*January 8 - Consultation and surgery decision I arrived at 345 Hospital around 5:30, had X-rays and a CT scan taken, and had consultations with Manager Kim Areum and Director Park Jongrim. They explained everything one by one and consulted kindly. Because I felt reassured and could trust them, I decided on surgery right away, completed all the tests needed for anesthesia in advance, reserved the surgery date, paid the deposit, and went home!
*February 3 - Surgery day My surgery was scheduled for 1:00, so I arrived around 12:00, checked in, stored my belongings, changed into a gown in advance, waited, then filled out the surgical consent form and had a final consultation with Director Park. Since it was my first surgery, of course I was scared, but he reassured me until the end with kind words, telling me not to worry because when I woke up, the surgery would be finished well. I entered the operating room around 1:30 and went under sedation... When I woke up in a daze around 6:00, I was being moved to a wheelchair chair. After arriving in the hospital room, I lay down on the bed in a daze, and they put an oxygen mask on me to help clear the anesthetic gas. For about 2 hours, I repeatedly dozed off and woke up in a half-asleep state. Aside from phlegm forming in my nose and throat, the blood drains inside my mouth, and discomfort from dryness in my lips, mouth, and throat, I had no painful post-op pain! Around 7:30, I became a little more alert and pressed the call button on the wall. A nurse came, checked my condition, and also took my phone out of the cabinet for me. She told me I could drink water from 10:00, and to press the call button and call her, then left. Around 10:00, I called the nurse and said I wanted to drink water, and she brought water in a sauce bottle and told me to drink carefully because I could not open my mouth wide. She also brought me the bag from the cabinet and was really kind. Even late in the evening, she came to replace my IV and properly administered medications such as antibiotics.
*February 4 - Post-op Day 1 I slept well in the hospital room without discomfort. The next morning around 8:00, they came and checked whether my condition was okay. Since I would not be able to eat anything for 4 hours after removing the blood drains, they told me to drink soy milk then. I also gargled, had the drains removed, and they packed a post-op home kit with gargle, heat/cold packs, etc. They kindly explained post-op precautions until the end. I reserved next week’s hospital visit time and was discharged at 9:00. I stopped by the pharmacy to get my medications, stopped by Daiso on the way home to buy more sauce bottles, and came home slowly while walking. After coming home, I removed the bandage and also went for a walk in the evening. As Director Park said, the swelling got worse, but aside from slight discomfort at the surgical site, nothing hurt! Since my physical condition was okay, before bed I took a quick shower and washed my hair.
*February 5 - Post-op Day 2 Around 8:00 in the morning, I got a doctor call from Director Park. He asked how my body was, and when I told him my left cheek was more severely swollen than the right, he said swelling does not appear and subside equally on both sides, that it is something that happens to everyone, and that I did not need to worry too much.
*February 6-8 My face was still swollen, but nothing hurt, and the surgical area only felt slightly stiff and uncomfortable. I was also walking twice every day. As the days passed, I could see the swelling going down, and I felt sensation returning inside my mouth. For meals, I only drank things like soy milk and yogurt.
*February 9 - Week 1 Today was the day to check my progress 1 week after surgery. I arrived at 345 Hospital around 11:30 a.m. They looked inside my mouth and checked whether I was gargling well and whether the operated area was okay. They also explained how to use the compression band and provided facial cleansing and skin care. It must have been even busier because of the Lunar New Year holiday, but I was so grateful that they were kind.
*February 16 - Week 2 I arrived at 345 Hospital around 11:00 a.m., had photos and X-rays taken, then after they checked the condition inside my mouth, they removed the stitches. It only stung a little and did not hurt! They said the gums inside my mouth had not fully healed and were still open, so if food gets trapped between them, inflammation could occur, and asked me to manage it well. They told me to keep gargling gently while holding the gargle in my mouth like now, and when brushing, to be careful to brush only the tooth surfaces and not touch the gums. They told me to avoid salty, spicy, irritating foods and to mainly eat things I could swallow after chewing only slightly. They also told me to do warm compresses, practice opening my mouth, and keep using the compression band consistently. They said that if I feel pain that seems like inflammation may have developed, I should contact them right away and come in. After that, the director came and showed me the X-ray images, comparing the before- and after-surgery photos. Looking at the X-rays, I could see such a big difference that I went, “Oh~~”. Right now it is probably hidden because of swelling, but I am looking forward to how I will look after the swelling goes down! He also showed me photos of the cut bone and muscle, and kindly said that the swelling was going down well. After that, I received laser care and went home. Since the stitches were removed, the stuffy feeling has lessened a bit, but there is still swelling in my cheeks and inside my mouth, so I don’t think there has been a dramatic major change yet. Still, compared to the early days after surgery, I think a lot has gone down, so I am satisfied! If I endure and wait, I’ll be able to feel an even bigger change, right~?