This is a great post.
Things really do look much worse than they are until the swelling goes down. I won't go into too much detail but I have known a few people who had extreme facial trauma. Much worse than what you are describing from your son. One was a bear attack, one was a chainsaw accident, one was a very beautiful young lady who was in a near fatal car accident. In the first two cases, the result after surgery is near miraculous.
Becky, I think you will relate most to the case of the young lady in particular. She was about 16-17 at the time. A girl so beautiful you couldn't help but smile just to look at her. Vibrant and cheerful, a treasure to her parents. She was nearly killed in a dreadful car accident. The injuries to her face in particular were quite extensive. I think for her parents, this was a nightmare very much like what you are experiencing today. I am happy to tell you that after a few surgeries, you would never believe that anything had happened to her at all. I can tell you this with certainty because she is a relative of mine. Imagine you run into a cousin at the grocery store. Someone you had not seen for a year or so. You ask, "so what have you been up to lately?", and she tells you this harrowing ordeal. You can't help but scan her face and neck and there is not a single blemish, not a trace of her terrible injuries. And despite the trauma, she is still as vibrant and cheerful as ever.
God bless you and your son, Becky.