1 year after surgery: a 12-month review of how maxillofacial surgery has truly become part of my daily life

Hello. It has now been 12 months since I had maxillofacial surgery with Dr. Shin at Lee Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Time has really passed quickly, and writing a 1-year review like this feels very meaningful. The reason I first decided on surgery was that my malocclusion made it difficult to bite through food properly, and my speech was also unclear, which caused a lot of inconvenience in daily life. In the early stage after surgery, there were hard times because of swelling, pain, and dietary restrictions, but looking back now, I think having gone through that period is what makes the current comfort feel even greater. At 12 months now, I have no particular side effects or pain at all. My braces were removed at 9 months, and I am only wearing a retainer now, which I have also gotten very used to, so I hardly feel any discomfort. My pronunciation has become much more natural, and the things I used to worry about have reached the point where I do not think about them at all anymore. I can eat comfortably without restrictions, and overall I feel I am living a life that is clearly different from before surgery. The visual changes are of course satisfying, but above all, the improvement in function seems to be the biggest advantage. Eating, speaking, and even breathing have all become natural, and my quality of life has improved a great deal. There were times during recovery when I felt a bit of pain or worry, but each time Dr. Shin checked my condition carefully and explained everything in detail, which allowed me to recover with peace of mind until the end. Looking back one year later, I think choosing to have the surgery with Dr. Shin at Lee Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery was truly a very good decision. I hope my experience can be of some help to people who are considering maxillofacial surgery, and if you are someone who is struggling with malocclusion or speech issues like I was, I recommend starting with a professional consultation. That is the end of my maxillofacial surgery story, and from here on I plan to take good care of my retainer so I can keep this comfort for a long time.