Why I decided to do surgery
I found out that my jaw was more developed than others in
middle school. I kept hearing nicknames such as gorilla. My insecurity was
severe so I tried to fix it with orthodontic treatment, but was told that
because my teeth were turned inwards, my jaw wound protrude further if I do
orthodontic treatment. I gave up on braces and made it to adulthood :( and as
an adult I lost weight and began using makeup so unless I mentioned it first
the people around me told me they didn’t notice so I just dealt with it.
Personally I hated the lantern jaw feeling so I kept my mouth closed tightly
which created wrinkles on my chin. When I had my photos taken I hated it when
others took them of me and if they did take photos of me and I saw it I would
become depressed (especially if it’s of my side view) and my self-confidence
became so low. Photoshop was a must :( I decided not to delay it any further
because it’s better to done at a younger age so I picked a few hospitals and
went for consultations!!
Why I chose
EU Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Because I’m from daegu and due to the covid situation, EU
wanted to delay the consultation as much as possible... :( For those who
already did surgery, EU seems to be the best! But it was sad for me,,, LOL so I
went to other clinics and was so sick of consulting so I put in a reservation
at a different clinic but it was kind of iffy and when browsing the reviews on
apps there was one person whose review was completely what I was looking for so
I sent them a message and they told me they did it at EU so I asked a few
things and decided I should do it at EU, booked and went to the consultation.
People say that when they go for consultations there’s one clinic that makes
you think “this is the one!” and for me it was EU. My personality is such that
does not have a lot of questions but as long as something is trustworthy I tend
to just leave everything to the trustworthy entity but EU definitely made me
feel that I could do that! The consultant was also so kind hehe so I decided to
do surgery at EU and I cancelled the reservation at the other clinic!
Day of the
surgery
I had such difficulty breathing. I had no pain but breathing
was so hard I feel like I annoyed the nurses :( … I’d brought a mini humidifier
just in case and that was a game changer. I don’t even want to imagine what hospitalization
would have been like without a humidifier…
Post-op day
1
In the morning they removed the nasal tube and the catheter
and I did laser deswelling treatment and met with the doctor for nasal suction
and surgery site disinfection. I also had some blood drains put in so they also
removed that! The feeling after the nasal suction was so refreshing but short
lived and the war with difficulty breathing began,, although I developed a
technique from yesterday so it was okay and because I couldn’t sleep at all
yesterday I made up for it today!!
I’m relieved because I didn’t have any nausea. Dr. Shin
visited me in the evening and told me that he would not be here tomorrow so Dr.
Kim will help me tomorrow and checked my swelling before he left :( Thank you
Post-op day
2 (discharge)
Today Dr. Kim checked how I was able to bite the wafer and
disinfected my mouth! I took some x-rays and got my prescription and was
discharged. I live in the countryside so I was wondering how to get there but I
got there safely! My condition was great. I had some Nucare and took my
medication and laid down. When the sun set I went for a 30 minute walk.
Post-op day 3
I removed the tape from my face and went for an hour walk
before it became too hot. The swelling in my neck and nose was slightly
alleviated after my walk so it was easier to breathe. My family told me that I
look like a baby due to my swelling and said I was cute LOL the swelling will
go down with time but I just want to breathe easily
Post-op day
5 (6/13)
Up until yesterday there was no change to my weight, but when
I weighed myself yesterday I lost 3 kilos. Also the swelling in my face went
down drastically. My parents saw my face and wondering what I did for the
swelling to go down in one day and were fascinated. Now I have no issues
breathing, so maybe that’s why but now I’m unbelievably hungry :( Yesterday I
forced myself to drink Nucare in order to take my medicine but now I’m craving
so many things,, so I looked up post-double jaw surgery diet and saw that cream
soup was good so I made some I’m happy today I also went on a walk for 1 hour
Post-op day
6 (6/14)
In the morning I was swollen again my neck was also swollen
so it hurt like when you have a cold but in the afternoon it became better
again. I read so many reviews and saw that by this point the throat pain gets
better so I wasn’t too concerned. I figured that going on a walk would mean
that the swelling would get better again so I took an hour and a half long
walk. My appetite is an issue again today… I met with friends and my friends apologetically
ate chicken. I couldn’t take it when I saw that so I put some castella in milk
and ate it but because I’m on antibiotics I had diarrhea :( I shouldn’t eat
what I’m told not to eat.
