I was correcting my jaw joint asymmetry, but eventually had double jaw surgery

I was worried about asymmetry, so I decided to have double jaw surgery. I first became aware of it when I noticed the asymmetry in a back-view photo that was taken by chance in middle school. And in second year of middle school, I suffered from jaw joint problems because I couldn’t open my jaw (it still isn’t great now), and I think that was probably also a problem caused by skeletal asymmetry.. (just my personal theory) I had noticed the asymmetry back in middle school, but since I was still growing, I didn’t think it was severe enough to worry about, so I never even imagined double jaw surgery until adulthood. After becoming an adult, the asymmetry gradually started to bother me. I thought it was just a teeth problem and that orthodontic treatment would improve it, so I got braces at 20, but as expected, because it was a skeletal issue, there was no external improvement. I visited four double jaw surgery hospitals, and several of them suggested two solutions: either correct the asymmetry as much as possible with contouring surgery, or do combined jaw and contouring surgery. I didn’t want to end up regretting choosing contouring surgery alone and feeling unsatisfied, so I decided on combined jaw and contouring surgery (cheekbones, square jaw, and chin). (If the asymmetry is not severe, I think contouring surgery alone is not a bad option!) I’m a fairly cautious person, and Director Lee Seokjae at Wai Oral Surgery seemed cautious too, so the consultation went very smoothly. That similarity in mindset seems to have played a big part in my decision to choose the hospital. I also liked that they only schedule one surgery per day. Day 1 This was my first time under general anesthesia, and it was harder than I expected. I was so sleepy I felt like I was going crazy, and not being able to sleep for four hours was hard too, and my stomach felt nauseous? The pain was not as bad as I expected! It was so frustrating to write things out on a pad to communicate that I just mumbled when speaking, but even on the first day I could speak fairly decently. My butt is naturally flat, and sitting there continuously made it feel like it was splitting open. The hospital had a cushion, and after I started using it, I finally felt more tolerable. I also liked that there was a humidifier at the hospital. Day 2 Once the catheter and blood drain were removed, it was really comfortable. Those two sensations had been so unpleasant.. I also ate the NewCare they gave me at the hospital. I heard people who had double jaw surgery struggle with nasal congestion, but oddly enough, my nose cleared up starting on day 2. I didn’t have a nasal congestion problem. Day 3 After discharge, I had to eat three times a day, but taking the medicine made me feel nauseous and like I might vomit, so taking it was really!! hard. And because I couldn’t open my mouth, it was difficult to put a pill in and swallow while wearing the wafer, so I almost choked. The fact that I had to take medicine for several weeks was really stressful. Still, I never skipped a dose once because I was worried about inflammation haha Days 4 to 7 I got better at taking the medicine, so the choking episodes gradually became fewer. I found paper cups much more convenient than sauce containers. From then on, I abandoned the sauce containers and used paper cups for water, NewCare, and everything else. Whether it was because of the medicine or because my energy was running out, I had cold sweats every night and felt nauseous, so sleeping was hard. The tenderness also got really bad at night, making it difficult to fall asleep, so I don’t think I slept properly for a week. I reached the peak of swelling on day 5, and bruising around the eyes started to show. Day 8 (cheekbone stitches) I came back to the hospital to have the cheekbone stitches removed. I was scared it would hurt, but I didn’t feel a thing. Since I hadn’t been able to eat or sleep for a week, going back and forth to the hospital by bus was hard. Until the first week, I recommend being accompanied by a guardian or taking a taxi. Week 2 Starting from week 2, I was amazingly much more comfortable in many ways. I started sleeping again, and the tenderness gradually decreased. I felt physically and mentally better too, and my stamina started to come back. I absolutely cannot sleep sitting up in bed, so I bought a one-person recliner sofa this time and used it really, really well. For anyone who will be sleeping sitting up for a month, I strongly recommend buying a recliner. I also started hot compresses, and the effect was clearly visible, and since I had nothing else to do I kept doing them. I was a bit worried about my skin getting worse, but swelling was the bigger problem, so I just kept going. Week 3 I came back to have the intraoral stitches removed. A lot of people said the intraoral stitches really hurt, so I seriously considered taking Tylenol before going, but I didn’t take it and just went. The director said it might sting, and while removing the stitches, you may not believe this, but the intraoral stitches didn’t hurt at all either. It wasn’t completely sensation-free like the cheekbones, but there wasn’t even the slightest stinging. Maybe because I had no sensation in the palate (upper gums)? I thought that at first, but since the lower gums also had sensation and it still didn’t hurt, I just thought I was lucky. I was told I could eat porridge, so starting in week 3 I blended porridge in a mixer before eating it, and as expected, because the carbs actually went in properly, I started regaining strength from that point. One month The major swelling went down a lot. The early chin-like feeling disappeared completely. Maybe because I had stopped taking antibiotics, I got a ton of acne at one month, even though in week 2, when I couldn’t wash properly, I had fewer skin issues I’m not staying home because of swelling anymore, but because of acne.. I also noticed that the discomfort around my mouth improved over time. So I just let the intermittent pulling sensation in the sideburn area and the cheekbone pain pass, thinking it would be temporary. There are definitely parts that improve with time, and feeling that firsthand makes me feel calmer too. Not long after I was allowed to chew, I got so used to the double jaw that I absentmindedly chewed something too tough, and after that one side muscle felt somewhat uncomfortable for a long time As always, this will probably be solved by time, right? Everyone, do not. do that.. And maybe because my surgery was for asymmetry, the swelling is going down asymmetrically too, and it feels like the muscles are loosening asymmetrically as well. One side has loosened, but the other side still feels tightly held. Other than that being a bit annoying, one month in I’m feeling much better.