they said it grows back, in a good way

Caveat: If squeamish, skip it.

The operation this morning was insane and the swelling of my entire face has become the swelling of the area that was actually sliced and diced. It's triple size, making talking or eating incredibly unappealing, and going out in public without a balaclava might cause people to stare. The distension is almost comical, even with constant ice.

Fuck.

I was calm when it was happening, as he told me where he was inside my face and what he was doing there. I felt things being cut out up to my nostrils, at one point poking through the membrane accidentally, then the thread pulling through. In between he talked about his last trip to Palm Springs with the nurses. On the way out the receptionist informed me the stitches were bleeding out and I was "going to make her throw up." I mopped the blood from my numb lips and chin and paid the bill, she handed me an ice pack and a couple painkillers. It was only ten minutes and I didn't want to catch a cab or call anyone so I walked, carefully spitting thick mouthfuls of blood into the river when it got so much it felt like drowning.

I went to the washroom in my building to collect myself after the walk, spitting blood into the sink and intermittently choking on distended little sobs I didn't expect and couldn't explain.

It was far from the worst morning of my life.