Post-op day
7 (6/15 1-week checkup)
I went to EU for a checkup today. The doctor took a look and
disinfected the area and said my bite and progress look good but I should focus
more on oral hygiene. I feel like I was already paying special attention to
it,, also when I got home my family was eating chicken. Smelling fried chicken
for two days in a row made me go crazy so I cut unsalted chicken into tiny
pieces and put it on my tongue to taste then swallowed so I had indigestion,, I
should not be gluttonous in the future.
Post-op day
9 (6/17)
These days I put makeup on the upper half of my face above
the mask and meet with friends for coffee and join people for drinks but drink
water (I cut pork into small pieces and swallowed it after tasting it but it
was too difficult so I stopped) The swelling in my face went down so quickly so
if I don’t mention that I did surgery, people think I just got fillers!! Thanks
to EU and Dr. Shin when I look in the mirror or take selfies I become so happy
:( I took more photos since the surgery than the whole year put together… Every
day is so different and my recovery is so fast that even the friends I met yesterday
are surprised at my face today!
Post-op day
10 (6/18)
These days it’s a war between me and my appetite… Most people
will react by saying “it must hurt” when I tell them I did double jaw surgery
but there was absolutely no pain since the surgery until now except some
tightness around the stitches when I smile..? But the toughest part of recovery
is not being able to eat what you want to :( I started crying so my family
pitied me and made me steamed egg… But after eating it my appetite exploded and
I delivered some noodles and cut it up into tiny pieces and drank it. After I
became full I told myself I should not do this and gargled diligently… because
it would be bad if I got an infection:(!
Post-op day
12 (6/20)
Every day is the same so it’s boring and hungry… but time
goes by quickly! In two days I will go to remove my stitches. Now the swelling Is
staying the same :( at first it went down super quickly…
Post-op day
14 (6/22)
Today I went to the clinic for the 2-week checkup and stitch
removal. Some people say that stitch removal hurts and some people say it doesn’t
hurt at all but I cried… The lower gums hurt when you touched it but removing
the stitches was so so painful :’( this was the first time since the surgery
when I felt pain….. but my bite is good and the progress is good so I felt good
and they let me do the laser for a long time!
Post-op day
15 (6/23)
I normally enjoy spicy and stimulating foods but since I
couldn’t have them for 2 weeks it was tough. Now that the stitches have been
removed I thought I could have them so I had spicy kimchi porridge and at night
I had Chapagetti+Buldak myun. I felt alive… But because of the excessive
sodium, the inside of my mouth felt heavy :( I should eat fewer stimulating
foods starting tomorrow.
Post-op day
16 (6/24)
My walks have been easy these days and maybe it’s because I
had spicy foods yesterday but my swelling has stagnated. I ate pumpkin puree
and went for a walk. At night I had a housewarming party to attend but it was
full of things I couldn’t eat… I was depressed but as soon as I got home I made
and ate cream risotto so I was happy.
Post-op day
19 (6/27)
I went for a drive in the suburbs with my friends but they
couldn’t eat anything tasty because of me so we just went to a café and had sipped
some drinks so I felt apologetic… My friend took a photo of the side of my face
and I saw how much my jaw was pushed back and asked her to take more. In the
past I would have become instantly depressed when I saw my side profile but my
friends told me I’m pretty and that I made a good decision and were happy for
me.
Post-op day
20 (6/28)
We went to the riverside to eat some boiled meat porridge.
