7-month review after jaw surgery, currently in post-orthodontic treatment

<Facial sagging and orthodontics causing hollow cheeks, a pinched mouth shape, and the upper jaw moving up making the philtrum look longer, the chin surgery making the lower teeth show more, with the lips pressed together><Scar tissue from the intraoral incision, asymmetry pulling on the swelling, getting caught on the braces and being bitten, causing pain> I had double jaw surgery and V-line surgery together at a late age (39). Maybe because I had the surgery at an older age, my recovery seems to be slow. I had a prognathic jaw and a Class III malocclusion. This was a surgery I had wanted for a long time, so before it got any later I got on the operating table. After coming out of the operating room, I was still under anesthesia and kept waking up in a daze. They told me not to sleep. It was painful. I was sleepy, but I had to stay awake for six hours, and even worse pain was waiting for me. Thirst so bad it felt like my throat was splitting open. The surgery ended at 1 o’clock, and they said I could drink water at 10 the next morning. It was really dark in front of me. The nurse gave me a whiteboard and said to press the bell if I needed anything. Inside my mouth felt like cracked earth after a long drought. There were blood clots, a urinary catheter, and a tube inserted into my nose, and inside my mouth swelling I had never experienced before was coming down. My nose was blocked and I had phlegm, but I couldn’t spit it out, swallow it, or blow it out. They would clear the phlegm from inside my nose and mouth, but only for a moment, and even that couldn’t be done too often. Then one hour, two hours, time kept moving slowly and slowly. After sitting for several hours, pain in my tailbone and butt joined in. Ah, I was already getting tired. Regret started to rush in. Even one drop of water felt like it would save my life, but morning still wouldn’t come. No, even evening wouldn’t come. Waiting for dawn felt like a huge luxury. I was exhausted physically and mentally. At 6 in the morning the nurse removed the catheter, and ah, that felt a little relieving. At 7:30 I saw the doctor and the blood clots were removed. At 8 I went to have photos taken. I just came down with my mouth closed because breathing was difficult. Sigh, they said I could drink water before 10. I was moved to tears. But when I actually tried to drink, I couldn’t swallow properly at all. It just ran right out. I pressed my lower lip gently with tissue and tried to drink carefully. I felt how precious water is. On the first day I almost stayed up all night, and on the second day I dozed off a little. If I slept for 10 or 15 minutes, I would wake up. It was hard to sleep sitting up, and for some reason I woke up feeling uneasy. Since everything was uncomfortable, I worried whether I had even slept at all, and when I faced my swollen face, I looked ugly. After two or three days I was discharged. I was happy to go home, but when I got back, I wanted to return to the hospital. From this point on, the swelling came in like crazy. Wow, who are you? Even my family felt awkward. Who are you? The swelling is a concern for a while. Since I couldn’t eat properly, I felt dizzy, and even eating was painful. The worst part was taking medicine, which came with nausea, and I looked like a wreck. I hated everything and felt bothered and irritated. My saliva kept dripping, and I became close friends with tissue. Without realizing it, it kept running out. On the dawn of day 5, I sat in the bathroom and cried. My husband was startled. And he comforted me. I felt very grateful. And sorry. After a hard week passed, I went to the hospital for a progress check and swelling care. I felt a little more alive, and I diligently gargled to soothe the discomfort of not being able to brush my teeth. Food got stuck in the wafers like crazy. I was very worried about cavities. They said I could brush my teeth. Using a baby toothbrush, I was grateful for such a small thing. In the second week, I went to get the stitches removed, and after the progress check they removed them. Wow, they said they would remove the 8 screws embedded in my upper and lower gums. Huh? Wow, tears just came pouring out. Because of the swelling, it wouldn’t open, and the surgical site was tight, wow, they lifted my lip and turned the screws loose the way we usually unscrew something with a screwdriver when changing a battery. It hurt. I almost cursed. After that, removing the stitches was only a bit stinging. One way or another, a month passed, the swelling went down little by little, I lost some weight too, and I got tired. I was hungry and started craving lots of foods. Especially meat, I really wanted meat. Two months, three months, the swelling kept going down, but the scar from the intraoral incision and the pain, the jaw joint sound when yawning (this is getting better little by little), the swelling in the philtrum, my lips still felt like the anesthesia injection hadn’t worn off, my gums also felt strange, as if they were still under anesthesia, I practiced chewing hard, but I still had no strength, I had to go out wearing a mask, I was still very unnatural-looking. I worked my mouth hard so it opened wider, but post-orthodontic treatment is no joke. My lips got chapped, the braces caught on the injured area, chewing felt unnatural, and because not all sensation in my mouth had recovered yet, food got stuck in the orthodontic appliance when I ate, which was completely filthy. I can’t eat outside. It gets stuck everywhere, and even if it gets stuck I can’t get it out the way I want. Brushing my teeth is even more of a pain. It feels like I spend all day brushing my teeth. I worry about cavities and hygiene. Even though it’s month 7, my lips still seem a little numb, orthodontic treatment has made my mouth shape more pinched, and my upper lip keeps getting sore from friction with the braces. The swelling has gone down some, but after the surgery the sagging becomes visible. Because I had it done at a late age and lost weight, my temples have hollowed out deeply, and after orthodontic treatment the area under my cheekbones has hollowed out so the cheekbones look more prominent, while the jaw skin has sagged and I ended up with a double chin. It did change my face, but I don’t feel a great sense of satisfaction. Because of the skeletal change, the facial flaws I never expected are showing more clearly. I wanted the double jaw and V-line surgery, but because of the sagging I feel like I’d need a lift to get the V-line back. As for the cheekbones and temples, I don’t know what to do. Sigh, the road is long. I still have orthodontic treatment left, and I don’t know whether the swelling will go down any more from here. Since the swelling goes down asymmetrically, my face is uneven, so my satisfaction is low. I keep focusing only on the flaws that show on my face, and even though I gradually become numb to it, and even though I keep telling myself time is the medicine and endure it, this is still a worrying surgery review. Double jaw surgery absolutely requires a long time and patience. Please research carefully, make a good decision, and only do it if you truly desperately want it, rather than for cosmetic reasons. It is a really hard time. Double jaw surgery alone does not make you pretty. I think other things also need to be supplemented for everything to be refined. Unexpected problems arise. Don’t decide based only on before-and-after photos.