At some point I began feeling that my facial asymmetry was severe in photos. Looking back, it had probably been that way since middle school. I hated having photos taken, especially ID, passport, and graduation photos, which caused intense stress. Because the asymmetry was so obvious, I lost confidence and felt embarrassed.
When I was in university, someone told me, “Your midface is really long,” and it stayed with me as a hurtful comment. I had an open bite, and when I visited a dentist in my late twenties, they said it was a case requiring surgery. I was too afraid then to even consider it. I had orthodontic treatment hoping at least to align the open bite, occlusion, and dental midline, and lived that way. But my jaw itself remained unchanged, so I kept deliberating about surgery.
Later, as my child grew older and I had more time for myself, I began researching because I felt I should have surgery before it was too late. I consulted several hospitals, and the last one I visited was [Clinic A]. I liked that the surgeon operated only once a day and had extensive double-jaw experience. I had been afraid of something going wrong, so that mattered most. They also explained the CCTV recording policy without my asking, which increased my trust. I chose [Clinic A] without considering other places further.
I liked that they told me to think carefully before deciding. Other hospitals asked me to pay a deposit on the day of the consultation and then think about it, whereas [Clinic A] said to pay only after I had decided. I felt considerate treatment from a patient’s perspective. I was a little embarrassed to have surgery in my 40s, but they shared cases of patients in their 40s and 50s, which reassured me.
So on September 21, I had double-jaw surgery and two contouring procedures: square-jaw reduction and chin surgery! I went to the hospital excited while preparing the day before. After changing clothes and checking the wafer, I entered the operating room. After hearing, “We’ll put you under anesthesia,” I remember nothing. When I opened my eyes, I looked like the people in the reviews.
The first day was extremely difficult. I even wondered whether I had undergone surgery for no reason. haha I was sleepy, but felt unable to breathe, and had pain too difficult to describe… T_T I asked whether the patient-controlled analgesia was really working because I thought it was broken. haha The afternoon dragged on, and night came, but time barely passed and I was miserable. Then a nurse came and said, “It’s finally midnight. Hang on a little longer and it will be morning.” Those words gave me so much strength. I endured by thinking that I wished only my tailbone would disappear. (My tailbone really, really hurt…!)
The next day was slightly better. I still could not sleep properly that evening, but it was much better than the day of surgery. After discharge, I consumed only New Care at home. Taking pills with the wafer in place was agonizing, so I crushed them into tiny pieces with pill-cutting scissors and barely finished them in 30 minutes. I diligently used cold and warm compresses and went for regular walks.
After disinfection a week later, I bought soft tofu and pudding on the way home. I ate them as soon as I arrived and was unbelievably happy. T_T I had the stitches removed after two weeks. Reviews said it felt like being cut to pieces with a knife, so I was terrified, but it hurt much less than expected. I thought the surgeon must have sutured very well. Removal was quick and painless, and I again felt I had made the right choice.
The swelling visibly dropped rapidly after stitch removal. After about a month, most of the major swelling was gone, leaving only minor residual swelling.
Foods and tips Week 1: New Care; chocolate milk; coffee milk; protein shakes without toppings. Week 2: bite-size soft tofu; one-meal soft tofu; sweet pumpkin porridge; black-sesame and seoritae grain powder; cold-noodle broth; dongchimi broth. The cold-noodle and dongchimi broths are truly the best! Please try them. They were easy to consume even without an appetite. Dessert recommendation 🍫 Blend tofu, chocolate powder, peanut butter, hazelnut syrup, and a little popping candy, then eat it. It is heaven… T_T It tastes even better after chilling and aging in the refrigerator! Week 3: Home Run Ball snacks; Sattobap snacks; matcha latte; one-meal soft tofu; grain powder; protein shakes; bread dipped in soup. Week 4: overnight oats made with one Weet-Bix; cream risotto made with konjac rice; witch’s soup (I cut potatoes and carrots very small, cooked them until soft, then mashed them); acai berry with chia pudding, chocolate syrup, and peanut butter; cake; grain powder; tofu and soft tofu. Swelling-care products: Jogeumbutcha; New Bain; Danggui Susa; bromelain.
I also walk every day. Since the weather became cold, I have gone to the gym and walked on an incline. Recovery was not easy, but I can feel myself improving little by little as time passes. I hope the remaining swelling continues to resolve and that I achieve an even better result.