Here I am, post-op; and still feeling a bit groggy. Sedation takes some time to fully wear off.

The surgeon\’s assistant got me settled in. The overhead \”surgical floodlight\” was still off, and it made a good reflector. I saw three syringes being emptied into my arm. The next thing I remember, the oral surgeon was finishing things up!

Back home, I downed a  recovery drink; I made two last night, using almond milk and chocolate whey protein powder. I took a tablet of my pain medication; went back to bed; and slept a few hours.

When I got up again, I started in on some \”comfort foods\”:  a butterscotch snack pudding; some Talenti Gelato Layers®; and a cup of chicken bouillon. And a small Diet Coke, naturally.

Incredibly, I had forgotten to ask the oral surgeon THE big question: when may I ride again? Is tomorrow morning too soon? I had to call the office to find out. They say that, if I do ride, take it easy for a few days. Don\’t go out there and sweat up a storm by riding hard.

In this heat and humidity, I\’ll sweat no matter how easily I ride. If it\’s raining tomorrow morning, I\’d better use the trainer. Being post-op requires a few adjustments.

One of them is how I eat. Now, about six hours post-op, my tongue and lower lip still feel somewhat numb. I\’m sure that explains the dictum that I follow a liquid diet for 24 hours after surgery. Besides that, the surgical site itself doesn\’t need to be aggravated by chewing. It would be MEGA-ouch if I tried to eat cashews now!