Thank you ALEVE!

Today I took two Aleve (as directed on the bottle) and have felt so much better. It was a much needed break from the constant low grade pain, and it seems to have lasted much longer also.

Feeling is coming back in my lower lip and chin more and more each day. My tongue is still irritatingly numb in spots. Swelling is coming down a bit more in my cheeks, or at least it feels that way. When I smile now it doesn't feel quite so tight, however, part of that may be because I have been doing lots of facial exercises. Scrunching, smiling, puckering my lips, pretty much anything that stretches my face and makes it feel more normal. I try and do it as much as I can throughout the day, and it does seem to be helping with my range of movement.

Sleep is getting better too. Last night I slept from about midnight til 10:00am. I woke up every few hours but not in pain, just to sorta reposition myself. I decided to just sleep on my regular pillow without elevating my head. That was a mistake! At about 6:00am I woke up. My left nostril was completely blocked and that side of my face felt totally puffy. I pressed on it to check and could hear the fluid squishing about underneath my skin. I decided to go back to sleep but elevate my head in hopes the fluid would clear out (which it eventually did.) It was a good indicator to me that clearly my swelling is still there, even if it is not as noticeable as others.