Thankfully I am allowed to eat porridge so I ate a lot! Playing in the water is
dangerous so I just ate the porridge and put my feet in the water. Day by day
time seems to go quickly! Dr. Shin told me to practice relaxing my jaws but I
spent my whole life shutting it so it’s tough :( I was told if I keep doing it
I will have ugly wrinkles in the future…
Post-op day
22 (6/30)
I went to visit a relative and they said they think my face
changed. My parents said it was from orthodontic treatment but kept saying that
wasn’t it and kept pressing so we eventually confessed that I did double jaw
surgery. They were so surprised and told me I became so pretty but they did not
even imagine that I would have done double jaw surgery :( I should have just
said it was just fillers… :( I should just tell people I haven’t seen in a long
time that I got fillers because it looks so natural. When the swelling goes
down I am planning on telling people I just did orthodontic treatment!!! That’s
how natural the jaw is. I really hope the swelling goes down quickly.
Post-op day 25 (7/3)
Maybe it’s because I consume so much sodium but after
removing the stitches the swelling progress has plateaued… Even though I keep
telling myself I won’t eat it, when I become hungry I will eat too much sodium :(,,,
I’m scared the swelling will never go down! I’m not taking too many photos
because of the swelling… Starting tomorrow I will walk twice as much and I don’t
normally drink a lot of water but now I will make an effort to drink more water
and also drink pumpkin puree.
Post-op day
27 (7/5)
Tomorrow is finally the 1-month checkup I hope I’m told I can
chew things…! Today I went to see the ocean with my friends. I drove since
4-days post-op but at first due to the muffled hearing in my ears I drove short
distances but now because my ears are better I can drive long distances hehe
but it’ll be catastrophic if there’s an accident so safety first! Today my
friend took a photo of the side of my face and I was happy that my jaw was
pushed back but I didn’t like the swelling so I deleted it…
Post-op day
28 (7/6)
I went for my 1-month checkup! I took the same photos as I
did before the surgery and despite being swollen there’s still a big difference…
:( Dr. Shin is the best… He told me to open my mouth so I did and he said I’m
doing better than average! I can fit about 3 fingers while wearing the wafer
hehehe I was told I can chew things that I can crush between my fingers so I
almost cried… I thought time would go by slowly but it’s already one month… My
not being able to close my lips is due to the swelling so in order to avoid the
wrinkles in my chin he told me to relax my chin but that’s the most difficult
for me… :( I also met with the orthodontist and he said my bite is really good
even among people with good bites he said I was one of the best. Because I only
heard good things today it felt liky my birthday!!
Post-op day
30 (7/8)
Although I was given permission to chew, I’m still not used
to it and even rice feels hard so I only chew a bit and swallow immediately. I
thought my life would be different after being given permission to chew but I
still can’t eat meat so the level of stress regarding food is about the same,,,
In the daytime I can remove the wafer and I check my bite in the mirror from
time to time and it seems like I bite well. I want to start post-op braces
soon!! Now I’m so bored and I want to work but eating is so difficult so I think
I should keep resting.
Post-op day 33 (7/11)
For 2 weeks after removing the stitches I ate so much that of
the 7 kilos I lost after surgery I gained 4 kilos back but after being
permitted to chew I didn’t really eat much so I lost 3 kilos again. Maybe that’s
why but the swelling seems to have gone down a bit but it might just be my
imagination… but the swelling is about the same! When I wake up in the morning
it looks more swollen then at night it goes away and it keeps repeating. Now,
aside from eating meat there are no issues! I really want to eat meat.
Post-op day
36 (7/14)
I met a friend for the first time in 5 years. I was asked if
I had some fillers in the front of my cheeks and I told her honestly that I did
double jaw surgery 1 month ago and she was very surprised because she didn’t know
recovery from double jaw surgery would be this fast and it’s not obvious at
all. Now I don’t think I will need to tell people I did double jaw surgery
unless I will be eating with them!! I should refrain from deliberately telling
people in the future… They say becoming pretty in a natural-looking way is a success
and in that case I’m very very very very successful!!
