If it looks unpleasant and uncomfortable, it's because it is.
You can't tell from this picture, but the areas above and below the staples are swollen out like balloons. I have no chin right now... just a bruise from the bottom of my beard to the staples, and then from the staples to the drain scar.
Oh and yeah, some of that yellow is the lighting... and some of it is the actual color my skin is right now.
Imagine someone taking a 2"x2 foot augur bit and running it down your throat a few times... That's about what it feels like.
The neck muscles that had to be stretched out of the way spent a couple days with no strength whatsoever... Which meant I could hold my head up about as well as an infant... but now they're healed enough that it just hurts like a sonofabitch.
The worst thing though is still not being able to clear my throat or cough properly... particularly given that because my throat and lungs are both irritated, that I'm overproducing mucous.
I am drinking HUGE quantities of water and fruit juice, and eating lots of soup, pudding, and ice cream.
I am eating some solid food now, and swallowing isn't too bad, it's just the throat abrasion and mucous that're giving me a problem.
My voice...
Well, let's just say, Wednesday I did pretty good renditions of "Everybody Knows" and "Romeo is Bleeding".
Let's hope next week I have a voice back.
The good news?
Both my parathyroids survived, and my calcium seems to be ok. Also, I'm not back on the diuretics yet, but my excess dependent fluid is already dropping dramatically. That's even though I'm eating and drinking TONS of salty soup, and tons of fluids.
So yay, that's a very good sign.
Overall... Man it's hard to describe how much major surgery takes it out of you... Tuesday, the day after the surgery, I felt like I'd been put in a sack and beaten with ball peen hammers for a few hours.
Today... I feel like the beating only lasted for an hour or so.
Here's hoping Monday sees me feel like it was only wiffle ball bats.