Wendell Therapy

I got up yesterday morning feeling pretty good. When I wake up my mouth is always soooo dry, I guess from sleeping all night with the hard plastic mouth piece. I would love to be able to sleep without it, but I am scared my mouth will completely close up and I won’t be able to get it in the next morning! That is my biggest problem right now, my mouth only opens about ½ inch.

Wendell did some internet research on lock jaw and has come up with his version of a therapy plan for me. I take out my mouth piece and rinse with salt water for about ten minutes. We put the heating pad on my jaws and he rubs my muscles, I insert tongue depressors, stacked on top of each other, in my mouth and pry them up and down to force my mouth open, a little at a time. We usually start with five and have been able, before finishing a session, to get as many as ten in. Then I put ice on my jaws for ten or fifteen minutes. This process can be painful and I must admit I whine a lot, wanting to stop long before Wendell thinks we should!!! It really does help me to be able to open my mouth a little bit wider, the only problem is, it closes back up within an hour or two.

Wendell decided to cook Easter dinner and have his Mom and Dad, Kim and Robbie, Kelvy and Megan, Stephanie and Michael, and Uncle Raymond over to eat. I have to admit it was kind of neat getting up to find him in the kitchen bustling around, preparing everything, instead of me. Wow, it really felt good to just have to worry about getting myself ready for church while he did everything I would normally do!!!!! He and Kiah had made two pies the night before, one coconut cream, which is my favorite, and one Lemon.

We did therapy and then prepared to go to church. I didn’t take my pain meds because I knew I would sleep during church. By the time we got to church I knew it was a bad idea. My jaw muscles were spasming, and we were only able to make it through the singing and then had to leave.
Once home and medicated I was able to enjoy our guests and I was able to enjoy eating more than I have since surgery. I was so excited!!!! I ate mashed potatoes, gravy off of a roast his Mom made, and cream style corn. It went down well and did not take me an hour to eat!!!!! My swallowing has improved!!!!! I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get hungry again so I could eat more!!!!! Karen sent another coconut cream pie I will start on today, and Steven made me a huge banana pudding which I had for breakfast today!!!! Boy, it was good!!!!

I feel as if I am on the mend. I feel as if I am on my way to what will be my new normal. Sometimes I begin to let my mind wonder, thinking about all that has changed for me. Thinking how abnormal I probably seem now. But I quickly push these thoughts out of my mind by thinking of all I do have. I am truly blessed beyond measure. I know the Lord has a purpose for this in my life and I am anxious to know His will for me in this.