Hello everyone. I hope that you're all steering clear of all the nasty illnesses going around. Now that I'm out and about more, I wear masks into stores and pray that George isn't bringing anything exciting home. He recovered well from his bout with the flu and we're both amazed that he didn't catch Covid as so many of his friends had it within days of one another. I'm seeing more clients this week, some virtually and some in person. I've also asked all in person clients that we both be masked which everyone has been happy to do. I have felt some definite progress in how my mouth is feeling over the last week. The pain is largely gone and the swelling has gone down considerably. While my mouth still feels foreign, I would say that it is beginning to feel less so. What's interesting about that Is that it's giving me the mental space to really think about what I've just physically gone through, meaning the details of the surgery. It's pretty astounding. It seems that everyone else has known that but I've been too busy surviving it to really be able to consider it. It feels reflective of my progress that I'm starting to do so now. I'm seeing both a therapist and a mindfulness coach to help me process all of it in the most healing and productive way possible. 

I met with my speech therapist again last Friday. She and her student looked in my mouth and noted that, while it looks "less angry", I continue to lack full functionality. I appreciate how direct she is even though it can be hard to hear the truth. She stated that it is likely that I will never regain full functionality due to the amount of soft palate tissue that needed to be removed. She also noted that the slit remains open. Fortunately, I've had fewer episodes of full blown regurgitation out my nose. Unfortunately, I continue to notice nasal rattling and have difficulty swallowing when I experience nighttime congestion. This is one of the big reasons that I'm very wary of catching any bug that will cause major congestion. Eventually,I know I will cross that bridge. I would prefer that it happens when I am fully healed and my soft palate is as functional as it's going to get. I'm curious as to whether my surgeon will be closer to a decision about next steps regarding the slit when I see him on 12/22. When I saw him last in November, he stated he would wait for a full 12 weeks of healing before he makes a recommendation regarding how best to address it. Knowing that it is still open leads me to believe that I will likely require some sort of surgical intervention. My prayer is that, if that is the case, it will be a relatively simple one.

Thanks to George's quick recovery from the flu, he was eager for us to "have an adventure" and go cut down our own Christmas tree. As any parent of a teenager knows, unless you absolutely have to, you do not turn down a request to spend time together because you are rarely their first choice anymore. On 12/3, we trekked up to Jones Farm and found the perfect tree for us. We took turns cutting it down and dragged it on a tarp to the area where they wrap and tie it to the top of our car. George then found a small local family diner for us to have dinner. I wasn't sure what I would be able to eat but wanted this to be the full memory he was asking for. I was intrigued to find stuffed cabbage on the menu. My mother and her mother both made delicious stuffed cabbage so it felt like a loving nod from them. My hope was that the cabbage and ground meat would be just soft enough for me to manage once cut up into tiny pieces and they were. Just as important, it tasted just like Grandma's! Another long, slow meal which I savored and celebrated. George and I were both exhausted at the end of the day but so happy that we went ahead with our Christmas adventure. I'm still mostly eating pureed and liquid meals with some soft foods thrown in to give that slit every opportunity to heal. 

I hope that each person reading this gets to enjoy some holiday adventures of your own! Thank you so much for being on this journey with me. Much love, Susan