my lip and my chin are still numb. It feels like its cold all the time and when I speak for more than a minute I get a phantom drooling feeling along that left lower side. It makes me feel very self conscious and I am constantly wiping along my left chin just in case! The inside of my cheeks are still a little numb superficially, which means I still have a tendency to bite them since I can't feel them initially (until I bite and then I feel it!)
• Pain: The crazy muscles spasms have decreased to sudden 5/10 pain along the left masseter only, but only last about 10secs. The spasms also only happen when I've been talking for awhile or at the end of my day, so they are more of a nuisance now instead of an inconvenience that stops me in my tracks.  I also would describe my normal day to have an achy pain of 3/10 all the way along my mandible. I am still taking some Aleve about every other day and I catch myself massaging it unconsciously when I have a spare moment, but it does not stop me from moving along with my day. 
• Hygiene: I am brushing my teeth like a pro again! Flossing is still challenging since I can't quite open my mouth wide enough (see below), which makes it particularly hard with the threader floss needed to go around my braces.  It probably takes me 20 mins and some pain medication to do a full flossing job!
• Movement:  This is my real current frustration. I am not making the anticipated progress as I (and Dr. M) would expect by 8 weeks.  My vertical opening is only 23mm which is not the "2 fingers width" Dr M wanted me to have at this point. I am not limited by pain, but by muscle tightness. I cannot physically seem to stretch my mouth open any further.  I have another 2 weeks until I see Dr M again to continue working on my own, but I am thinking I may really need to go see a Physical Therapist who specializes in the TMJ to help me out.
• Diet: Improved! Just this weekend I ate some Mac & Cheese my sister made for me and then my husband made me pancakes! So I am officially onto Soft diet foods! I can't express to you how frustrating a liquid diet has been, but I can tell you a good blender is truly priceless. Anyways my diet is still restricted by a couple things 
• 1. Vertical opening: I still have to take small bites from the end of spoon. Yesterday I thought I would try to bite through a banana (just to see) and I couldn't open my mouth wide enough to even pretend to take a bite. 
• 2. Tooth sensitivity: Probably from the orthodontic work, some teeth get really sensitive to pressure and cannot tolerate the amount of pressure from a not quite soggy Cheerio = pain.  
• 3. Strength: My jaw muscles are still too weak to apply enough pressure to bite through a cheese stick! (not that it keeps me from trying daily ;)
• Exercise: Improving!  I am not where I was pre-op,but strength gains take awhile so that will come back with time. Running is still a little tough to tolerate as it just feels so jarring in my cheeks, so I tried swimming this weekend. Swimming didn't bother my face at all! But I am still aerobically deconditioned regardless of the activity, which also will just take a little more time.
• Aesthetics: Pics below. I am still worried that the left-side looks so...uneven, and my smile looks funny to me, but I will give it another 4 weeks before I get really vain about it.  I do still continue to wake up in the morning feel more swollen than I did when I went to bed, so that must be a sign that there is still some lymphedema that has not resolved yet.

How's that for a nice long update? :)