Post-op day
39 (7/19)
I went to visit a friend’s home and they took a video of me
secretly. If it was before the surgery, I would not have watched the video and
my self-esteem would plummet but this time I watched it several times… Even
though it was taken secretly my jaw is not protruding so I looked pretty. I
just wish my lips would shut :( I keep telling myself that once the swelling
goes down and I begin orthodontic treatment my lips will shut!
Post-op day
42 (7/22)
I went to Jeju island. I couldn’t eat meat or seafood so the
people I went with had a tough time :( I couldn’t even eat black pork which
Jeju is famous for… I had noodles at a pork restaurant… This is my first travel
destination since becoming pretty so I wanted to take lots of photos but
because of covid I had to wear my mask diligently so I couldn’t take too many
photos so I was sad and I couldn’t eat a lot of tasty foods so I was also sad
about that… I guess by the time my bones heal covid will end as well so I’m
just waiting for time to pass!! One of the friends I travelled with also had
done double jaw surgery so I was marveling at the fact that she was chewing
ice. I was told “you will reach this point as well so just bear with it” and as
it was advice from someone who experienced it, it really hit home.
Post-op day
49 (7/27)
I started my braces… I thought chewing was a bit easier now
but now my teeth hurt :( If I hadn’t even done braces before surgery It would
have been a bigger shock… I’m comforting myself by telling myself it will be
better in a few days. Now I no longer need to do the wafer!! I booked another
orthodontist’s appointment 1 month from now and we will do a 3-month post-op
check-up together so it feels like the day that I will be allowed to eat meat
is imminent so I am happy. Also the sensation in the roof of my mouth is
returning. It feels ticklish and I couldn’t feel cold or hot things but at some
point I could feel them again!
Post-op day
52 (7/30)
I tried eating sushi!!! I had soft salmon and egg sushi and I
almost cried… I’m fascinated and happy at the variety of foods that I can eat
slowly increasing. It’s already more than 50 days since the surgery and I can’t
believe it. It feels like the day that I was struggling to breathe after
surgery was just a few days ago… :( now my family is telling me that I don’t
look like I did surgery and I look like a regular person. I was sad that my
mouth is smaller than before the surgery but everyone told me that it looks
better now that is smaller so I’m less sad. The feeling of the bite in the left
molars feel like they’re all touching but the right side feels like there’s a
gap between the upper and lower teeth. I’m assuming it’ll get better with
braces so I’m not too concerned!! I completely trust the EU doctors.
Post-op day 65 (8/11)
I returned to work today! I went to a new interview and began
working at a new place and nobody knew that I did surgery so I didn’t tell
anyone and I could eat everything except things that are hard so nobody
suspected anything. I think they just think I don’t have a big appetite :( I
really wanted to eat meat during lunch but I will be able to in one month so I’m
suppressing my urges… Maybe it’s due to the wire from my braces but the inside
of my mouth is scratched up and swollen… I want the orthodontic treatment to be
over soon too… In terms of the feeling, just the roof of my mouth is tingly!
Post-op day 74 (8/20)
When I see photos or videos others took of me I’m happy. In
the past, I would’ve begged them to delete it but now I tell them to send it to
me and I keep looking at it. I want 3 months to come quickly so that I can eat whatever
I want… Especially pork belly… Now I can bite into sandwiches with my front
teeth. Aside from not being able to eat meat, I feel similar to how I was
before surgery sometimes. It’s also fun to compare the before and after photos.
Post-op day
81
I met with the orthodontist and took x-rays and a CT for the 3-month
check-up. I was also supposed to meet with Dr. Shin but a surgery suddenly got
scheduled so they asked me in advance if I could just meet with him next time!
I just assumed that they will let me know if they noticed anything wrong with
my x-rays so I just said okay and I guess there were no issues because they did
not contact me hehe I can’t believe it’s already been 3 months.
