I slept most of the day, and when I woke up, my mouth and jaw was feeling good. So, I started chewing and eating. Had a some Swedish meatballs, and a sandwich, and some deep fried mozzarella sticks, and some chocolate truffles, and a few other snacks … throughout the course of the remainder of my afternoon and all evening. Now my mouth and jaw hurt again, but it was totally worth it. I got to eat some real food requiring mastication. Yeah!

The spot that used to be home to a cranky wisdom tooth is healing quite well. The gum is already starting to pull together, and it really doesn’t hurt at all anymore. My poor abused held-too-far-open-for-too-long jaw hinge? Not so wonderful. The muscles are really, really angry. Makes chewing and eating annoying, but it’s getting better too. In a couple more days I will be able to gnaw on whatever I want to gnaw on without experiencing any post-gnawing repercussions.

I’m just glad I got to eat something substantial today. My tummy is very happy. It finally feels full.

You know, people think because I am so skinny, I don’t eat much. Even people who have been around me when I am eating often fall prey to the illusion that I am a light eater. Nothing could be further from the truth. I eat as much as anyone. Sometime, I probably eat a lot more than other people. I just don’t eat much all at once. To go from eating one large meal a day (dinner) and many small meals throughout the day to not being able to chew anything and having to eat soft foods only, without having mentally prepared for it in advance, is a freaking nightmare for me. I have to have my crackers and cheese (or peanut butter), butter bread with smoked sausage slices, poached egg on toast, and fresh veggie sticks, or I am just not a happy camper. Yogurt, flan, smoothies, and ice cream are not adequate substitutes, no matter how closely the calorie count matches. And not nibbling while making dinner (for Lin only the last few days) sucks more than I can even express.

So yes, I am an eater. I enjoy eating. I am excessively bothered by limited food choices and lack of variety in flavor and texture. I like food. A lot. If I could gain weight, I’d weigh a thousand pounds.

But I got to eat today, and it was wonderful. I imagine tomorrow I will eat again, whether or not it ends in some jaw pain. Mmm … food.