FSS Post-Op, Eight Weeks
Things came falling down last Saturday.
First, all bruising is now gone and while numbness continues on my forehead, head, jaw and chin, I can feel slow (ok, very slow) progress. Some feeling is returning, but I'm certain it could be a year before things return to normal.
On Saturday, I was playing tennis with a large group of friends as <deadname>. (I only play as Laura with the four people I've confided to, so this week Laura gets to play Wednesday and Friday. Yippee). During the third set, I was standing at the net while my partner (a woman) was serving. We were playing two men, both whom can hit the ball fairly hard. After she served, the player opposite me stepped in the the ball and hit it hard down the line. Unfortunately, he missed. The ball headed so quickly towards me that I couldn't get my racket in the way to deflect it. As a result, the ball hit me squarely on my nose, digging my glasses into my nose and opening a small cut. Worse, blood instantly began coming from my nostrils and my nose felt numb. I was certain it was broken.
I apologized to the group as I decided to leave for home immediately to begin icing my nose while I called Kaiser. With COVID, they don't just let you waltz into the ER without screening you, but after a bit, I got permission to go in. The ER doc took some pictures, sharing them with the Ear, Nose Throat doc who replied that the nose didn't seem distended and that I should continue icing and to contact my surgeon on Monday.
Not exactly calming or reassuring. My nose had bled for an hour and felt (and continues to feel) numb. I'm certain it's broken, but because it doesn't look deformed, I could only wait.
In an exchange of messages with my surgeon, I shared pictures of my nose and was told that I'm doing the right thing and that it's best to wait.
So easy for him to say.
I guess I should feel fortunate that it doesn't look broken at this point, but because I'm certain it's broken, I've returned to the pattern of sleeping on my back and taping my glasses to my nose.
This event scared me. Worse, I cried so much on the way home from tennis and on the couch as I iced it and talked to Kaiser. Think of all the time I waited for FFS and all the care I've taken in the past two months to make sure the surgery was successful. To imagine that some of that work was ruined, that my new nose could be disfigured, was depressing. It was a very hard weekend for me.
I'm fortunate that one of my female friends that I'm out to was also playing with us. We were part of group of 12 players that were rotating between sets. She texted me many times that morning asking about how I was doing and providing me support. Her daughter, who also knows about Laura, sent me her good wishes as well.
so, I'm still a bit scared about how my nose will heal, and fortunate to have many wonderful friends.
Laura