Post-op day
85
Now my nostrils don’t look asymmetrical and the sensation in
the roof of my mouth is somewhat recovered. It’s also been a while since anyone
asked if I got fat grafting or fillers!!! If I meet someone for the first time
in a long time they just think I got prettier due to the braces- that’s how
natural it is. Those who saw me not long after the surgery are fascinated that
the swelling is completely gone. I think it’s because I move a lot now that I
started work.
Post-op day
91
It’s finally 3 months. As soon as it became 3 months I ate my
favorite hamburger. I could cut it with my front teeth and the patty wasn’t
very hard so it was easy to eat. I can also open my mouth as wide as the
burger!!! I was touched :(
Also, the chin wrinkles that I was concerned about since
before the surgery were still bothering me so I got a botox shot in that area.
I had asked Dr. Shin at the 1-month checkup and he had told me that I could
technically get the botox shot at that time but it’s best to wait a bit so I
got it as soon as I reached the 3 month mark. There’s still a long way to go
with my braces but still it’s already been 3 months since the surgery so it
feels like recovery is almost done. I lost my phone so I couldn’t find my
photos but I found it so now I have my photos hehe sorry???
4 months post-op
Now I live while forgetting that I ever did surgery. Before
the public holiday I was supposed to go to the orthodontist but I stupidly got
my bus time wrong so I missed my bus and called the clinic and they responded
kindly. In terms of discomfort, the mini screws in my gums hurt my lips and
cheeks… :( other than that there are absolutely no issues!!
I originally didn’t have much elasticity in my skin so I
thought I would sag a lot after surgery and even though I see a little bit I’m
a bit sad but I think I can just get lifting treatments so I don’t think it’ll
be a big issue!!
6 months
post-op
Aside from the difficulty eating hard food due to the braces,
I can eat anything! I can even eat picked radish… It’s a bit awkward when I try
to cut with my front teeth but I think it’ll get better. Also the sagging… The
skin itself has no elasticity which caused a bit of sagging so I did Shurink
treatments and it’s really good!! I think it’ll get better if I do it a lot. I
became much prettier so I want to remove my mask but I can’t due to covid so I’m
so sad :( I want covid to end soon!
7 months
post-op
I’m eating whatever I want! I can’t cut things with my front
teeth but I can cut picked radish hehe because it’s winter and due to covid I’m
not really leaving my home and even if I do I always wear my mask so nobody
knows I did surgery! Nobody at work knows I did surgery but sometimes they say “your
face is slim” and it makes me smile :’)
10 months post-op
Before surgery when someone took photos of my face I would
yell at them to delete it like I was having a seizure but now I want people to
take photos of me and if my friends secretly take photos of me I feel happy :’)
I still can’t go to nice places to take photos due to covid but I think I will
be able to take pretty mask-less photos soon!!! I think I chose the right
period to do surgery,,, I was busy due to covid and now it’s already been 10
months. I hope the orthodontic treatment finishes soon :( I came to love myself
after surgery so I’m thankful to the doctor!!! Those who haven’t seen me in a
long time ask why I lost so much weight but I’m actually heavier than I was
before the surgery but everyone thinks I lost weight. One bad thing about
surgery is that even though my face is smaller I gained weight so my shoulders
are as wide as the ocean,,, that’s all I can see LOL my weight :’( I eat
everything so well so I gained so much weight.
1 year post-op
It’s already been 1 year since the surgery. I thought I would
be able to go around without a mask by now but it’s still bad :( I want to take
photos of my beautiful self without a mask but there is no time to do that so I’m
upset that I can’t have many nice photos of me. Whenever I remove my mask
briefly people tell me my face is really small which makes me really proud and
I’m fascinated that no one can tell that I did surgery. I don’t tell people I’m
not close with but even if I do they cannot imagine that I did it because it’s
so natural and a lot of people ask me for the clinic so I’m recommending EU to
everyone!
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