I had always been stressed out by my cheekbones, so while I was looking into options, I decided to get a contouring consultation~~ At the first plastic surgery clinic I visited, to be honest, my jaw had not really been much of a stress point for me, so I was torn about whether I even needed jaw surgery too. But the director said at first, considering the risks, I should just do the cheekbones. After that, I went around to several places and got different opinions, since it is plastic surgery~~ Some places said cheekbones only, some recommended contouring 3 procedures, some recommended contouring 3 procedures + liposuction, and some recommended cheekbones + liposuction...
As a consumer and as a patient, it was really a point that made me worry a lot. After my first consultation with the director at that first clinic, maybe because I did not know much, the consultation felt a bit empty. But overall I had a good impression of the director.. so I ended up booking a second consultation later.
As I kept going to plastic surgery consultations, concerns started to come up. The doctors generally said I did not have a small amount of cheek fat compared to my jawbone, and some even said I had quite a lot.. so sagging really worried me. And even if I had contouring 3 procedures, if the cheek fat covered it up, it would not show, or maybe the smaller bone would become even smaller and make the cheek fat sag... thoughts like that..
So for me, adding liposuction on top of 3 procedures felt way too big an operation! Even on that point, opinions were split between two options: do 3 procedures + liposuction together, or do the 3 procedures first and, if needed while watching the recovery, do liposuction then.... In the latter case, the view was that even if I did contouring 3 procedures + liposuction together, I might need it again later anyway, so instead of doing it twice, just watch the recovery and do it then.. I personally felt this side was less commercial, so I liked it.
Also, my jaw was not really a major source of stress, and when I looked at other people's CT scans, it did not seem like my square jaw was severe. So I decided there was no need to unnecessarily increase the risk and filtered out the clinics that recommended contouring 3 procedures.
And during the consultation with the coordinator, places that felt too commercially driven were also filtered out after the consultation.. Clinics that seemed to be trying to push one more surgery no matter what.... places that, after I just asked a light question, would somehow include it as if I had already decided to have surgery;;
Clinics where the doctor consultation was too short were filtered out too. During one consultation, I had brought notes of the questions I wanted to ask, and the doctor said, ah, I have another consultation so I do not have much time... and I was kind of stunned I was preparing questions because I was having major surgery and had all kinds of worries, but before I could even ask anything, they said that... so I could not ask everything! It somehow felt like the consultation came from someone who was half out the door~~?? And then the last thing the doctor said changed my mind: "For the details, talk to the coordinator~~" Huh??? Why talk to the coordinator about the details instead of the doctor???? A short, half-hearted consultation compared with the long wait... And the consultation after the doctor was just about the price, with the coordinator also seeming busy.. as if just talking about the price was their job.. Anyway, the clinic was split by floors and looked neat, there were a lot of people, and it seemed large... but I was not impressed It was the first time I saw a plastic surgery clinic where the radiology technologist and the radiation protective gown were separate when taking a CT scan.. usually there is no radiology technologist at a private clinic.. and the protective gown could only be worn here..
There was also a place where the doctor, during consultation, drew on my face with a pencil to show what kind of image it would create... but honestly, that made me trust it even less. Would it really turn out exactly like that?? That kind of doubt? Human faces are not flat, and they are not Lego either Of course, it sounded really nice, and if it really turned out that way, it would be a good thing. Also, I contacted them after seeing contouring 3 procedures on a review app, but they said that was a quick cheekbone procedure and that I could not do that, then quoted me twice the price.. huh they never said that before..
There was also a plastic surgery clinic where the consultation manager was the one I liked most. Really, after going around to plastic surgery clinics, this person felt like the most straightforward one.. I was almost tempted to book just because of the consultation manager, but I thought I should be careful again, so I held back and came home.. Here there were several coordinators, so each person gave a different evaluation~ Here the doctor finished the consultation too quickly too As expected, they looked busy... Here the coordinator said things similar to what members of this community would say. If you really want it, just do cheekbones + liposuction.. It seems like the jaw does not need to be touched.. It felt more like I might need more done instead??? The coordinator said they bear the risk, the cost, and the hardship, so if a part is okay, there is no need to touch it.. As for the chin in front, filler might be enough~~ something like that.. And the overall atmosphere seemed more conservative about plastic surgery, and they were kind, so I liked it.. If only I had liked the doctor too, I would have done it there!! The doctor seemed to be saying just cheekbones and front chin liposuction.. I liked that they were honest in saying that if the square jaw were touched, it would become a very square jaw.. The price there was also good to me.
