My lower jaw started developing from elementary school I also had orthodontic treatment in middle school, but there was a limit to what orthodontics could do... I was always self-conscious whenever someone looked at my side profile, and I was even teased that it looked like a flat, pressed plate. I had always thought about surgery, but because of the cost and because it is a major surgery, I think I only thought about it vaguely. Then I turned 31 and took a short break from work, and I felt like if I did not do it this time, I would not be able to, so I made up my mind and started looking into hospitals! I looked around here and there and watched YouTube, and an oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic caught my eye. I booked a consultation date, and on that day I paid the deposit and scheduled the surgery date haha
The director had a long career, so I thought he must have seen many cases, and somehow I trusted him.. In the actual consultation, I don't think I asked that many questions. I also liked the fact that they operate on only one person per day the most! Ah! The diagnosis was double jaw surgery and 2 types of facial contouring (square jaw + chin)!!
<Before surgery> First, I ate every~~~thing I wanted to eat! I thought I wouldn't be able to eat what I wanted for more than a month... And I prepared supplies based on what the hospital told me and by watching YouTube! I packed things like sauce bottles, a donut cushion, extra underwear, boxed tissues, wet wipes, a power strip, charger, cotton swabs, lip balm, a tabletop mirror, and so on. The hospital provided a humidifier, slippers, neck pillow, cushion, and paper cups~! For home, I think the things I needed were a baby toothbrush, baby-food spoon, pumpkin juice, New Care, a backrest cushion, and swelling-reducing medicine.
<Day of surgery> I arrived around 9:40 in the morning, changed into patient clothes, organized my things a bit, met the director, and started getting ready for surgery! I'm originally not very afraid of surgery or pain, so I think I was calm even on the day itself. Of course, I think I felt that way even more because I trusted that the director would do a good job haha I went into surgery around 10, and it ended around 14:00. I came out, and I think the first day passed in a blur. Because I had an oxygen tube on, breathing was not difficult, and the discomfort was greater than the pain You really, really, really need to bring a donut cushion. I kept having a slight fever, and my butt was so uncomfortable and sore from pressure that I couldn't sleep well until the second day.. I had a fever and felt cold, but even the ice packs were painful.. As soon as I was allowed to drink water, I tried to drink it as often as possible, and I just focused on breathing hard. Because it was the first day, they measured my blood pressure and oxygen saturation often, and they gave antibiotics and painkillers by injection. Every time the medicine went in, I felt like I was going to throw up, so it was really hard, but the nurse kindly kept checking on me, which helped me rely on her a lot Thank you.
<Day 2> In the morning, they removed the urinary catheter and nasal tube, and I was so happy!! It felt refreshing, and my butt hurt so much, but the joy of being able to walk around little by little from then on.. I got a swelling laser treatment, and the director removed the blood drains. It didn't hurt at all, and it became easier to move around, so I walked around a little and drank a whole pack of New Care haha I also drank water frequently. (If you make the rim of a paper cup pointed and lean against a backrest while drinking, you can drink comfortably without spilling.) But after the nasal tube was removed, my nose got blocked and it was hard to breathe, so I struggled.. Saliva and runny nose also flowed all the time. Until day 2, breathing was uncomfortable, I couldn't sleep for more than 1 hour, and my body was exhausted, so time really felt like it wasn't passing and it was hard. But everyone, from day 4 it becomes livable, so I hope those who had surgery can hang in there.
<Day 3 - discharge> Around 8, they put the last medication through the IV and I got a swelling laser treatment. (The injections made me feel nauseated like I was going to throw up no matter when I got them, but thinking it was the last one felt so good.) I saw the director, was discharged, received prescription medicine, and came home. Actually, I had felt stifled in the hospital and my condition was okay, so I took a short walk in the park before coming home! Now I had to take medicine too, so I made sure to have New Care and pumpkin juice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My mouth opened better than I expected and I felt fairly okay, so I thought, let's try eating porridge starting tomorrow! haha I diligently wore the facial compression band and did ice packs frequently, and the swelling was similar to the day before. My nose was still blocked, and because I had to sleep sitting up, sleeping was still uncomfortable. Even if I slept long, it was only 1-2 hours, so it was hard, but I endured it thinking next week would be a bit better.
<Day 4> The swelling was similar, and runny nose and saliva became my companions. Whenever I fell asleep, they would stream down.. For the fight against swelling, I made sure to take the swelling medicine I bought at the pharmacy every morning. I think it has an effect! For lunch, I ordered porridge from Bonjuk at the thin rice-gruel level and ate it, and it went down well with a baby-food spoon haha After eating enough, I started showering with warm water. In the evening, I tried to make sure to take a walk every day. For recovery, I tried to eat properly, so whenever I felt hungry in between, I made sure to drink one pack of New Care and also drank water often.
<Day 5> I didn't have bruising except for about a fingernail-sized bruise under my chin~! I really, really felt that time was not passing Sleeping was still uncomfortable, and I think I only kept wondering when it would get better. That day, I made dumpling soup with soft dumplings and ate it, and it was so delicious... That stimulating flavor... the best. I walked diligently, looked for things I could eat, and spent a similar day! My nose was still blocked and runny, especially when walking, it kept flowing, so I always carried tissues. When I searched, it said it can continue until about 2 weeks, so I just waited for time to pass. There were times when my toothache was bad too, so when the prescription medicine wore off, I took Tylenol separately!
<Day 6> I could see the swelling gradually going down~! I also made sure to do warm compresses 1-2 times a day. I heard the facial compression band could actually interfere with swelling going down, so after day 5 I did it like 1 hour on and 1 hour off. Actually, before removing the stitches, stimulating foods are not good.. but I ate ramyeon. I cut it with scissors and scooped it with a spoon, and it went down easily. It was spicy, but so delicious.. In the evening, I went out for a walk, watched the swelling go down, and repeated that kind of daily routine!
<Day 7 - hospital visit> It was the day I went to the hospital to see the director. While checking my progress, he was surprised and said almost no one comes wearing makeup lol I felt somewhat okay, so I went with makeup on.. haha He checked my progress, disinfected the stitch areas, and I received a swelling laser treatment before coming back. From then on, aside from toothache and a runny nose, I had no pain! So from then on, I cautiously started practicing facial expressions. Maybe because things had not settled into place yet, it felt very awkward.. There was also a pulling feeling inside my mouth, so I think I practiced even harder. Let's all hang in there just a little more!
<Week 2> I visited the hospital and had the stitches removed! Everyone said it hurt, so I went feeling a little scared, but huh? Only the front tooth area hurt a little, and honestly it didn't hurt at all.. After they removed them, I got a swelling laser treatment and came home. The swelling goes down in a way that feels different day by day. But it doesn't go down from the areas I want first, and some areas go down very slowly, so I hope you don't get too stressed haha Just keep your mind at ease and wait for time to pass... For reducing swelling, warm compresses, walks, pumpkin juice, and pharmacy swelling-reducing medicine helped me a lot!