So in the end, I ended up hesitating between the first clinic I went to and the clinic where I liked the consultation manager so much. The price at the latter seemed to be just a tiny bit cheaper.. After a long, detailed second consultation at the first clinic, I became somewhat decided.. I leaned toward the one where I liked the doctor more..
While going around for plastic surgery consultations, I mostly went to places where the consultation appointment could be scheduled sooner, whether they were expensive or cheap Price is also one of the factors that cannot be ignored.
My surgery was at 10 a.m., and they told me to come by 9:30, so I got there around 9:20. I really hate the nervous waiting~ waiting makes me even more tense... while waiting, I read a book I brought a novel
I packed a neck pillow, cushion, charger, pumpkin juice, Elast A, a tablet PC, and more... but the only thing I actually used was one cushion;; After surgery I was so, so out of it that I could not use anything, and only at night did I finally use the cushion!! Other than the charger, I did not use anything else
When I woke up from anesthesia, quite some time had passed.. I do not remember the exact time.. I was surprised at how long it had been? When I asked how long the surgery took, they said 7 hours... wow?? I was shocked.. I think it was because the names of the procedures were different..
Day 1 I was truly out of it. Everyone says that after surgery you are discharged the next morning, but I could not move because of nausea, the feeling that I might throw up, and dizziness.. When they did blood tests at the hospital, I had fainted once because of vasovagal syncope.. So maybe the doctor was cautious too, because they told me to rest comfortably^^;; my body is sensitive So while everyone else says they are discharged at 9 to 10 in the morning, I was discharged at 9 p.m.... The doctor kindly told me that if it was hard, I could stay one more day and be discharged the next day, but I felt bad for the on-call doctors for no reason.. And I wanted to be at a quiet home, so I left as early as I could..;;
Day 2 Wow, is this a human face? Or is it a toad that has taken human form? Drinking water was still difficult. I had to hold up my lower lip myself while drinking My lips would not move... When I drank water it would drip everywhere~ and saliva would drip everywhere too~ On Day 1, even drinking two soy milks all day was hard, but on Day 2 I was able to drink a bit more soy milk
Day 3 By this point, my appetite seemed to be slowly coming back. I worked hard to drink soy milk.. thinking I was hungry, I kept reaching for soy milk and drinking it. When I was discharged, they said I had to drink two soy milks per meal, and I was like, huh, why do I have to eat that much? but.. Since I was only drinking soy milk, my stomach felt queasy... and I had diarrhea Thinking that I would have to keep eating only soy milk for another 7 days started to feel horrifying. Of course, the face in the mirror was even more horrifying, to the point that I would startle at it At this point, looking in the mirror, I thought, what did you do this for, to enjoy what kind of luxury and glory, you crazy woman.. What on earth did I do this for... I kept thinking of all sorts of regrets, wondering if I had not said I would never let a knife touch the body my parents gave me.. My face was really so swollen that I could have appeared in an action movie as a monster..
Day 4 When I wake up in the morning, there is a mirror directly in front of me, and I cannot get used to it I had swollen more, and tears started coming, and I began to feel so sad.. My appetite came back, and I wanted something other than soy milk, but I was still scared so I only kept eating soy milk... I lost 1 kg.. The gloom deepens On Day 5, I have to take my mother to the university hospital for an outpatient checkup... I started worrying in advance and felt so sorry that I burst into tears...
Day 5 Thinking maybe it will go down a bit today, I opened my eyes in the morning. The feeling when I opened my eyes definitely seemed like it had gone down. As soon as I got up, I looked in the mirror, but it absolutely had not gone down at all I was truly extremely depressed, but today I will be walking a lot, so I forcefully planted a positive mindset that it will go down..
Day 6 It feels like it has gone down just a tiny bit compared to yesterday. The swelling inside my mouth seems to go down first.. My lips are still like pollock roe... But strangely, even though the swelling around the lips seems to have gone down a bit, the swelling seems to move upward... Cheeks -> cheekbones -> under the eyes -> beside the eyes -> temples... that is how it swells.... How am I supposed to post a review with this appearance??? I had all kinds of thoughts And on this day I came to the clinic to have the stitches removed.. and got swelling laser treatment... When I told the director various things, they said that as time passes it will be fine, so do not doubt and do not worry..;;; It is not doubt, it is worry.. anyway.... my worry level and my tendency to fuss are high so I will just accept it as it is...
Day 7 Rather than feeling like the swelling is going down, it feels like the swelling is moving upward? Of course, that does not mean the lower part feels like it is going down while it moves upward so today I am depressed and upset too.. I have one more visit tomorrow, and I have so many questions
The photos above are the Week 1 photos, and the two below are the pre-surgery photos